Best LLMs for SQL Generation (2026)
Top large language models for text-to-SQL, query optimization, schema explanation, and database documentation — ranked by accuracy on SQL benchmarks.
Why Claude Sonnet 4 is Best for SQL Generation
Claude Sonnet 4 ranks highest for this use case based on Arena ELO score, benchmark performance, and capability coverage. It provides the best combination of quality, speed, and reliability for these specific tasks.
Cost Estimate
For a typical workload (~50M tokens/month, 60% input / 40% output), the cheapest qualifying model (DeepSeek V3) costs approximately $21.40/month. The most capable model may cost more but delivers higher quality results.
Price vs Quality for SQL Generation
Anthropic
Deepseek
Google
Openai
Top 5 Models Compared
| Rank | Model | Provider | Input $/M | Output $/M | Arena ELO | Speed (tok/s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Claude Sonnet 4 | Anthropic | $3.00 | $15.00 | 1280 | 78 |
| #2 | GPT-4o | OpenAI | $2.50 | $10.00 | 1260 | 95 |
| #3 | GPT-4.1 | OpenAI | $2.00 | $8.00 | 1290 | 88 |
| #4 | DeepSeek V3 | DeepSeek | $0.200 | $0.770 | 1280 | 85 |
| #5 | Gemini 2.5 Pro | $1.25 | $10.00 | 1430 | 70 |
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