Guides / Writing
Which AI model should write your YouTube script?
Cuely now writes with 30 models from 9 companies, from Qwen on the free plan to Claude Opus, GPT-6.1 Sol and Gemini 4 Argon on Professional.
More choice only helps if you know when to switch. So we gave the same hook to several of them, word for word, and put the answers side by side. Below: what came back, what each model is good at, and what it costs.
Same hook, eight models
Each model got the same instruction: write the opening hook for a video called "I lived on $30 of food for a week", two or three spoken sentences, no greeting, no dashes. One run each, on 28 October 2026, nothing edited.
Video title: "I lived on $30 of food for a week". Write the opening hook.
Claude Sonnet 5.5 (Professional)
Thirty dollars. That's every bit of food I was allowed for seven days, and by day three I was standing in my kitchen eating plain rice out of the pot. I'm going to show you exactly what I bought, what went wrong, and the one meal that surprised me so much I'm still making it.
The only one that opens on a scene you can picture. Best of the run.
GPT-6 Luna (Starter)
I had just $30 to feed myself for an entire week, and every meal had to come out of that budget. By day three, I was already rethinking what counts as a "cheap" grocery trip.
Short and clean, with a real moment on day three.
Claude Haiku 5.5 (Starter)
I spent exactly thirty dollars on groceries for seven whole days, and I was convinced I'd be starving by Wednesday. Some of what I bought was genuinely surprising, and a few of my choices were absolutely terrible. Stick around, because by the end you'll know exactly what thirty dollars can really buy.
Natural voice, but "stick around" is filler you would cut.
Gemini 3.8 Flash (Individual)
With groceries at an all-time high, this entire cart of food has to feed me for the next seven days, and it only cost thirty dollars. If I run out of calories or get sick of rice and beans by Thursday, there is no backup plan. Let us see if you can actually survive on just four dollars a day without starving.
Good stakes and a picture (the cart). "Let us see" sounds written, not spoken.
DeepSeek V4.1 Flash (Starter)
I spent one week eating on a thirty dollar budget and it completely changed how I think about groceries. Some meals were depressing, some were surprisingly good, and one day I almost gave up. Here is exactly what thirty dollars bought me.
Honest and plain. A good first draft to edit.
Qwen 3.8 (Free)
I had exactly thirty dollars in my pocket and seven days to keep from starving. What I learned about hunger and human nature might shock you.
Tight, if a little dramatic. Very good for a free model.
Grok 4.3 (Individual)
I challenged myself to survive an entire week on just thirty dollars worth of food. The rules were simple but the reality hit harder than I expected with every meal. What I learned about cheap eating might surprise you.
Reads like a template. Grok does better on opinion and reaction videos.
GPT-OSS 120B (Free)
Imagine surviving a whole week on just thirty dollars of groceries. Watch me stretch every cent from breakfast to dinner and discover just how far a tight budget can really go.
"Imagine" openers are the most common AI hook. Rewrite this one.
Mistral Small also answered, but used a long dash we asked it not to, so it is left out. Mistral Large was busy at its provider during the test.
Three things stand out. The strongest hooks open on a moment (rice out of the pot, day three) instead of a summary. The cheaper models are close behind on a short job like this. And every model, even the best, needs one human pass: cut the filler line and say it out loud.
What each one is good at
- Claude (Haiku, Sonnet, Opus): The most natural spoken English. Keeps your voice across a long script. Start here for an important video.
- GPT-6 (Luna, 6.1 Sol): Sharp with structure: hooks, outlines and tight edits that keep the point.
- Gemini (Flash, 4 Argon): Quick and good with current topics. Argon handles long drafts well.
- Mistral (Small, Large): Writes well in many languages, including Ukrainian, French and German.
- Grok (Individual): A bold, punchy voice for opinion and reaction videos.
- Kimi (Individual): Careful with long, research-heavy scripts.
- DeepSeek (Starter): Fast, cheap and solid. A good first pass on anything.
- Qwen (Free, Plus): The free plan's writer: quick, clean and good in many languages.
Which model for which job
| Job | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ideas and titles | Auto or Qwen | Short jobs: every model does fine, so pay the least |
| The hook | Claude Haiku or GPT-6 Luna | Cheap enough to run three times and keep the best |
| A full script | Claude Sonnet, or the strongest on your plan | The voice holds up over ten minutes |
| A script in another language | Mistral | Natural phrasing outside English |
| Opinion or reaction video | Grok | A punchier, more direct take |
| A flat section | A different model than the draft | A second voice fixes what a retry will not |
What is on each plan
| Plan | Models | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Hobby (free) | Qwen 3.8, GPT-OSS | Ideas, titles, first drafts |
| Starter | GPT-6 Luna, Claude Haiku, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, Mistral Small, Gemini Flash Lite, Qwen Plus, smaller GPT models | A full script every week |
| Individual | Grok, Mistral Large, Kimi, Gemini Flash, GPT-4.1, o3-mini and o4-mini | Long scripts, other languages |
| Professional | Claude Sonnet and Opus, GPT-6.1 Sol, Gemini 4 Argon, o3 | Your most important videos |
Each plan includes everything on the plans below it. You pick the model for each script in the editor, at the top right.
What it costs in credits
Every reply from a model costs credits, and stronger models cost more. These are the prices for one reply:
- Qwen 3.8: 1
- Claude Haiku: 4
- GPT-6 Luna: 5
- Mistral Large: 26
- Claude Sonnet: 47
- GPT-6.1 Sol: 60
- Claude Opus: 95
With 10,000 credits a month on Starter, Claude Haiku gives you about 2,500 replies. That is plenty for a script a week, with room to rewrite the hook as often as you like.
When to leave it on Auto
Auto picks a model for each request from what your plan includes. Short jobs like a title or a rewrite of one line go to a fast model. A full script, Continue or a long rewrite goes to the strongest model you have.
On the free plan Auto now writes with Qwen 3.8, which, as the test above shows, sounds more natural than the model it replaced.
Leave it on Auto while you learn the studio. Switch by hand when you know what you want: Claude for voice, Mistral for another language, Grok for a punchier take.
Questions
Which AI model is best for YouTube scripts?
In our test Claude Sonnet wrote the best hook, because it opened on a moment you can picture. For tight structure try GPT-6, and for a language other than English, Mistral. On the free plan, Qwen 3.8 is a good start.
Do I need a separate ChatGPT or Claude subscription?
No. All of these models are included in your Cuely plan and paid with its credits.
Can I switch models in the middle of a script?
Yes. The model applies to each request, so you can draft with one and rewrite a section with another.
Does a stronger model make the script sound more like me?
It helps, but your notes and your style profile matter more. Give the agent your own stories and words, and any model gets closer to your voice.