Standard vs. Advanced Models FAQs
Understand the differences between using standard and advanced models in Astell
What are Standard Models?
We are committed to providing the latest and best baseline models as part of our Standard Models. Standard Models are completely free and unlimited on all Astell plans. They use no tokens and are only subject to the Fair Use Policy.
What are Standard Models good for?
Standard Models are ideal for:
- Everyday questions and quick answers
- Summarizing messages and documents
- Draft generation and brainstorming
- Code explanations and debugging assistance
- Meeting note summaries
- Email composition
- General knowledge queries
What does “unlimited” mean for Standard Models?
Unlimited means:
- No message count limits
- No conversation length restrictions
- Available 24/7 without throttling
- Zero additional cost
Exception: (see Fair Use Policy)
What are Advanced Models?
Advanced Models are the latest, state-of-the-art reasoning models intended for more complex tasks, typically with longer context windows. They use no tokens.
How many Advanced Model responses does each plan get?
- Sapling: 10 Advanced Model responses/month
- Tree: 100 Advanced Model responses/month
- Grove: 300 Advanced Model responses/month
- Forest (Enterprise): custom allocation
Does an error response from an Advanced Model cost my monthly response allowance?
No, AI errors are occasional system or model-level failures where the AI can't generate a response. If an error message is generated from an advanced model, there is no cost on your monthly response allowance.
What are Advanced Models best for?
Advanced Models are best for:
- Complex analysis and research
- Detailed technical documentation
- High-stakes business decisions
- Advanced code generation
- In-depth strategic planning
- Nuanced writing and editing
- Multi-step reasoning tasks
Do context, memory, or long multi-turn conversations cost tokens?
No. Context, memory, and long multi-turn conversations don't add any extra token cost by themselves. Tokens are only consumed when ingesting Processed Data (See Native vs. Processed Data)
How do file/document attachments affect token usage in chat?
Chat attachments do not cost token usage.
What's the recommended way to choose the right model?
Start with Standard Models first (they cover about 80–90% of typical use cases). Upgrade to Advanced Models when:
- The standard response isn't detailed enough
- You need more nuanced understanding
- The task requires advanced reasoning
- You're refining important work
Can I switch models mid-conversation?
Yes, you can always switch between standard and advanced models at anytime when using Astell. Too switch models in chat, please see "AI Models"
How do I conserve usage in advanced chat (without sacrificing results)?
The simplest rule: start with Standard Models, then switch to Advanced Models only when you actually need deeper reasoning or higher accuracy. Standard models handle 80%+ of everyday questions well, and the biggest waste usually comes from unnecessary back-and-forth.
- Batch your questions (combine multiple asks into one request).
- Be specific up front so you don't burn extra turns on follow-ups.
- Use one “do-it-all” prompt instead of three separate prompts.
Example: - ❌ Wasteful (3 responses): three separate Advanced responses
- ✅ Efficient (1 responses): one Advanced response: “Analyze this document: summarize the content, identify key risks, and list action items with priorities.”
What happens if I run out of Advanced Models responses?
- Standard models keep working normally
- Advanced models become unavailable once you've used your included Advanced responses
- Advanced models reset on your billing cycle date (next month)
- If you need more Advanced responses before the reset, you can upgrade your plan or add more responses