Multimodal LLMs (MLLMs) are the pinnacle of artificial intelligence, effortlessly closing the gap between heterogenous data modalities—text, images, audio, and video. Contrary to older models that merely dealt with text-based information, MLLMs combine several modalities to provide richer, contextualized insights. This convergence of strengths has revolutionized industries, making possible everything from sophisticated research and automated customer support to innovative content creation and end-to-end data analysis.
In the recent years, AI has developed at a breakneck speed. Previous language models supported only plain text, but dramatic progress has been made in embedding visual, auditory, and video data. Contemporary Multimodal LLMs establish new records in performance and versatility, foreshadowing a future when intelligent, multimodal computing becomes the standard.
Here in this blog article, we introduce the top 10 multimodal LLMs that are transforming the AI ecosystem in 2025. Built by industry leaders like OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Meta AI, Anthropic, xAI, DeepSeek, Alibaba, Baidu, ByteDance, and Microsoft, these models not only reflect the status of current AI but also show the direction to tomorrow’s innovations.
1. Google Gemini 2.0
- Organization: Google DeepMind
- Knowledge Cutoff: December 2024
- License: Proprietary
- Parameters: Not revealed
Google Gemini 2.0 is a state-of-the-art multimodal LLM for seamless processing and comprehension of text, image, audio, and video input. It excels in operations like deep reasoning, creative content generation, and multimodal perception. Built to operate in applications at the enterprise level, it is properly scalable and seamlessly integrates with Google Cloud solutions. Its advanced design allows it to handle complex workflows, making it poised for use in industries like healthcare, entertainment, and education.
Key Features
- Multimodal advanced capabilities (images, text, audio, video).
- High-level accuracy in sophisticated reasoning and creative activities.
- Enterprise-scalable.
- Seamless integration with Google Cloud services.
How to Use?
Gemini 2.0 is available through Google Cloud’s Vertex AI platform. Developers can sign up for a Google Cloud account, enable the API, and integrate it into their applications. Detailed documentation and tutorials are available on the Google Cloud Vertex AI page.
2. xAI’s Grok 3
- Organization: xAI
- Knowledge Cutoff: February 2025
- License: Proprietary
- Parameters: Not disclosed
The flagship multimodal LLM from xAI, Grok 3, is made for sophisticated reasoning, complicated problem-solving, and real-time data processing. Its ability to accept text, image, and audio inputs makes it adaptable to a variety of uses, including financial analysis, autonomous systems, and real-time decision-making. High performance is guaranteed even with big datasets thanks to Grok 3’s efficiency and scalability optimisations.
Key Features
- Real-time data processing and analysis.
- Multimodal reasoning (text, images, audio).
- High efficiency in handling large-scale datasets.
- Designed for applications requiring rapid decision-making.
How to Use?
Grok 3 is accessible via xAI’s official website. Developers need to register for an account, obtain API credentials, and follow the integration guide provided on the xAI Developer Portal.
3. DeepSeek V3
- Organization: DeepSeek
- Knowledge Cutoff: not specified
- License: Proprietary
- Parameters: Not disclosed
DeepSeek V3 is a quick multimodal AI system made for automation, research, and creative applications. It works well in the media, healthcare, and educational sectors and can take text, image, and voice inputs. Its advanced algorithms enable it to accurately carry out difficult tasks including content production, data analysis, and predictive modelling.
Key Features
- Support for multimodal inputs (text, images, audio).
- High accuracy for research and data analysis operations.
- Can be customized according to specific industry requirements.
- Scalable for mass deployments.
How to Use?
DeepSeek V3 is accessible via DeepSeek’s AI services. Developers can subscribe to the platform, obtain API keys, and integrate the model into their applications. For more details, visit the DeepSeek AI Services page.
4. Google Gemini 1.5 Flash
- Organization: Google DeepMind
- Knowledge Cutoff: August 2024
- License: Proprietary
- Parameters: Not disclosed
A performance-enhanced, speed-optimized version of Google’s Gemini family, Gemini 1.5 Flash is suitable for real-time processing and the rapid generation of responses. It is well suited for low-latency applications, including customer service, real-time translation, and interactive media, and it operates effectively with multimodal inputs (text, image, audio, and video).
Key Features
- Real-time processing and fast response generation.
- Effective processing for multimodal inputs.
- Efficient and speed-optimized.
- Suitable for low-latency applications.
How to Use?
Gemini 1.5 Flash is available through Google Cloud’s Vertex AI. Developers can sign up for a Google Cloud account, enable the API, and integrate it into their applications. Visit the Google Cloud Vertex AI page for more information.
5. Alibaba’s Qwen-2.5-Max
- Organization: Alibaba Cloud
- Knowledge Cutoff: Early 2025
- License: Proprietary
- Parameters: Not specified
Alibaba’s latest AI model, Qwen-2.5-Max, is specifically designed for business automation, customer interactions, and enterprise applications. It is best suited for multinational organisations because of its strong natural language processing (NLP) ability and multilingual input processing capacity. It is applied in finance, logistics, and e-commerce sectors because of its scalability and reliability.
Key Features
- Enterprise-level scalability and dependability.
- Sophisticated natural language processing (NLP) features.
- Global applications with support for multiple languages.
- Smooth integration with Alibaba Cloud services.
How to Use?
Qwen-2.5-Max is accessible via Alibaba Cloud AI. Businesses can integrate it into their workflows using API calls. For more details, visit the Alibaba Cloud AI page..
6. ByteDance’s Doubao 1.5 Pro
- Organization: ByteDance
- Knowledge Cutoff: Not disclosed
- License: Proprietary
- Parameters: Not disclosed
Doubao 1.5 Pro is best for localized use cases and real-time chat AI, and it is precisely tailored for East Asian and Chinese language processing. It is highly utilized in entertainment, social networking, and customer service. It is the perfect choice for East Asian market-reached businesses due to its phenomenal accuracy and efficiency
Major Features
- Expertise in Chinese and East Asian languages.
- Real-time conversational AI function.
- High precision in localized use cases.
- Scalable to support large user populations.
How to Use?
Doubao 1.5 Pro is obtainable via ByteDance’s AI Open Platform. Developers can register, generate API keys, and integrate the model. Visit the ByteDance AI Open Platform for more details.
- Organization: Meta AI
- Knowledge Cutoff: December 2023
- License: Open-source
- Parameters: Up to 70 billion
LLaMA 3.3 is an open-source model, designed to be optimized for enterprise, AI testing, and research. It has very high levels of customization capabilities, making it applicable to industrial and research studies in academia. As an open-source model, its developers can extend and personalize its functionality.
Key Features
- Open-source and extremely customizable.
- Multimodal input support (text, images).
- Suitable for research and experimentation.
- Scalable for enterprise deployment.
How to Use?
LLaMA 3.3 can be downloaded from Meta AI’s GitHub repository. Developers can deploy it locally or in cloud environments. Visit the Meta AI GitHub page for more details.
8. Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 Sonnet
- Organization: Anthropic
- Knowledge Cutoff: October 2024
- License: Proprietary
- Parameters: Not disclosed
Claude 3.7 Sonnet blends advanced problem-solving with ethical AI principles and is suitable for AI-driven conversation, legal research, and data analysis. It is designed to provide accurate and ethical responses, making it ideal for sensitive applications.
Key Features
- Ethical AI principles incorporated into the model.
- Sophisticated problem-solving and reasoning abilities.
- Perfect for legal research and data analysis.
- High accuracy in conversational AI.
How to Use?
Claude 3.7 Sonnet is accessible through Anthropic’s API portal. Developers can sign up and integrate the model using API keys. Visit the Anthropic API Portal for more details.
9. OpenAI’s o3-mini
- Organization: OpenAI
- Knowledge Cutoff: October 2023
- License: Proprietary
- Parameters: Not disclosed
o3-mini is the latest reasoning model by OpenAI, designed to execute complex, multi-step tasks with greater precision. It does extremely well in deep reasoning, complex problem-solving, and coding. It is used on a large scale in education, software development, and research.
Key Features:
- Higher accuracy for multi-step reasoning tasks.
- Sophisticated code generation and debugging.
- Efficient for complicated problem-solving.
- Flexible for numerous applications.
How to Use?
o3-mini is accessible through OpenAI’s API platform. Developers can subscribe to the appropriate usage tier, generate API keys, and integrate the model. Visit the OpenAI API page for more details.
10. OpenAI’s o1
- Organization: OpenAI
- Knowledge Cutoff: October 2023
- License: Proprietary
- Parameters: Not disclosed
o1 is a logic-based AI model designed for complex problem-solving and logical conclusions. It is most appropriate for code generation, debugging, and explanation. It is widely used in technical education and software development.
Key Features
- Logic-based reasoning and problem-solving.
- Highly accurate code generation and debugging.
- Best suited for technical and educational purposes.
- Easily scalable for enterprise applications.
How to Use?
o1 is accessible through OpenAI’s API. Developers need to subscribe to a usage plan, obtain API credentials, and send queries via API calls. Visit the OpenAI API page for more details.
Key Observations
- Google Gemini 2.0 and xAI’s Grok 3 are in the lead because of their superior multimodal features and innovative technology.
- DeepSeek V3 and Google Gemini 1.5 Flash are good competition for research and real-time applications.
- OpenAI models (o3-mini and o1) are lower ranked because they have older knowledge cutoff dates and no multimodal emphasis.
- Meta AI’s LLaMA 3.3 is the sole open-source model within the top 10 and thus extremely researchable and experimental-friendly.
Conclusion
Multimodal LLMs (MLLMs) are rapidly transforming in 2025 with the capabilities to process text, images, audio, and video. This has enhanced user experience and expanded the applications of AI across various industries. The trends that are major among them are the advent of open-source models, increased investment in AI infrastructure, and developing special models for specific tasks. All these collectively drive AI deeper into various industries and make it a fundamental technology in modern technology.
Data Scientist | AWS Certified Solutions Architect | AI & ML Innovator
As a Data Scientist at Analytics Vidhya, I specialize in Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and AI-driven solutions, leveraging NLP, computer vision, and cloud technologies to build scalable applications.
With a B.Tech in Computer Science (Data Science) from VIT and certifications like AWS Certified Solutions Architect and TensorFlow, my work spans Generative AI, Anomaly Detection, Fake News Detection, and Emotion Recognition. Passionate about innovation, I strive to develop intelligent systems that shape the future of AI.
