CompareLLM Practical Guide
Updated 2026-08-16What is TTFT in an LLM?
Time-to-first-token versus tokens per second — which one matters for chat, voice, and coding agents.
1Section 1
TTFT is the pause before the first word
Time-to-first-token is how long the user stares at a blank box. Voice and support widgets die here. A 400 ms model feels slower than a 90 ms model even if both finish a paragraph at the same time.
2Section 2
tok/s is the rest of the stream
Tokens per second is how fast the rest of the answer arrives. Long code patches and essays care about this more than the first token. CompareLLM shows both. Sort the leaderboard by the one that matches the job.
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