OpenAI
ChatGPT + Codex
Our first pick when generous usage allowances matter. ChatGPT for everyday tasks; Codex for work in a codebase.
Choose your AI
Compare the assistants, choose an app or harness, and decide what to pay for.
Start with ChatGPT or Claude
Try the same three real tasks in both. Keep the one that needs less correction. Start with the default model; use deeper reasoning when the task benefits from it.
Anthropic
Claude + Claude Code
A solid workhorse for sustained writing, analysis and coding. Use the app for daily work and Claude Code for repository tasks.
Editorial starting points · recommendations and usage rules checked
Usage limits & sources
OpenAI
Weekly resets can make a paid plan practical for regular work. The allowance depends on the plan, model and task; check the usage dashboard for your actual reset. This recommendation does not promise unlimited use.
OpenAI plans & limits ↗Claude
Max has both five-hour session limits and weekly limits. Check Settings → Usage before planning a long run. Compare the providers on your own tasks and the correction time they require.
Claude Max usage rules ↗Other choices: Gemini & Grok
Gemini
A natural alternative if you prefer Google’s platform and connected apps. Check which integrations your account supports. Google apps ↗
Grok
An alternative for people who prefer Grok and the X ecosystem. The provider now uses the SpaceXSI brand. Choose it for workflow fit and check its current usage terms. Grok overview ↗
Model benchmarks · Artificial Analysis
Dated snapshot · 2026-10-27
Artificial Analysis · High thinking
Current AA leaderboardArtificial Analysis Intelligence Index v4.3.2
Checked · High, not Max/Xhigh
| Tested model / setting | AA index |
|---|---|
| Claude Opus 5.5Anthropic · high with fallback | 54 |
| Gemini 4 ArgonGoogle · high | 53 |
| GPT-6 AstraOpenAI · high | 51 |
| Grok 4.7xAI · high | 46 |
Four selected models, not the full leaderboard. This snapshot is not live, a percentage, or an app rating. High does not mean equal compute across providers; app settings may differ. Scores do not measure usability, file access, or total cost. AA methodology
Apps & agent harnesses
Web is enough for most work. Use the official desktop app for local files, or Codex / Claude Code if you are comfortable in a terminal. An alternative harness is optional.
Web app
Enough for most everyday work: questions, drafts, research, and uploaded files. No installation needed.
Browser access does not mean access to your local folders.
Desktop app
A practical home for files, long tasks, and reviewing outputs side by side.
Grant folder and computer-control permissions deliberately.
Mobile app
Capture ideas, use voice, and check a task while away from your desk.
Review consequential edits on a larger screen. Mobile features vary by provider.
CLI / IDE
Use when files, scripts, or an existing development workflow are central.
More control, more setup. Not a prerequisite for productive AI use.
Compare the apps & harnesses
ChatGPT / Claude
Start here for writing, learning, research, and questions about documents. A chat app is usually enough.
Our pick: test both on the same three real tasks; keep the one whose output needs less correction. There is no universal winner.
ChatGPT desktop / Claude Cowork
Need to work directly on local files, but not comfortable in a terminal? Use the official desktop app with a supported local-project or folder connection.
Give access to a small working folder, not your whole drive. Verify feature availability on your OS and account before paying. Desktop does not mean all processing stays on your computer.
Codex / Claude Code
Comfortable in a terminal? Start with the standard Codex or Claude Code harness for project files, commands, and code changes. Otherwise, use its graphical interface.
Our advice: keep the standard harness if it does the job. Try access included in your existing plan before adding another client; compare correctness, review effort, and total cost. Back up before edits.
Antigravity CLI
A reasonable free-first terminal option for coding and project work with an eligible personal Google account. No paid subscription is required for the individual free tier.
Weekly limits apply. Keep review prompts, use a separate working folder, and compare results on your own tasks before paying for more capacity.
OpenCode
For people who specifically want provider choice and are comfortable configuring a coding agent.
The client and inference bill are different things. Check supported authentication and provider terms; a chat subscription is not a universal API pass.
Grok
Consider it for X-centered research, live web discovery, and voice. Check the underlying source before using a claim in your work.
It is an assistant choice, not automatically a replacement for a local project agent. Buy it for a workflow you actually use.
Want to try a CLI without a paid plan? Antigravity CLI is a free-first Google option for eligible personal accounts, with weekly limits.
Set up Antigravity CLIOptional: OpenCode + OpenRouter
Stay with Codex or Claude Code when they meet your needs. Choose the open-source OpenCode client when you specifically want to switch providers or use open-weight models through OpenRouter, another API service, or a supported local endpoint.
The client, model, and hosting are separate choices. Open-source software does not make inference free; open weights do not make a hosted API local or private. Check billing, model licensing, tool support, and provider data handling.
Set up OpenCode + OpenRouterPlans & what you pay for
USD reference prices before tax. Region, app-store billing and plan changes can affect the price. Confirm current prices and usage limits at checkout.
Core plan guide checked · Later updates are dated individually.
ChatGPT Plus → Pro
$20 → from $100 / month
Pro offers higher usage tiers. Check the current tier price and account limits; do not assume unlimited runs. API billing is separate.
Claude Pro → Max
$20 → $100 / $200 / month
Monthly Pro; Max has 5x / 20x usage tiers. Claude Code is included in Pro and Max, subject to limits. Annual Pro is a different billing commitment.
Free, provider-billed & team options
Antigravity CLI · Individual
$0 / month
Eligible personal Google accounts, age 18+ in supported regions. Basic weekly limits; paid upgrades are optional. Google Workspace and Cloud access have separate eligibility and billing. Checked 2026-10-01.
Grok / SuperGrok
Verify at checkout
The public plans page did not expose a verifiable price in this review. Check web vs app-store pricing, region, limits, and any X bundle separately.
OpenCode + provider
Provider-dependent
Set a small provider budget or prepaid balance. Check whether your chosen login uses a supported subscription or metered API billing.
Business / Team / Enterprise
Seats + possible usage charges
For company-approved data use, administration, and contractual controls. Enterprise is a governance decision, not a promise of better answers. Compare the written offer.
When is an upgrade worth it?
$20 or $200? Measure the interruption.
Use one paid plan for a week. Record completed tasks, corrections, and time lost to limits. A $180 upgrade must recover more than $180 of useful time. At your own valuation of $30/hour, that is six hours a month—not a promise of savings.
Enterprise is not the next personal tier
Use an approved organizational plan when the work needs central access control, offboarding, auditability, or contractual data handling. Check feature entitlements, retention, minimum seats, and overage rules with procurement. Do not put confidential company files into a personal account while waiting.
Core guide checked · Individual sources carry their own dates.
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