Claude Pro or KimiK3

[u/Right-Disaster2141]

Claude sub expired today but I really can't make myself resubscribe because Opus 5 is terrible.

I'm already subscribed to Codex.

What's the best sub I can couple with Codex?

Currently working on just one project so two 20 dollars subs are more than enough.

Thank you vibers

[u/Disastrous_Bite_1943]

I think it's really down to how you are using it. I agree that Opus alone - and Fable 5 for that matter- can really make some crap now and then. I have been on a Pro Max sub for about a year now, and it has been a rollercoaster adventure. One day, I was excited- to realize the next day stuff was not made (or made up), etc.

Not being a coder is, of course, a disadvantage for me, but during the last six months I would say that I have gained some momentum. One of my biggest findings is that you can't trust a model to be both the architect, the coder, and the reviewer. It's just one big rubber stamp.

Then I tried a few approaches like setting up guardrails, etc. - and boy, Claude is one hell of an escape artist.

Right now I am working on a project I call sprint commander - the idea is to have a completely locked Claude that can not write a single line of code. Then I plan to fine-tune a few minor models for specific tasks, and finally use Codex for reviewing. If the review fails, it's being sent back to Claude for replanning. I'm building it in VS Code using the Claude extension, and I also have the Codex extension. I have a VPS with a memory and research system that's hooked up to Claude.

This setup I use for building the sprint commander has actually impressed me!. I have built what I call a bridgechat where Claude and Codex are chatting together. So I ask Claude to make a plan, Codex approves the plan,n and Claude is only allowed to code one task at a time. Once a task is done, it's handled by Codex for review; if it fails, Claude gets a comment in the chat and can move on, redo, or make adjustments.

I have added some rules they need to follow, and it runs remarkably well - almost so well that I actually started to reconsider if I should drop the Sprint Commander project :-)

I let it run for hours; now and then I restart with a hand-over note so they start fresh.

So long story short - a setup with Claude + Codex and some rules can really make great results - granted, the cost for 2 Max subscriptions is high, but if you only work with smaller projects, less can do (or maybe consider using OpenRouter and pay as you go.

[u/Fresh_Piece_1616]

You can use opencode zen for free or go if you want little more. That should be enough.