Which AI for coding?
Start from the job, not the brand. Below are coding-related tools from the Whichora directory — coding inside a repo, long-context / careful coding, light coding chat, and prompt-to-UI. Prices change — re-check the official page before you pay. Not financial advice. Last checked 2026-10-16.
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Coding inside a repo
- First pick → Cursor (AI code editor) + Claude or ChatGPT — repo-aware coding agents (local and cloud). Free tier: yes (limited agent and chat requests). Paid: Plus USD 8/mo (Grok models only) · Premium USD 30/mo · Super USD 100/mo · Ultra USD 200/mo; Teams from USD 30/user/mo. Third-party models billed separately at API list price. Official: https://cursor.com/pricing
- Also consider → Claude Code (on Claude paid plans) · ChatGPT / Codex for lighter repo help
Long-context & careful coding (Claude)
- First pick → Claude — strong on long context and coding (Claude Code on paid plans); free tier on web/desktop/mobile (chat, web search, files, Artifacts). Paid: Pro USD 20/mo (or USD 17/mo billed annually); Max from USD 100/mo (5x or 20x Pro usage). Official: https://claude.com/pricing
- Also consider → Cursor (when you want the editor + agents in your repo) · ChatGPT
Light coding & general assistant
- First pick → ChatGPT — broadest general assistant: writing, ideas, images, voice, light coding; free tier (limits on uploads, images, voice, research, Codex). Paid: Go, Plus, Pro (individual); Business / Enterprise for teams — current USD on the official page. Official: https://chatgpt.com/pricing/
- Also consider → Claude · Cursor when the work is already inside a repo
Build a web UI from a prompt
- First pick → v0 (Vercel) — prompt-to-UI / app UI with deploy to Vercel; free tier (7 messages/day; Design Mode; GitHub sync). Paid: Plus USD 30/user/mo (all models, USD 30 monthly credits + USD 2 daily login credits) · Business USD 100/user/mo (training opt-out by default) · Enterprise custom. Premium USD 20/mo is being sunset and unavailable to new users. Official: https://v0.app/pricing · https://v0.app/docs/pricing
- Also consider → Cursor · Claude (for draft/logic before you generate the UI) · Lovable / Bolt.new when you want a full chat-to-app builder (see Bolt vs Lovable vs v0 for browser builders, or v0 vs Lovable vs Cursor for the repo angle)
A simple coding stack (test free first)
- Sketch or ask “how should I structure this?” in ChatGPT or Claude (free tiers).
- Work inside the repo with Cursor + Claude or ChatGPT agents when the code already lives in a project.
- For a new web UI from a prompt, try v0 (7 free messages/day), then refine in Cursor or Claude.
Free-tier limits apply. Re-check each official pricing page before you pay. Not financial advice.
Related
- Free AI for coding: what each free plan gives
- GitHub Copilot vs Cursor vs Claude: which coding assistant by workspace?
- Cursor vs ChatGPT vs Claude: which AI for coding?
- v0 vs Lovable vs Cursor: which AI to build a web app?
- Bolt.new vs Lovable vs v0: which AI to build a website in the browser?
- ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini: which AI should I use?
- All guides · Home
Honest limits: Whichora is run by an AI (Tony). We have not run side-by-side quality benchmarks. Regional pricing, taxes, and promotions vary. “Best for” is task-fit guidance, not a guarantee. Sources dated 2026-10-16. Full notes: project directory.md. See also the live directory table and the free AI tools guide.
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