---
id: "blog-best-ai-coding-plans"
slug: "best-ai-coding-plans"
date: "2026-06-22"
updatedAt: "2026-08-05"
title: "10 Best AI Coding Plans in 2026 (Compared)"
summary: "An honest comparison of the best AI coding plans in 2026 — Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, Codex and more — ranked on price, model access, and lock-in. DevPass tops the list with one flat rate for every model."
categories: ["Guides"]
image:
  src: "/blog/best-ai-coding-plans.png"
  alt: "Comparison of the best AI coding plans in 2026 routing to many models through one subscription"
  width: 1536
  height: 1024
faqs:
  - question: "What is the best AI coding plan in 2026?"
    answer: "For most developers, DevPass is the best value because it's the only plan that combines a flat monthly price with access to every frontier model — Claude Opus 5, GPT-5.6, Gemini 3.1 Pro and 200+ others — and works with the coding tools you already use. Single-vendor plans like Claude Code or Cursor are excellent if you're certain you'll only ever want that one company's models."
  - question: "Can I use DevPass with Claude Code and Cursor?"
    answer: "Yes. DevPass is OpenAI- and Anthropic-compatible, so it works with Claude Code, OpenCode, Cursor, Cline, Zed, Aider and any tool that accepts a custom base URL and key. You keep your workflow and swap in one key for every model."
  - question: "Is a flat-rate plan cheaper than paying per token?"
    answer: "For daily, agent-heavy work, almost always. DevPass turns every $1 into roughly $3 of model usage at provider rates, and the flat ceiling means a runaway agent loop can't produce a surprise invoice. For light or spiky use, raw pay-as-you-go (Cline or Aider on your own key) can still win."
  - question: "How many models do I get with DevPass?"
    answer: "Every plan includes all 200+ models on LLM Gateway, from frontier flagships to open-weight coders like GLM-5.1, Qwen3 and Kimi K3. There's no per-model gating between tiers — the tiers differ only in monthly usage allowance."
---

AI coding agents have gone from novelty to daily driver. The problem is paying for them. Every tool wants its own subscription, every subscription locks you to one vendor's models, and the ones that meter by token leave you watching a runaway agent loop burn through your budget at 2am.

So which AI coding plan is actually worth it in 2026? We compared the ten that developers reach for most — on what really matters: how many models you get, whether you're locked to one vendor, how predictable the bill is, and which editors and CLI agents each one works with.

The short version: most plans give you one company's models inside one company's tool. **DevPass** is the exception — a flat monthly rate that runs every frontier model through Claude Code, Cursor, OpenCode, Cline, or whatever you already use. Here's the full ranking.

## 1. DevPass

**Best overall. Flat rate. Every model. No token math.**

[DevPass](https://devpass.llmgateway.io) by LLM Gateway isn't an editor and it isn't a single-vendor plan — it's the **model layer** underneath whatever coding tool you already use. One API key unlocks **200+ models** — Claude Opus 5, GPT-5.6, Gemini 3.1 Pro, plus the open-weight coders like GLM-5.1, Qwen3 and [Kimi K3](/blog/kimi-k3) — for a flat monthly price.

**What sets it apart:**

- **One key, every model** — switch from Claude to GPT-5.6 to a cheap open-weight coder mid-session, no new subscription, no new key
- **Flat, predictable pricing** — $29, $79, or $179 a month. You know the number on day one; a runaway agent can't run up a surprise invoice
- **~3× value at provider rates** — every $1 you pay turns into roughly $3 of model usage metered at each provider's published per-token rate, shown in your dashboard in real time
- **Works with the tools you already have** — Claude Code, OpenCode, Cursor, Cline, Zed, and anything OpenAI- or Anthropic-compatible

**Pricing:**

| Plan    | Price      | Model usage included                        |
| ------- | ---------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| Lite    | $29/mo     | ~$87 at provider rates                      |
| **Pro** | **$79/mo** | **~$237** — where most developers ship from |
| Max     | $179/mo    | ~$537 — built for all-day agent runs        |

**Best for:** Developers who use more than one model, more than one tool, or just want a flat bill they can predict.

```bash
# Point any OpenAI- or Anthropic-compatible coding tool at your DevPass key
export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL="https://api.llmgateway.io/v1"
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="$LLM_GATEWAY_API_KEY"

# Then run Claude Code, OpenCode, Cline, or Cursor as usual —
# every one of the 200+ models is now a single switch away
```

<BlogCta variant="devpass" location="after_ranking" />

---

## 2. Claude Code (Anthropic Max)

**The strongest single-vendor coding agent — if you only ever want Claude.**

Anthropic's Claude Code is a terminal-native agent that many developers consider the best pure coding experience available. On the Max tiers it runs without per-token metering.

**Strengths:**

- Excellent agentic coding with Claude Opus and Sonnet
- Deep terminal integration and a polished workflow
- Flat-ish pricing on Max (no per-token bill)

**Weaknesses:**

- **Anthropic models only** — no GPT-5.6, no Gemini, no open-weight coders when a task needs them
- Usage limits are famously opaque; heavy users hit caps without warning
- The top tier is expensive at roughly $100–$200/mo for one vendor's models

**Pricing:** Claude Pro around $20/mo (limited); Max tiers roughly $100–$200/mo.

**Best for:** Developers who are happy living entirely inside Claude. (You can also run Claude Code on DevPass to keep Claude _and_ add every other model — see [our Claude Code setup guide](/blog/how-configure-claude-code-with-llmgateway).)

---

## 3. Cursor

**The best AI editor — with usage bundled into the seat.**

Cursor is the most popular AI-first code editor, with tab completion and a Composer agent that many developers love. The plan bundles model usage into the subscription.

**Strengths:**

- Best-in-class inline completion and editor experience
- Composer agent for multi-file edits
- Familiar VS Code-based interface

**Weaknesses:**

- Usage is bundled into opaque credits — Pro is roughly break-even ($20 of usage for $20), Ultra gives about 2× ($400 for $200)
- You're inside Cursor's editor; the value doesn't follow you to the terminal or another tool
- Per-seat pricing adds up across a team

**Pricing:** Pro $20/mo, Ultra $200/mo.

**Best for:** Developers who live inside the editor for tab completion. DevPass doesn't replace Cursor's editor — but if your workflow is Claude Code, Zed or Cline, it replaces the reason you'd pay for Cursor's models. ([Full comparison](https://devpass.llmgateway.io/compare/cursor).)

---

## 4. GitHub Copilot

**The default, IDE-native autocomplete — now with an agent.**

Copilot is the most widely deployed AI coding tool, built into VS Code, JetBrains, and GitHub itself. It has grown from autocomplete into an agent mode with a choice of a few models.

**Strengths:**

- Tightest IDE and GitHub integration
- Cheap entry point and broad enterprise availability
- Agent mode and a small menu of model choices

**Weaknesses:**

- Model selection is limited to a curated few, not the full frontier
- Premium-request limits and add-on charges complicate the "simple" pricing
- Less capable for long, autonomous agent runs than dedicated CLI agents

**Pricing:** Pro $10/mo, Pro+ $39/mo, plus Business/Enterprise seats.

**Best for:** Teams standardized on GitHub who want autocomplete first and agentic coding second.

---

## 5. OpenAI Codex (ChatGPT Pro)

**OpenAI's agent, bundled into a ChatGPT subscription.**

Codex is OpenAI's coding agent, available through ChatGPT plans and the Codex CLI. It's strong at planning and runs GPT-5-class models.

**Strengths:**

- Capable agentic coding on GPT-5.6 and o-series reasoning models
- Cloud and CLI execution modes
- Comes bundled if you already pay for ChatGPT

**Weaknesses:**

- **OpenAI models only** — no Claude, no Gemini, no open-weight options
- The unlimited experience effectively requires the $200/mo Pro tier
- Usage allowances shift and aren't always transparent

**Pricing:** ChatGPT Plus $20/mo, Pro $200/mo.

**Best for:** Developers already committed to the OpenAI ecosystem.

---

## 6. Windsurf

**An agentic editor with credit-based pricing.**

Windsurf (formerly Codeium) is an AI-native editor built around its Cascade agent, with a credit system that meters heavier model calls.

**Strengths:**

- Purpose-built agentic editor experience
- Reasonable entry pricing
- Multi-file, context-aware edits

**Weaknesses:**

- Credit-based metering makes monthly cost hard to predict
- Model choice is curated rather than open
- Value is tied to staying inside the Windsurf editor

**Pricing:** Free tier; paid plans start around $15/mo plus credit add-ons.

**Best for:** Developers who want an agent-first editor and don't mind tracking credits.

---

## 7. Cline (bring your own key)

**The open-source VS Code agent — you supply the models.**

Cline is a popular open-source agent that runs inside VS Code and connects to whatever API key you give it. There's no subscription — you pay the provider directly per token.

**Strengths:**

- Open source and transparent
- Plugs into any provider key, including a gateway
- No platform fee — pure pass-through

**Weaknesses:**

- You manage keys, billing, and rate limits yourself
- Raw pay-as-you-go means no spend ceiling unless you add one
- No bundled allowance — heavy days get expensive fast

**Pricing:** Free tool; you pay per-token API costs.

**Best for:** Developers who want an open agent and a single, predictable bill behind it — point Cline at a DevPass key and you get exactly that: every model, one flat rate, a spend ceiling built in.

---

## 8. Augment Code

**Built for large codebases and team context.**

Augment focuses on agentic coding across big repositories, with retrieval and context features aimed at professional teams.

**Strengths:**

- Strong performance on large, real-world codebases
- Context and retrieval tuned for scale
- Team-oriented features

**Weaknesses:**

- Seat- and usage-based pricing that climbs with the team
- Curated model set rather than the full frontier
- Heavier setup than a drop-in agent

**Pricing:** Free tier; paid plans are seat- and usage-based.

**Best for:** Teams whose main challenge is navigating a large codebase, not model choice.

---

## 9. Z.ai GLM Coding Plan

**The cheapest way to live on one open-weight model.**

Zhipu's GLM Coding Plan offers GLM models at a low flat price. It's a strong deal — as long as GLM is the only model you need.

**Strengths:**

- Very low monthly price
- Generous request volume on GLM
- Good agentic performance for the cost

**Weaknesses:**

- **Single vendor** — every model comes from Zhipu, so you're blocked from Claude, GPT-5.6 and Gemini
- No frontier Western flagships for the tasks that need them
- One-model focus is a ceiling as much as a feature

**Pricing:** Low flat monthly rate for GLM models only.

**Best for:** Developers who are happy on GLM and want the lowest possible bill. ([How it compares to DevPass](https://devpass.llmgateway.io/compare/z-ai-glm-coding-plan).)

---

## 10. Aider

**The open-source CLI for pay-as-you-go pair programming.**

Aider is a beloved terminal-based coding assistant that works with any model API. Like Cline, there's no subscription — you bring your own key and pay per token.

**Strengths:**

- Open source, scriptable, git-native
- Works with any provider, including a gateway
- Lightweight and fast

**Weaknesses:**

- Pure pay-as-you-go with no spend ceiling of its own
- You handle keys and billing across providers
- No bundled allowance or dashboard

**Pricing:** Free tool; you pay per-token API costs.

**Best for:** Terminal purists who want a thin, open agent — and, again, a flat-rate key behind it keeps the bill predictable.

---

## Comparison Table

| Plan              | Flat price      | Every frontier model | Works across tools | Predictable bill | Open agent |
| ----------------- | --------------- | -------------------- | ------------------ | ---------------- | ---------- |
| **DevPass**       | **Yes**         | **Yes**              | **Yes**            | **Yes**          | **Yes**    |
| Claude Code (Max) | Yes             | No (Anthropic only)  | No                 | Partly           | No         |
| Cursor            | Yes             | No (curated)         | No (editor)        | Partly           | No         |
| GitHub Copilot    | Yes             | No (curated)         | No (IDE)           | Partly           | No         |
| OpenAI Codex      | Yes             | No (OpenAI only)     | No                 | Partly           | No         |
| Windsurf          | No (credits)    | No (curated)         | No (editor)        | No               | No         |
| Cline             | N/A (BYOK)      | Depends on key       | Yes                | No               | Yes        |
| Augment           | No (seat/usage) | No (curated)         | No                 | No               | No         |
| Z.ai GLM Plan     | Yes             | No (GLM only)        | Yes                | Yes              | No         |
| Aider             | N/A (BYOK)      | Depends on key       | Yes                | No               | Yes        |

## How to Choose

**You use more than one model:** DevPass is the only plan that gives you Claude, GPT-5.6, Gemini _and_ the open-weight coders under one key. Every other paid plan locks you to one vendor or a curated handful.

**You want a bill you can predict:** Flat-rate plans (DevPass, Claude Max, the Z.ai plan) beat credit metering when you code every day. DevPass adds a spend ceiling without giving up model choice.

**You love a specific tool:** Keep it. Cline, Aider, Claude Code, OpenCode, Zed and even Cursor all accept an external key — point them at DevPass and you upgrade the model layer without changing your workflow.

**You only ever use one model:** A single-vendor plan like Claude Max or the Z.ai GLM Coding Plan can be the cheapest fit. The moment you need a second model, you're buying a second subscription.

**You're comparing the gateways underneath these plans:** see how LLM Gateway stacks up against [OpenRouter](/blog/llm-gateway-vs-openrouter) and [LiteLLM](/blog/llm-gateway-vs-litellm), or the full breakdown of [what every AI gateway actually charges](/blog/ai-gateway-fees-compared).

---

## Getting Started

Switch to one flat rate for every model in under two minutes:

1. **[Pick a DevPass plan](https://devpass.llmgateway.io/pricing)** — Lite, Pro, or Max
2. Copy your key and point Claude Code, Cursor, Cline or OpenCode at `https://api.llmgateway.io/v1`
3. Switch models freely — every request shows its real cost in your dashboard

No per-token math. No vendor lock-in. Just every model under one key.

<BlogCta variant="devpass" location="bottom" />

**[Compare DevPass vs Cursor](https://devpass.llmgateway.io/compare/cursor)** | **[Read the 7 best AI gateways](/blog/best-ai-gateways)** | **[GitHub Copilot alternatives](/blog/github-copilot-alternatives)**
