"Cheaper" compared to API prices, right? I've run the numbers and the frontier subscriptions are still the best option. 100% usage every week is a truly absurd amount of value. Unfortunately the subscriptions can't be used outside the official harnesses.
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A month or so ago I asked Claude about using open-weight models through another provider (after describing my usage patterns), and, amusingly, it told me that I could probably save money ditching my Claude Max 5x sub and switching to something like Fireworks, using GLM 5.2, even if I'd be paying API rates.
I still haven't gotten around to trying it, though, so I don't know what the reality is. And new open-weight models have been released since then that I'd want to evaluate...
Trying to force myself to find ways to extract full value out of such a subscription sounds very unpleasant.
It's the literal software development gacha, habit forming, timed intermittent reward schedules and all. Making insane progress on my side projects though.
If I have too much usage I'll simply find something for the AI to do. Guided router update. Router hardening. Laptop hardening. Penetration test my router now that I somehow got into the cyber program. Local models research. PC build research. Smartphone research. Financial investments research. Business research. Medical research. Laptop firmware reverse engineering. Old video game reverse engineering. Pick a random open source project and let's explore the code base. Analyze all of my ten thousand HN posts and tell me interesting facts.
If I can't think of anything I default to picking a random git repository and launching a massive parallel code review session. That's guaranteed to kill any remaining usage in exchange for useful output. Then I can go enjoy my weekend guilt free. Unless they reset the usage.
Both API and subscription prices are cheaper with all other models and providers compared to Anthropic.
GPT is also better than Claude from my personal experience. GLM 5.2 is equal and Kimi K3 is better.
But I mostly use Deepseek and pay api prices.