The debate is getting heated. $200/month for Claude Code Max or $20/month for Codex Plus? Everyone has an opinion, and most of them are convinced they’re right. I’ve used both extensively. Switched from Claude Max to Codex a few months back. Talked to developers shipping real products on both platforms. Here’s what I learned: the “better” choice depends entirely on what you’re building and how you work. The Core Difference Nobody Explains Properly This isn’t about which model is “smarter.” GPT-5.2/3 can handle harder problems than Opus 4.6. That’s just true. If you need advanced reasoning — like really complex algorithmic work or deep theoretical problems, GPT wins. But Claude Code is more diligent at practical coding tasks. It’s better at the tedious stuff that makes up 80% of actual development work.