For coding specifically, Claude Pro is honestly the best option right now, especially for complex debugging and architectural decisions. Working at an AI consulting firm, I see our developers using different models for different tasks. Claude Sonnet 4 handles multi-file refactoring and complex logic better than anything else. It's particularly good at understanding context across large codebases and suggesting practical solutions. ChatGPT Plus with GPT-4o is solid for general coding tasks and has better integration with development tools through plugins. The code interpreter feature is useful for data analysis and quick prototyping. For free options, Claude's free tier gives you decent access to Sonnet, though with usage limits. ChatGPT free is more restricted but still useful for simple coding questions. Here's what actually matters though - the model is way less important than how you use it. Most developers waste time with vague prompts when they should be providing full context, error messages, and specific requirements. Don't sleep on Cursor IDE if you're doing serious development work. It integrates Claude and GPT directly into your editor and understands your entire codebase context. Way more efficient than copy-pasting code between chat windows. For deployments specifically, none of these models are great at infrastructure management. They can help with configuration files and basic DevOps tasks, but don't expect them to understand complex deployment pipelines or troubleshoot production issues effectively. The real value comes from using AI for boilerplate generation, code review, and explaining unfamiliar codebases. Pick whichever tool fits your budget and focus on learning to prompt effectively rather than chasing the latest model. Claude Pro is worth the subscription if you're doing this professionally, but start with free tiers to figure out your actual usage patterns first. More on reddit.com

check out traycer then (it's a vscode extension). its free plan is already quite generous but it gives you 2 week trial for the pro plan as well. i've been using it for building simple website (pomodoro; to-do; etc) and the results were great. More on reddit.com

Worth checking out Kilo Code in VS Code (also available in JetBrains) - the extension is free and it supports 500+ models, including some free ones. You can switch between them depending on what you're doing instead of getting locked into one. I work with it for a few months now, and that flexibility has been solid for keeping costs down. More on reddit.com

Replit is probably the best AI in the market right now. You have to be patient by the end of the year you can expect a 10x improvement More on reddit.com