What changes with an agent, and why it costs money

This lesson is still being tested: it improves with learners' feedback. If something is unclear, it is the lesson that needs fixing, not you.

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to

explain the difference between chatting with an AI and putting an agent to work;
say what Claude Code does in a folder, and what it does not do without your approval;
know which subscription it requires, and how much it costs;
decide whether now is the right time for you to start.

Why it matters to you

Until now, you copied your texts into the conversation, then copied the answer somewhere else. An agent removes those round trips: it works directly in your files. That is where you really save time, as soon as a task involves several documents. It is also where you need to learn to stay in control.

Before you start


You need	To have done module 1. Module 2 is recommended
Cost	€0: this lesson requires no installation and no purchase
Duration	30 minutes

Understand it in 3 minutes

A chatbot answers. An agent acts. With an agent, you describe what you want, and it chains the steps itself:

it reads the useful files in the folder you opened for it;
it proposes what it is going to do;
it acts: it creates or changes files, and can run commands;
it checks its work and reports back to you.

The image to keep in mind: you lend a binder to a very fast assistant, not the keys to the house. It works in that binder, and it asks you before changing anything, as long as you set it up that way (lesson 3).

Claude Code is Anthropic’s agent. You can use it in two ways:

in the Claude desktop app, Code tab: the way we recommend for getting started, with no terminal;
in the terminal, the window where you type commands: an option for later.

What it costs, on 06/11/2026, as shown in France:

	Access to Claude Code	Price
Claude Free	No	€0
Claude Pro	Yes	€18 per month excl. VAT, or €15 per month when paying for the year (€180)
Claude Max	Yes, with 5 times Pro’s usage	€90 per month excl. VAT
Claude Ultra	Yes, with 10 times Pro’s weekly usage	€180 per month excl. VAT
Console account (API)	Yes, in the terminal only	Billed by usage

Paid plans have usage limits, counted in 5-hour periods and per week: “more usage” does not mean “unlimited”.

Another possible agent: Codex, from OpenAI, included in the ChatGPT plans, including the free one for small programming tasks (learn.chatgpt.com/docs/pricing, 24/10/2026). The course mostly uses Claude Code; module 9 teaches you how to choose.

Do it together

Demonstration: the same task, two ways

The task: you have 12 meeting notes in a folder, and you want a one-page summary.

With a chatbot: you open each note, copy its text into the conversation, ask for the summary, then copy it into a new document. Twelve round trips, and a risk of forgetting one.

With Claude Code: you open the folder, then you write:

Read the notes in this folder and turn them into a one-page summary in a new file called sommaire.md. First tell me what you plan to write.

Usually, it reads the 12 notes, proposes an outline as you asked, then asks for your permission before creating sommaire.md. You read its proposal, then accept or correct it.

The right reflex

An agent does what you ask, in the folder you open for it. To get started, open a dedicated folder, created for the occasion, and never your whole Documents folder.

Your turn

Your decision, in 10 minutes.

List 3 tasks from your month that involve several files: tidying, renaming, summarizing several documents, preparing a file, taking stock of a project.
For each one, answer: is a chatbot enough (I can paste everything into a conversation), or do I need an agent (several files must be opened, read or created)?
Look at which plan you have today on your Claude account.
Decide: I start now (you have, or you take, a Claude Pro subscription or higher), or I start later (you keep going for free with the modules that do not require an agent: 2, 3, 6 and 10, and a good part of modules 11 and 13; each module’s sheet says so; module 9, however, requires having done module 7, which requires an agent). Both choices are good.

Write down your decision and the price you found, with the date, in the “My budget” part of your ID sheet.

Resources to download

My assistant’s ID sheet: the “My budget” part is where you note your decision.

Check your work

It worked if:

you can explain to someone, in two sentences, what an agent does that a chatbot does not;
each of your 3 tasks has its answer, chatbot or agent, with a reason;
your decision is written down, with a dated price and the page where you read it.

Common mistakes:

taking a subscription “just to see” with no concrete task in mind;
believing an agent works alone without supervision: at the start, you approve every action;
thinking the agent sees the whole computer: in Manual mode, it works in the open folder and must ask you before reading or changing anything elsewhere (unless you have allowed other folders).

Keep it and pick it up later

Keep your list of 3 tasks: the first one will become your first real try, after the installation.

Going further

optional

The official Claude Code documentation, in English: code.claude.com/docs.
This course’s Choosing your tool page compares Claude Code and Codex, with dated information.

New words

4 words explained

Word	What it means
Agent	An AI that chains actions (reading, creating, changing, running a command) to reach a goal
Claude Code	Anthropic’s agent, usable in the Claude desktop app (Code tab) or in the terminal
Terminal	A window where you give orders to the computer by typing commands
Working folder	The folder you open for the agent: it works there, and must ask you before going anywhere else

Still to verify: the app’s permission prompt in a real screenshot, and the place where you see your plan in the Claude account.