Choosing your tool
What each tool does, what it costs, and how to choose. Checked on 24/10/2026 In testing
Claude Code is an important tool in this course, but it is not the only one. The right reflex: start from your task, then pick the simplest tool that can do it, based on its real capabilities on today’s date.
The tools the course covers
| Tool | What it is | What it is for | Free plan | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude (claude.ai) | Anthropic’s chatbot, on the web, desktop and phone | Chatting, writing, analyzing, searching the web, creating files | Yes: chat, web search, file creation, memory, up to 5 projects | 24/10/2026, claude.com/pricing |
| Claude Code | Anthropic’s agent that works in your files (desktop app, Code tab, or terminal) | Organizing, producing, building tools, while staying in charge | No: included from the Pro plan (€18 per month excl. VAT, or €15 per month billed annually, prices shown in France), or with a Console account billed by usage, in the terminal | 06/11/2026, claude.com/pricing and code.claude.com/docs |
| ChatGPT | OpenAI’s chatbot | Chatting, writing, analyzing | Yes (Free, €0). Paid plans: Go €8, Plus €23, Pro from €103 per month (prices shown in France) | 24/10/2026, chatgpt.com/pricing |
| Codex | OpenAI’s coding agent | Producing and reviewing code, as a complement to or instead of Claude Code | Included in all ChatGPT plans, including Free for small tasks (limits not quantified); for Free and Go, the Codex plans page only mentions the desktop app | 24 and 25/10/2026, learn.chatgpt.com/docs/pricing and developers.openai.com/codex/pricing |
| Hermes Agent | An open source autonomous agent (Nous Research) that keeps memory and skills from one session to the next | Advanced autonomous tasks; reserved for advanced users, with safeguards | The software is free (MIT license); the AI model it uses may be paid | 24/10/2026, hermes-agent.nousresearch.com |
| Others (Google’s Gemini, Mistral’s assistant…) | Other assistants | Depends on their capabilities | To be checked | Not studied yet; the method for evaluating one in an hour is in module 13, lesson 4 |
Pricing pages are shown in your country’s currency: these prices are the ones shown in France on 24/10/2026. Anthropic states that its prices are excl. VAT; ChatGPT’s page does not say: check the amount when you pay.
How to choose, in 3 questions
- Does your task require working in your files? No: a chatbot is enough (Claude or ChatGPT, on the free plan to start). Yes, across several files on your computer: you need an agent. Claude Code requires a paid subscription (or an API account, billed by usage); Codex has limited access in ChatGPT’s free plan.
- Can the tool really do it, on your plan? An announced feature is not necessarily available on your plan or in your country. Check the official page, and its date.
- What goes where? Before giving a document to a tool, look at its privacy settings (module 1, lesson 3).
Key takeaways
- Two tools do not talk to each other automatically, unless there is a documented integration: often, you are the one who passes the context along (module 9 teaches you to do it cleanly).
- Simplest first: only add a tool for a real need.
- This page is dated. If a line is too old, check again before relying on it.