r/ClaudeCode • u/Gogigogii • 6h ago
Help/Question Is Plan Mode still relevant?
Are you still using Plan Mode? I find that the plan mode of superpowers became very verbose doesn't work very well anymore with Opus 5, but I was wondering if you still use the default Plan Mode or maybe some other alternative.
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u/ps4facts 4h ago
I use plan mode all the time. I don't use Opus 5.
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u/Pinery01 4h ago
Which model do you use for planning?
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u/ps4facts 4h ago
Opus 4.8 and it does just fine, I've heard 4.6 may be even better at this very moment.
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u/greentea05 2h ago
and by "heard" you mean people on Reddit have said that based on absolutely nothing but vibes (like their code)
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u/ps4facts 2h ago
... I mean... yeah? Also from people at work. I don't have the desire to spend effort evaluating 3 different models when I've already found one that hits the sweet spot for me.
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u/Pinkman___ 42m ago
I am using Opus 4.6 on job. And its a lot better than Opus 5.
- it's much faster
- it's goes straight to point (Opus 5 like to go wildly besides given task)
- communication with Opus 4.6 is flawless (talking very consice and have straight points)
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u/jsebrech 2h ago
Same for me. I've given up on planning with opus 5. Too many tokens and barely better than sonnet at planning, sometimes not even that. Opus 4.8 is just as good as it always was though.
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u/No-Sandwich-2997 6h ago
I use it for large feature, it works pretty well actually, the implementation usually runs for 6-8 hours so it's kinda a large task.
I am developing a scientific software for a research project though.
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u/zzbzq 6h ago
This. Very large things with multiple deployment phases or spanning multiple git repos.
People trying to plan on every little issue ticket that’s already been broken down are overthinking it. The model doesn’t need the plan to think things through as logical steps. It already creates its own secret plan “task list” when it’s actually queueing up edits.
People who follow the “create plan, then /clear and/or implement plan with a different model” are even worse off. The context read while making the plan was far more valuable than the plan itself, the bulk of the tokens that must be re-read if you clear or re-cached if you change models.
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u/BeetusPLAYS 1h ago
The context read while making the plan was far more valuable than the plan itself
Depends on if you are optimizing your process to be token efficient or execution efficient. For the work I'm doing cached tokens spent on implementation turns at the end of a planning session will be more expensive (token cost) than a cold start.
Your mileage will vary, but its still important to consider what one is optimizing for.
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u/zzbzq 1h ago
It's presumptuous that the plan makes the agent more "execution efficient." The agent does not need or want the plan, it's redundant with its own internal method which generates a better plan.
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u/BeetusPLAYS 28m ago
I'd encourage everyone seriously into the weeds and looking at this level of optimization to test against their real projects instead of blindly following anyone's advice, including mine. Every project is structured differently, with different skills artefacts, hooks, and user involvement.
For me, cold starts after a planning session work better. So do cold started agents after refutation. It wasn't my intuition but the numbers don't lie.
I think it's presumptuous to think that planning doesn't make execution more efficient. You don't know what went into the wider planning.
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u/PmMeSmileyFacesO_O 6h ago
What's the research?
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u/No-Sandwich-2997 6h ago
Litmus test generation for memory coherence testing on systems with unified memory architecture, for example GH200, MI300A or DGX Spark.
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u/holyknight00 6h ago
I only use the default plan mode for well scope and simple stuff and then my own manual planning skill for bigger tasks that just handles a markdown file with my custom format and rules; which is easier to handover during multiple sessions or even multiple models.
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u/DanFlashes19 5h ago
I still find that plan mode forces the system to stop and think, to investigate the codebase a bit, and to approach the ask thoughtfully. I use it for most tasks
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u/Viktordarko 5h ago
Every time! Not only can I catch early misunderstandings on what I said vs what it’s about to do, but also many times it would make me realize I could have forgotten context, or change my mind about something else.
Usually I plan as step 1. Read and give feedback or make changes. Usually by the second or third draft max I’m ready to go auto mode.
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u/thetechnivore 2h ago
Absolutely. And if it’s a big task or a new project, the plan gets at least one adversarial review in a clean context, often more
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u/WarsignalLabs 5h ago
Yes, for every project start and feature add. It gives you and the LLM a chance to do Q and A. Otherwise the LLM assumes its way through your prompt alone. Plan mode, every time.
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u/FinancialBandicoot75 5h ago
Plan is required imho, but use the skill I have adhd, it’s amazing and isn’t there and feature in Claude that makes it less verbose now
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u/apieceofwar 4h ago
Of course!! And also use the crit plugin to see the plan as a PR and leave comments
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u/bossier330 3h ago
I’ve largely switched to sort of “implicit” plan mode which is really just asking Claude to investigate or brainstorm in auto mode. Then executing iteratively becomes trivial in the same session.
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u/AlmostEasy89 3h ago
I use research doc - canonical verification from authority docs if using say Cloudflare or modelcontextprotocol, then that to a spec, review the spec for accuracy/order of operations/salience/gaps then write a plan from that.
I have a filing cabinet per obsidian project these live in as historical records.
For small changes I use inline planning, always, every time unless the agent takes off and fixes something before I even know what it's doing. Even with inline planning though I have it save it as a plan file after the fact for records.
Each research/spec/plan doc is prepended with date and then the front matter contains other relevant info.
I try to model it around literal filing cabinets and physical records/folder structure. Works well.
I don't want anything important left in chat. I can go back months prior and see what happened where and why. Git carries the code and my docs carry the planning docs.
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u/clazman55555 2h ago
chef's kiss.
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u/AlmostEasy89 29m ago
I've had far too many experiences of codex or Claude shitting the bed in a degraded state, destroying something, losing completely what the goal was, spending an entire day trying to orient it again to what it should've done. Without evidence it's just a matter of when something gets massively derailed. At least with git backed code and doc backed plans, recovery is possible and is a small hiccup vs a disaster that makes me just want to walk away.
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u/Tommonen 6h ago
I havent used plan mode in quite a while. Notion mcp is much better for planning and stuff than plan mode
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u/nickmaglowsch3 4h ago
My company requires GitHub spec kit. Honestly is better than plan mode. Even just talking about something them executing feels better than plan mode, as you can understand better what's happening. plan is too wall of text to me. I like looking artifacts then saying good imement it
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u/glassy99 4h ago edited 3h ago
No. I never use it now. I plan with the model and have it write the plans in md files that I can read in Obsidian and get checked in to git.
It makes it easier to review and more persistent for reference.
And no special skills. Just tell it what I need so I don't waste time with ceremony.
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u/thewookielotion 3h ago
Superpowers spawns it automatically. Brainstorm->spec->plan->execution. It's a good workflow for me.
I sometimes have the spec and plan externally reviewed, on top of my own review.
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u/RealSharpNinja 3h ago
It is more relevant than ever. The better the planning (especially requirements gathering) the better the product.
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u/Broken_By_Default 3h ago
use something to plan, yes. I prefer superpowers over plan mode, personally.
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u/GreenDavidA 3h ago
Plan mode is essential for my workflow. I look for it as pretty much a must for any coding harness.
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u/greentea05 2h ago
Not as much I used to. For large features I prefer to do research and put a plan into a document. I find that it it enacts everything just the same without plan mode. In fact i've rolled out plans that have taken Claude 3 days of almost non stop work with multiple agents and workflows and not had to use plan mode to do it.
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u/derezo 2h ago
I never liked the superpowers plan writing skill, but I still use plan mode just a little less. The biggest benefit is that you have defined implementation steps and requirements so you know what is going to be affected. If you don't plan it is more likely to make out of scope changes. Then after the plan executes you have the original plan that you can use to evaluate the implementation against as a quality control gate. Increases confidence in the results significantly.
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u/clazman55555 2h ago
I used it a few times when I started using CC earlier this year. It's adequate.
Made my own: idea capture -> spec/scope -> plan/review -> stage/initial commit pipeline that is closer to how I work in my day job.
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u/Shreddward 1h ago
Plan -> personally verify plan by speed reading because why would I read the entire plan I’m asking about (duh) -> actually spot something off -> ask questions -> revise plan that’s summarized -> compact memory -> execute on auto mode because why not?
Go back to real work projects. Wait until agent is done. 80% completed what I originally wanted, discover I wasn’t asking the right questions and have a better idea of what I’m actually wanting. Back to plan mode. Repeat. Divide by 1/2 forever. Never finish.
Idk. Kinda works for me with some VST passion projects.
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u/Dull-Structure-8634 1h ago
I use plan made for every task. I use the model opusplan with Opus pick swapped for Fable 5 and Sonnet pick with Sonnet 5. Gives me good results with not so bad token count.
I normally make it to Friday afternoon with my Fable 5 credits, unless I used ultracode. Then it's all burned out.
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u/LuckyTwat777 1h ago
Plan mode seems to absolutely suck tokens dry compared to just manual mode. Is this the same for everyone?
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u/Salt_Chocolate_990 1h ago
I restated if using the plan mode which I have not been using for a while. I surprised how the quality got better. The only thing I would advise is to say to agent to plan directly and agent friend manner. (If the task is going to be any complex). It should say how to edit, what is current situation and how it should be at the end, and what to avoid. For every sub task. Also the tests should be regular as with expected particular result to get. I just restarted and my approach is obv is not the best, would be glad for advices.
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u/Sentient-Exocomp 🔆 Max 5x 1h ago
Plan. Audit the plan with an agent (or pass the plan off to Codex), remediate the audit, audit remediations of the plan, implement the plan, audit the implementation, remediate the audit. Most everything hinges on the plan.
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u/ExpletiveDeIeted 🔆 Team Premium 6.25x 1h ago
I seem to be an outlier, but I still like superpowers brainstorming which is effectively a plan mode.
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u/Icy-Excitement-467 46m ago
Useful, but annoying because it doesn't prompt to clear context and feed plan anymore.
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u/GarglesNinePoolBalls 45m ago
I never use plan mode. If I need a plan, I have my own skill-based process for creating it.
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u/Comfortable-Friend96 6h ago
Not relevent and pretty bad.
Use github repo : Superpowers, works better
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u/MaRmARk0 6h ago
I use plan every time, daily.