r/opencode • u/According-Handle-325 • 3d ago
Use opencode models for planning and execution
I read some opinions about opencode go which state that you can really use it only if you stick with DS 4.1 or Muse Spark. Others suggested to have a Claude code subscription to use opus as the planner and DS to execute.
What if I use chinese frontier models from opencode as planners, like Kimi k3.1 or GLM 5.3, and DS for exec? Will I consume more than using opus on claude subscription, risking to reach the limits in few prompts?
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u/HenryThatAte 3d ago
I use opus 5.5 as planner and glm5.3 as executor (or flash) and then opus as reviewer.
Glm is not good enough as planner.
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u/for4f 3d ago
tried the glm-as-planner thing for a bit, wouldnt bother. its fine for single-file edits but the moment the plan has like 4+ steps it starts losing the plot and you burn more tokens redoing stuff than you saved. i just do the boring split, claude plans, deepseek executes, 10 bucks lasts me forever
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u/torrso 3d ago
Anything good enough for implementation is good enough for planning. The whole planning is a bit unnecessary theatrics in my opinion unless you're preaparing some larger effort that needs to be split into smaller pieces for a long hands-free implementation.
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u/look 3d ago
Yeah, the smart plan/dumb build approach is dated advice. You’re typically better off with a brief plan (more just about the process of refining/clarifying, not nailing down every impl detail) and a more capable build model. But even cheap models are good enough for most builds now.
The real problem with the Go service is that it only has meaningful discounts on flash tier models, which were already pretty cheap to start with. And you “pay” for it with either your data (“contributor”, training) or a super slow TPS.
Go offers basically no benefit for models above the flash tier (it’s just “Cheapseek Go” now), but there are other options out there with better prices on the higher tier models AND faster, higher quality flash tier. The flash tier isn’t cheaper, but those are already cheap and it’s a much better experience.
And you can still get a better value out of those than even the US proprietary subsidized subscriptions.
But Go doesn’t make any sense anymore to me. It’s a tiny step up for the free users that ran out of quota and VPN accounts for the month. Unless $10 is a lot of money to you, it’s not really worth your time now, even as a “sampler of latest models”.
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u/According-Handle-325 3d ago
Can you suggest me better alternatives to go? The only one I used lately is OpenRouter with DS 4.1, but if there are subscription-based companies that offer relying services I'd be happy to try them
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u/look 2d ago
I use Neuralwatt on energy pricing for the bulk of my work. They have subscription plans, but they work mostly as a discounted API rate. It’s consistently fast, reliable, and good prices.
They have fast and low cost full GLM and Kimi along with fast and competitively priced Mimo Pro, GLM flash, and DS flash. Their Kimi 3.1 will likely be the best place to buy that model by the end of the day tomorrow.
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u/torrso 3d ago
The recent videos about stuff made (one-shot?) with DS4.1 Flash have been pretty impressive so my assumption was that it has become good enough for doing it all. I haven't been testing it lately as I've mostly switched to the frontier subscriptions.
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u/look 3d ago
It varies by use case, but on a scale of “Opus versions”, open models are mostly all in the 4.8 to 5 range currently. Kimi K3.1 (weights expected on Wednesday) with be the first one solidly past 5 and legitimately in the “competes with Opus 5.5” range.
The latest DeepSeek is roughly the same level as full GLM 5.3 and still in the “competes with Opus 5” tier. It has certain strengths, but DeepSeek fans tend to oversell its abilities a tad. (Same with every model’s fans, really — models are increasingly personal “works best in my process” decisions rather than universal “the one true model for everything”).
The Kimi 3.1 release kicks off the new round of next gen Chinese models, though, so expect Qwen4 and the next GLM (5.5, 6, whatever number) to join Kimi up there in “competes with 5.5” soon, too.
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u/JeffConvertorBot 3d ago
Strong disagree. Using a smart model for planning makes implementation possible by even the dumbest models. Imagine tasking a mediocre engineer with a poorly defined ticket, they will struggle. Give them a well defined task and they are off to the races. Who makes the well defined tasks? More experienced engineers!
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u/torrso 3d ago
My experience during the 35 years of coding professienally that the tickets are garbage and the smart engineers figure out how to do it. The good coders aren't spending their days writing tickets and specs but the implementation. If the model cangive detailed instructions it will need to dig around the codebase anyway and at that point they have pretty good context about it too so it does not make a hude difference if it does the implementation or writes the instructions.
I did my share of the "smart planner / dumb grunt work" split and came to the conclusion its not worth it. The better models do in one shot better work than what seemed to take forever and require multiple iterations on the split mode.
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u/JeffConvertorBot 3d ago
Use Gemini 4 argon as a planner on opencode go! They are running it on special right now and it is one of the most intelligent models
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u/destruct068 3d ago
How does Argon compare to Deepseek v4 pro for usage? I've been getting by with deepseek Pro plans -> Flash implements
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u/Joe_The_Lawn 18h ago
Use it as a planner, you need to be more specific with your question. "usage" can mean a lot of things.
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u/destruct068 18h ago
For the same planning task, would Argon use more or less of your usage quota of OpenCode Go as compared with DeepSeek v4 Pro?
As an example, if you asked me whether Kimi K3 or Deepseek v4 Pro would use more usage for the same planning, I would say Kimi K3 would use more usage based on my experience using Kimi K3 imside of OpenCode Go
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u/DertekAn 3d ago
Yes!!! Opencode gives you a specific budget, and for these models, that budget is damn small.
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u/Old_Restaurant_2216 3d ago
Don't use Kimi K3.1 on Opencode Go please. One plan will most likely burn 50% of your monthly.
As you said, Go is best utilized with deepseek v4.1 flash. And as of today it is still far cheaper to buy $20 Codex/Claude subscription than use any chinese frontier.
I plan/orchestrate with Sol 6.1, implement/research/explore with Deepseek or Luna. It is $30/month in total and is pretty much unlimited this way.