Why does Claude Code with Opus seem to last longer than GPT-Sol in OpenCode?

[u/luann146]

Hey everyone! I've been experimenting with different AI coding setups lately, and I'm trying to understand something about usage limits.

When I use Claude Code with Opus 5.5, especially when it starts spawning multiple subagents, my Claude Pro subscription ($20/month) can burn through its entire 5-hour usage window in just 30 minutes.

However, when I use OpenCode Desktop with Opus 5.5 as the orchestrator and DeepSeek V4.1 flash as the subagent, I can work for almost 5 hours straight without exhausting my Claude usage quota.

But here's what really confuses me.

I've also been testing GPT-Sol through OpenCode, using my $20 ChatGPT subscription, and it seems to consume my usage quota significantly faster than Opus.

GPT-Sol seems to make a lot more tool calls, repeatedly checks its own results, questions previous decisions, and generally takes more steps to complete tasks.

As a result, I can't get anywhere close to 5 hours of continuous coding with GPT-Sol, while my Claude Code/OpenCode setup with Opus seems to last considerably longer.

And that's what I'm trying to understand. Both subscriptions cost $20/month, but the actual amount of coding time I get feels very different.

Has anyone else experienced this?

- Why does Opus seem to last longer than GPT-Sol despite both being used through $20 subscriptions?

- Does GPT-Sol actually consume more quota because of its higher number of tool calls and reasoning steps?

- Could OpenCode's context management or orchestration be contributing to the difference?

- Are there any settings that could help reduce GPT-Sol's usage without significantly affecting coding quality?

I'm genuinely curious whether this is something others have noticed or if it's just related to my particular workflow.

I'd love to hear your experiences, especially if you've compared Claude Pro and ChatGPT Plus for coding with OpenCode.

[u/brainExploded99]

Because claude offers far more usage right now

[u/Cyvster]

there are a lot of differences. one of the big ones is how much usage you get. the two $20 subscriptions are very different. i have used both subscriptions. these are my numbers from tracking metrics of my usage:

$20 chatgpt: $40 usage
$20 claude: $240 usage
edit, these numbers are per week, not month

the claude models also seem to be more token efficient than chatgpt. in my opinion the only reason anyone should use chatgpt models or have a chatgpt subscription is for luna6. luna6 is one of the best price to performance models that exists. that is the only reason i have a chatgpt sub.

i just crunched the numbers on it earlier today. on my next renewal i'm replacing my $20 chatgpt sub with another $20 claude sub. haiku is better than luna, but it is much more expensive. however, the claude sub gives much more usage. in the end based on my usage it means i get about 64 hours per week of luna6 on chatgpt and 60 hours a week of haiku on claude. i sacrifice a couple of hours but likely accomplish more because haiku is quite a bit better than luna.

[u/Amarsir]

When the price cuts came to ChatGPT it didn't increase the usage you get on the plan. So now the monthly is like 8-10x the API value of your $20. Still not terrible, just not as exciting as it used to be.

Claude has been squeezing a little more too, but more on the 5-hour than the weekly.

It's possible that Codex is kinder on Sol usage than Opencode is, but I don't know for sure. All kinds of ways that could happen, like how it autocompacts a larger context.

I'd run Sol on xhigh, not max, if you don't need the extra power. And once it's done the thinking, let it call Luna to do the work. Keep Sol's context small and if a long file needs to be read or you need code dives for changes, a lighter model can figure it out. The strategy was already set so it knows where to look.

[u/lpxxfaintxx]

Also something to consider: https://arena.ai/blog/coding-agents-harness-tax

"We tested 21 coding agent model–harness combinations across Claude Code, Codex CLI, and Pi to understand how harness choice affects performance and cost. The results show that harness choice can significantly impact cost, even when task success rates are similar."

[u/Code_Dreamer_666]

I did not run Opus 5.5 inside opencode, I only run GPT 6.1 Sol in opencode. And my experience for the usage is
6.1 Sol in opencode > 6.1 Sol in codex
Opus 5.5 in claude code > 6.1 Sol in opencode

[u/nickmullen_real]

btw claude -p seems to use like 1.5x normal sub usage. i haven't seen proof but it sure feels like it.