Stacks/ maxed-out-dev-stack
Maxed-Out Dev Stack
The no-limits developer setup — best models, multiple agents, and a research assistant with no daily caps.
observed by @whysanesandersVerified 2026-08-19
$479/mo
difficulty: intermediate
# Maxed-Out Dev Stack $479/mo · difficulty: intermediate | Tool | Pricing | | --- | --- | | [ChatGPT](https://chatgpt.com) | free tier; Go $8/mo, Plus $20/mo, Pro from $100/mo | | [Claude Code](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code) | included in Claude Pro $20/mo ($17/mo yearly) and Max 5x $100 / Max 20x $200; shares the plan usage pool; extra usage at API rates | | [Cursor](https://cursor.com) | Hobby free; Pro $20/mo; Pro+ $60/mo (3× Agent limits); Ultra $200/mo (20×); Teams from $40/user/mo | | [GitHub Copilot](https://github.com/features/copilot) | Free $0 (2,000 completions/mo, 50 chat requests, CLI, limited agent mode); Pro $10/mo ($15 credits); Pro+ $39/mo ($70 credits); Max $100/mo ($200 credits) | | [Perplexity](https://www.perplexity.ai) | free tier; Pro $20/mo, Max $200/mo | via https://noemium.com/stacks/maxed-out-dev-stack/
Shoestring twin → American Coding Stack$70/moYou drop ChatGPT Pro ($200) and Perplexity and keep the US coding seats. The $479 stack was paying for overlap and a research oracle. If you don't actually rotate all five tools, the American stack is the honest one.
The components — what each one costs
ChatGPTfree tier; Go $8/mo, Plus $20/mo, Pro from $100/mo
Claude Codeincluded in Claude Pro $20/mo ($17/mo yearly) and Max 5x $100 / Max 20x $200; shares the plan usage pool; extra usage at API rates
CursorHobby free; Pro $20/mo; Pro+ $60/mo (3× Agent limits); Ultra $200/mo (20×); Teams from $40/user/mo
GitHub CopilotFree $0 (2,000 completions/mo, 50 chat requests, CLI, limited agent mode); Pro $10/mo ($15 credits); Pro+ $39/mo ($70 credits); Max $100/mo ($200 credits)
Perplexityfree tier; Pro $20/mo, Max $200/mo- Total$479/mo
The recipe
- ChatGPT Pro as the daily oracle ($200/mo). Use it for architecture debates, complex debugging explanations and anything that needs the strongest general model. The Plus tier caps out too fast when the agent is your first reader.
- Claude Code for terminal agency ($200/mo). Reserve the top Claude tier for multi-file refactors, test-driven rescues and production incidents. The Pro subscription unlocks it; heavy repo usage pushes the effective cost toward the Max range.
- Cursor Pro as the editor seat ($20/mo). Watched agent mode for UI and feature work where you want the diff inline. Keep a Sonnet-class model as default so the monthly agent allowance lasts.
- GitHub Copilot Pro+ for completions and GitHub-native agents ($39/mo). Tab completion is solved — do not burn agent budget on it. Pro+ also adds the stronger Copilot agent models for PR summaries and review comments.
- Perplexity Pro for research and docs ($20/mo). Cited answers beat guessing on new libraries, APIs and error messages. Pro removes the daily search cap that interrupts deep work.
- Rotate by task, not by habit. ChatGPT for breadth, Claude for depth,
Cursor for watched edits, Copilot for keystrokes, Perplexity for facts.
Write the routing rule in
AGENTS.mdso you do not double-pay for the same question. - Track spend weekly. Five dashboards mean five ways to leak money. A ten-minute review catches a runaway API key or an unused seat.
What you pay
- ChatGPT — Pro, $200/mo. The top consumer tier removes usage caps on the strongest general model; the catalog price_note only lists “from $100/mo,” but the Pro tier itself is the $200 individual ceiling.
- Claude Code — top tier, ~$200/mo. Included in Claude Pro from $20/mo per the catalog, but a maxed-out daily driver with heavy API-billed sessions lands in the $100–200 effective range; budget for the high end.
- Cursor — Pro, $20/mo. The only tier itemized in the catalog note; teams should upgrade to Business/Enterprise for seats and audit logs, but the individual Pro seat is the honest floor.
- GitHub Copilot — Pro+, $39/mo. The cheapest paid tier that unlocks the stronger agent models and keeps tab completions unlimited after the 2026 AI Credits switch.
- Perplexity — Pro, $20/mo. Removes the daily search cap; Max is overkill unless you are doing market-research scale queries.
When this breaks down
You are paying a premium for overlap. If most of your work fits one ecosystem, drop the redundant seats — a single ChatGPT Pro or Claude Pro subscription plus Copilot covers most developers. This stack only earns its price when you genuinely switch contexts often enough that the friction of moving questions between tools is worth the rent.