Daily Use: The Right Way to Use Each of the Four Tools
💡 Goal: Within about 60 minutes (only about 20 minutes of close reading for your own tool), understand the right way to use each of the four tools, and use the one you installed to complete your first real conversational development session—state your requirement, watch it read code, edit files, run commands, or deliver a complete result—and work out the pricing of this tool clearly.
The tools are installed—what's next? This stop covers vibe coding tool usage. The four tools have different forms, and so different correct usages: Claude Code talks with you in the terminal, Codex runs locally with a ChatGPT account, OpenCode connects to any model, and WorkBuddy assigns tasks via natural language. Using them the right way saves you many detours; used wrongly, even the most powerful tool can't help you.
How to read this stage differs from the previous stop: pick one of the four tool pages for close reading—read whichever one you chose, and just skim the quick-reference table for the rest; the pricing comparison is required reading for everyone. If you haven't installed a tool yet, go back to 1.6 getting-started troubleshooting first.
🎯 Stage Goals
- Get it running: open the tool you chose and go through a full round of conversational development—raise a real requirement, watch it read code, edit files, or run commands, and check the delivered result
- Know the right tool for the occasion: be able to describe the form and correct usage of each of the four tools, so when a friend asks "Claude Code or Codex—which should I install and how do I use it," you can give a well-grounded answer
- Spend with clarity: know how your tool charges (subscription tiers / pay-as-you-go API / credits), roughly what your monthly budget should be, and where to check official pricing
⏳ Estimated Time
- Close-reading route (recommended): your own tool page 12–15 minutes + pricing comparison 8 minutes, about 20–23 minutes in total, about 15–30 minutes with buffer
- Read-everything route: four tool pages + pricing page, about 59 minutes in total, about 40–80 minutes with buffer
- Each page stands alone—read it and use it right away; if you get stuck on a tool, jump straight to that tool's page and check against it
🚀 Before You Start
- You have installed and verified at least one tool:
claude --versioncan print its version number (1.5 installing Claude Code), or you have scanned the QR code into WorkBuddy's main interface; if stuck, go to 1.6 getting-started troubleshooting first - You have the account you'll log in with: Claude subscription or Console account → Claude Code; ChatGPT account → Codex; model API Key → OpenCode; WeChat with QR scanning → WorkBuddy
- If you haven't chosen a tool yet, go back to 1.4 How to Choose Among the Four Tools
- Prepare a real, small requirement as practice material (tweaking webpage copy or writing a small script both work)—it's more efficient than dry reading
- A cup of water ☕—the close-reading route isn't much longer than a short video
📚 Lessons in This Stage
| Lesson | Content | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1 Claude Code usage | An AI coding agent in the terminal: starting sessions, interactive mode, officially recommended workflows and best practices | 15 minutes |
| 2.2 Codex usage | OpenAI's local coding agent: Sign in with ChatGPT, four forms—CLI / IDE / desktop / web | 12 minutes |
| 2.3 OpenCode usage | An open-source agent: connect models via /connect, pick freely from domestic providers like DeepSeek | 12 minutes |
| 2.4 WorkBuddy usage | Tencent's desktop AI workbench: log in by scanning a WeChat QR code, create tasks, how credits are counted | 12 minutes |
| 2.5 Pricing comparison | How much each of the four tools costs: subscription tiers, free quotas, and pay-as-you-go, all in one table | 8 minutes |
💡 Quick overview of the correct usage of the four tools (details on each tool's page)
| Tool | Correct usage in one sentence | Form | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | cd into the project directory and run claude, state your requirement in the terminal, and let it read code, edit files, and run commands | Terminal / IDE / desktop / web | People who aren't averse to the command line; the official docs include dedicated guidance for newcomers who have never used a terminal |
| Codex | Run codex and choose Sign in with ChatGPT; the coding agent runs on your local computer | CLI / IDE extension / desktop / web | People who already have a ChatGPT subscription and want to keep using it directly |
| OpenCode | /connect Connect to model providers, bring your own API Key and pay as you go, switch models freely | Terminal / desktop / web | People who want to freely choose models (including domestic providers) and control costs by usage |
| WorkBuddy | Scan a QR code to log in on the desktop version of WeChat, assign tasks in natural language, and wait for it to deliver documents, spreadsheets, PPTs, or code | Windows / Mac desktop app | People who don't want to touch the command line at all; the lowest barrier to entry in China |
Three facts that affect usage, stated up front: Anthropic's official list of supported regions (version effective 2026-11-12) does not include mainland China; OpenCode's model catalog includes domestic providers such as DeepSeek, Moonshot, and Zhipu; and WorkBuddy uses WeChat QR-code login. For how to choose a tool based on this, 1.4 How to Choose Among the Four Tools covers it all in one page; for prices at each tier, see Price Comparison.
🎒 What you will gain
- A complete guide to one tool's everyday usage: from launching, logging in, making requests, to checking results—no need to dig through the official docs' getting-started sections again
- A quick-reference map of vibe coding tool usage: the form of all four, account requirements, and who each suits—handy for switching tools later or helping others choose
- A price ledger: the pricing logic of the four tools from the $0 free tier to subscription tiers, so you know what you're paying before you pay
- An entrance to the next stop: once you're comfortable with a tool, Efficient Workflows teaches you five cross-tool disciplines
Ready? Start Lesson One: Claude Code Usage →—if you picked another tool, jump straight to 2.2 Codex Usage, 2.3 OpenCode Usage, or 2.4 WorkBuddy Usage; if you still want to compare prices first, see 2.5 Price Comparison.