Tooling guide

Claude Opus 5.5 is now the first genuinely publishable AI writer and the strongest software model, while OpenAI's cheaper small models (GPT-6.1 Terra) take over browser automation and high-volume agent work.

• Software engineering and coding agents

  Claude Opus 5.5 in Claude Code

  Expert hands-on finding that Claude is much better than alternatives for software engineering, and Claude Code's release notes show active investment in agent task management, spend tracking and latency tuning.

  Cost: $4/$20 per 1M input/output tokens

  Avoid: Don't run unattended agents on live production without controls: frontier agents still execute 40.64% of dangerous OS-level operations on LITMUS, and LinuxArena exists precisely to test sabotage risk.

• Browser use and web automation

  GPT-6.1 Terra in ChatGPT Work / Codex

  Expert finding that OpenAI models are more token-efficient than Claude for browser use, and Terra is explicitly designed for fast, efficient computer use at scale with a 75% cost cut versus Haiku 4.5.

  Cost: 75% less than Haiku 4.5

  Avoid: Don't default to Claude for browser automation right now — expert notes say OpenAI is more token-efficient for this job.

• Content and media: writing, design, video

  Claude Opus 5.5 in Claude apps (Pro/Max/Team)

  Expert finding that Opus 5.5 is the first model where AI-produced content is genuinely publishable; Max and Team plans now include monthly API credits for running content agents.

  Cost: $4/$20 per 1M input/output tokens

  Avoid: Don't rely on older small models for publishable writing — the expert note specifically credits Opus 5.5 as the first genuinely publishable tier.

• Outreach and sales: email, LinkedIn, CRM

  GPT-6.1 Terra in ChatGPT Work / Codex

  Expert note directs browser-run outreach to OpenAI for token efficiency, and Terra is the cheap high-volume computer-use model.

  Cost: 75% less than Haiku 4.5

  Avoid: Don't use Claude for browser-driven outreach — expert notes say OpenAI is more token-efficient there.

• Data, spreadsheets and finance work

  Claude Haiku 5.5 in Claude Platform

  Cheapest, fastest, most capable Claude small model for high-volume tasks.

  Cost: about 75% cheaper to run than the older Haiku

  Avoid: Don't lock in a model on price alone — Mistral Large 4's blended price doubled and then halved inside one week.