AutoRouter Blog
Notes from the team building AutoRouter.
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Which model to use for which coding task
Use a frontier model such as Claude Opus 5.5 or GPT-6 Astra for multi-file refactors, hard bugs and UI built from a design. Use a strong model such as Claude Sonnet 5.5 or GPT-6.1 Sol for tests and code review, and a fast model such as Claude Haiku 5.5 or GPT-6 Luna for renames, commit messages and one-line shell commands. AutoRouter, the Mac app for Codex and Claude Code, makes that choice on every turn.
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What is an LLM router?
An LLM router is software that sits between an application and several large language models and decides which model handles each request, usually to lower cost or keep requests flowing without giving up quality. Routers range from gateways that pick a provider by price and uptime to rule sets, learned classifiers, cascades and plan-aware routers. AutoRouter, the Mac app for Codex and Claude Code, is a plan-aware router and is unrelated to LiteLLM's Auto Router or OpenRouter's Auto Router.
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Try a new model in Codex or Claude Code without another API key
Every manual way to try a new model in Codex or Claude Code needs an API key: one per provider, or one gateway key such as OpenRouter's. Claude Code reaches another provider through environment variables, and Codex through a custom provider in config.toml. AutoRouter, the Mac app for Codex and Claude Code, adds 20+ models to both apps' model pickers with no keys or endpoints to set up, and new models show up there right away.
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Subscription or API: which is cheaper for coding agents?
A Claude or ChatGPT plan costs less than paying per token once a month of your coding would cost more than the plan at API list prices, and the plan's limits still hold that work. As of October 22, 2026, Anthropic reports Claude Code averaging $150 to $250 per developer per month at API prices across enterprise deployments, against $20 for Claude Pro and $100 or $200 for Max. AutoRouter, the Mac app for Codex and Claude Code, uses the ChatGPT and Claude plans you already pay for first and bills other models at the provider's price plus 10%.
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How to send quick coding tasks to a cheaper model
Commit messages, renames and one-line shell commands don't need a frontier model. At list prices on October 22, 2026, Claude Haiku 5.5 costs a fortieth of Claude Opus 5.5 per uncached token on prompts up to 100,000 tokens, and GPT-6 Luna costs a hundredth of GPT-6 Astra. You can run those turns on a small model yourself in Claude Code or Codex, or let AutoRouter, the Mac app for Codex and Claude Code, send each quick task to the cheapest capable model, which is often your ChatGPT or Claude plan or a low-cost open model.
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How to write model routing rules in plain English
AutoRouter, the Mac app for Codex and Claude Code, lets you write routing rules in plain English, such as "Use Claude Opus 5.5 for UI work." When one of your rules applies, it decides the turn, and your rules come before AutoRouter's recommended ones. Choosing a specific model in the picker sends turns straight to that model instead.
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How to use Claude Code and Codex without a subscription
Claude Code runs on a Claude Console account and Codex runs on an OpenAI API key, and both bill per token with no ChatGPT or Claude plan. AutoRouter, the Mac app for Codex and Claude Code, is a third option: AutoRouter Pro costs $20 a month with $20 of included usage and bills paid models at the provider's price plus 10%. On the same models, a direct API key costs less, so Pro comes out ahead only when cheaper models take enough of your turns.
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Model routers for Claude Code and Codex, compared
AutoRouter, the Mac app for Codex and Claude Code, adds 20+ models to both apps as of October 2026, picks one for each turn after your own rules, uses your ChatGPT and Claude plans first, and shows each turn's model, what it cost and why. claude-code-router and LiteLLM are open-source gateways you run yourself; Weave Router scores each request, hosted or self-hosted; OpenRouter bills one balance of credits; and Portkey adds budgets and logs. Claude Code's opusplan and Codex profiles cover simple cases with nothing to install.
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How AutoRouter picks a model for each turn
AutoRouter, the Mac app for Codex and Claude Code, picks a model for each turn in order: your rules first, then how hard the turn is, then only the models that clear the quality bar for it. Hard work goes to the most capable model your ChatGPT or Claude plans cover, and to credits only when none is strong enough. Everything else goes to the model that costs you least, which is often your plan or a low-cost open model.
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Does model routing make your results worse?
Model routing makes results worse when it sends work to a model that can't do it. In its October 7, 2026 launch post, Anthropic reported 39.2% for Claude Haiku 5.5 on Terminal-Bench 4.0, a test of long multi-step terminal work, against 70.6% for Claude Sonnet 5.5. AutoRouter, the Mac app for Codex and Claude Code, keeps quality up by making every model clear a quality bar for the task before price counts, sending hard work to the strongest model your plans cover and never treating unclear work as a quick task.
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How do Codex and Claude Code compare, and can you use both?
As of October 2026, Codex is OpenAI's coding agent, included with every ChatGPT plan, and Claude Code is Anthropic's, included with every paid Claude plan; ChatGPT Plus and Claude Pro both cost $20 a month. They overlap on most features, so the choice comes down to the models you prefer (GPT-6.1 Sol and GPT-6 Luna, or Claude Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5.5 and Haiku 5.5) and the plan you already pay for, and both can share one AGENTS.md in the same repository. AutoRouter, the Mac app for Codex and Claude Code, works in both and picks a model for each turn by how hard it is.
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Codex usage limits explained, and what to do when you run out
As of October 2026, OpenAI estimates that ChatGPT Plus and standard Business seats get 15 to 160 local Codex messages on GPT-6.1 Sol per five-hour window, with weekly limits that may also apply, while ChatGPT Pro has no five-hour limit and no published message counts. At the limit, Codex finishes the turn it is on, and then you can wait for the reset, buy ChatGPT credits, upgrade, or sign in with an API key at API rates. AutoRouter, the Mac app for Codex and Claude Code, picks the model for each Codex turn so the ChatGPT plan goes to the work that needs it.
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Codex model providers and config.toml, explained
Codex picks its model from the model key and its endpoint from the model_provider key in ~/.codex/config.toml, and each custom provider is a [model_providers.<id>] table with a base URL, an environment variable for its API key and the Responses wire API. Profiles are separate files loaded with --profile, -c overrides one key for one run, and --oss runs a local Ollama or LM Studio model. Enabling AutoRouter, the Mac app for Codex and Claude Code, adds it to config.toml after saving a copy of the file, and disabling it switches Codex back.
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How Claude Code usage limits work, and how to make them last
As of October 2026, Claude Code on Anthropic's Pro and Max plans counts every request against a rolling five-hour session limit and a weekly limit, both shared with claude.ai and Claude Desktop, and Anthropic publishes no fixed message or token counts for either. The limits last longer when routine turns run on Sonnet 5.5 or Haiku 5.5 instead of the default, Opus 5.5, when the context stays small, and when overflow goes to usage credits. AutoRouter, the Mac app for Codex and Claude Code, makes that model choice for each turn and shows each turn's model, cost and reason.
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Every way to choose a model in Claude Code
Claude Code takes its model from, in order of priority, the /model command, the --model flag, the ANTHROPIC_MODEL environment variable, the model key in settings.json and the ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_MODEL variable. Aliases such as opus, sonnet, haiku, fable and opusplan stand for the current model in each family, and subagents take their model from their own model field, CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL or the main session. AutoRouter, the Mac app for Codex and Claude Code, adds one more choice to /model that picks a model for each turn while it is selected.
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Cursor Auto mode vs Copilot auto vs AutoRouter
Cursor's Auto mode and GitHub Copilot's auto model selection each pick a model for every request inside their own tools. AutoRouter, the Mac app for Codex and Claude Code, picks a model for each turn in those two apps and shows the model, what it cost and why. Use the Auto built into the tool you work in, and AutoRouter when that tool is Codex or Claude Code on a Mac.
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How to roll out AI coding tools to an engineering team
Rolling out Claude Code, Codex or GitHub Copilot to an engineering team comes down to six decisions: sign-in, deployment, model access, budgets, reporting and data retention. Each vendor's admin controls cover only its own tool, and Claude Code and Codex both read policy from a macOS MDM profile. For teams on Codex and Claude Code, AutoRouter, the Mac app for Codex and Claude Code, has an Enterprise plan that puts allowed models, team budgets and zero data retention in one place, reports spend by team, project or ticket, and rolls out through Jamf or another MDM.
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