Test before you pay: the AI coding tool checklist
Every AI coding tool says "free". Sometimes it's a real free plan, sometimes a trial that turns paid, sometimes a few credits. Use this checklist before you enter a card, then test the tool on your own project, not on a demo.
Know which "free" it is
- Free plan: free with no end date, but with limits (fewer requests, a smaller model, fewer features).
- Trial: full or near-full access for a limited time. Often needs a card, and often renews into a paid plan if you don't cancel.
- Free credits: a fixed amount of usage. When it's used up, you pay or you stop. "Up to" means the maximum, not what everyone gets.
Read the official pricing page of the tool itself, with today's date in mind. Videos and posts (including ours) can be out of date.
The checklist
- The model: which AI model do you actually get on this plan? Is the best model included, or only a smaller one?
- The limits: how many requests, messages or credits per day or month? What happens when you hit the limit: it stops, it slows down, or it charges you?
- What turns paid: which features are paid-only? Is there a usage-based extra cost?
- Trial terms: how long? Card required? Does it renew automatically, and at what price?
- Eligibility: are the free credits or trial limited to new accounts, students, or some countries?
- Your data: can your code be used to train models? Can you turn that off?
- Leaving: is your project just normal files you keep (for example in Git)? Or is it locked inside the tool?
Tool: Plan / trial / credits: Model included: Limits (per day / month): What happens at the limit: Card needed? Auto-renew? Price after: Data used for training? Opt-out? Can I export my project? Verdict after my 30-minute test:
The 30-minute test on your real project
- Pick one small, real task from your project: a form, a page, a bug you know.
- Give the exact same task, with the same instructions, to each tool you compare (2 or 3 is enough).
- Note: did it work the first time? How many fixes did you need? How much of the free limit did it use?
- Choose the tool that finished your task with the fewest fixes, within a budget you're fine with every month.
A tool that's free but needs 10 fixes can cost you more time than a paid one. And a paid one isn't worth it if the free plan already does your task.
Frequently asked questions
Which tool do you recommend?
It depends on your project and your budget, and offers change often. That's why this checklist exists: run the same 30-minute test on 2 or 3 tools and let your own results decide.
Is it safe to put my card in for a trial?
Only if you know the renewal date and price. Put a reminder in your calendar one or two days before the trial ends, and cancel there if you don't want to continue.
Prefer to have it done for you?
Booking systems, websites, automations: I build them for your business, with a fixed price quoted before we start.