Loot Drop
The Drop · Issue #1 · Paper edition

The coding-agent tier list

S-to-C picks for vibe coders, built from public pricing and patch notes. Real test runs land in Drop #2.

Get Drop #2 in your inbox Jump to the tiers

Hey builder,

Welcome to The Drop, weekly loot for AI builders. This issue sorts the AI app builders and coding agents vibe coders are using right now. An honest note first: we haven't run hands-on tests yet. Every tier here is provisional, based on public info, and each price links to a page we checked on Oct 15, 2026. Real test results land in Drop #2.

How we rank

Output quality 35%, speed 15%, cost 20%, ease 15%, momentum 15%. This week only cost, ease, and momentum could be scored, because quality and speed need real test runs. Expect tiers to move.

  • Quality 35% · not scored yet
  • Speed 15% · not scored yet
  • Cost 20%
  • Ease 15%
  • Momentum 15%

The tests we'll run:

  • Quest A: build a to-do app with email auth and saved data from one prompt. We record the time, cost, how often a human had to step in, and whether it deploys.
  • Quest B: fix a bug we've planted in a small vibe-coded repo.

S tier

Provisional
  • Claude Code: pick it if you're comfortable in a terminal and want an agent for multi-step builds. Pro is $20/mo; Max is $100 or $200. Pricing
  • OpenAI Codex: pick it if you already pay for ChatGPT or want a real agent for $0. It's included in ChatGPT Free (limited), with more on Plus at $20. Pricing

A tier

Provisional
  • Cursor: pick it if you want an editor-first agent. Plans are Free, Plus $8 (Grok models only), Premium $30, Super $100, and Ultra $200. Claude and GPT models cost extra at API prices. It's A, not S, until the new pricing settles. Pricing
  • GitHub Copilot: the cheapest paid plan, a good fit if your code lives on GitHub. Free, Pro $10, Pro+ $39, Max $100. Plans
  • Lovable: for non-coders who want a full-stack app built from chat. The free plan includes 30 build credits a month; Pro starts at $25. Pricing
  • Bolt.new: generous free tokens and hosting built in. Free gets 1M tokens a month; Pro is $25. Pricing
  • Replit Agent: building, a database, and hosting in one browser tab. Free, Core $20, Pro $100. Pricing
  • Google Antigravity: an agent IDE and CLI for a $0 budget, free for individuals. Pricing

B tier

Provisional
  • v0: best for UI and Next.js front ends. The free plan is 7 messages a day; Plus is $30 per user. Pricing
  • Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): Free, Pro $20, Max $200. These prices are only partly verified, because its pricing page is down. FAQ

C tier

Provisional
  • Gemini CLI: despawned for individual accounts on June 18. Respawn point: Antigravity CLI. Google blog

💎 Fresh Loot

  1. Oct 13: Gemini 4 Argon is generally available, and it's in Antigravity for Ultra subscribers. Google
  2. Oct 12: The X Subscription now bundles Cursor, Grok, and X. Announcement
  3. Oct 7: Claude Haiku 5.5 launched at $0.10 per million input tokens and $0.50 per million output tokens. Anthropic
  4. Sep 14 to Oct 14: Bolt Forge previewed an agent running on open models. Bolt
  5. September: GPT-6 Astra came to Codex. OpenAI

🗺️ Quest of the week: make an AGENTS.md save file

Put an AGENTS.md in your repo root covering your stack, how to run and test it, hard rules, and what "done" means. Codex can generate one with /init, Devin Desktop reads it, and for Claude Code add "Read AGENTS.md first" to CLAUDE.md. When pricing changes push you to switch tools, your context comes with you.

Shortcut: our free Starter Loadout includes a fill-in-the-blanks AGENTS.md template plus the CLAUDE.md and Cursor pointer files.

🛡️ The Armory, coming soon

Tested agent templates and prompt packs. The first drop is a free starter kit. See the Armory.

❤️‍🩹 Respawn

"Your build died? We'll respawn it." Flat-fee fixes, quoted up front, and a human checks every fix. Reply "RESPAWN" to the email to get a founding slot, or request one on the Respawn page.

No sponsors or affiliate links in this issue, and rankings are never for sale. Prices are in USD as checked Oct 15, 2026.

Get Drop #2 with real test results

One email a week: tested tools, fresh tier lists, and new releases worth your time. Free. Unsubscribe anytime.

No spam. We send loot, not junk mail.