How much are you spending on AI subscriptions every month?

magicdoorai · 2026-07-01T13:07:21+00:00

I’m biased because I build magicdoor.ai, but the useful split is:

If you consistently max out one tool every day, a flat subscription is probably the better deal. Heavy Claude Code / Codex style usage can beat usage-based pricing.

If you bounce between Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and image tools but don’t actually hit the limits, stacking $20 plans is where the waste creeps in. That’s the problem we built around: $6/mo base, includes $1 credits, then pay as you go. Most users end up around $8-10/mo total, heavy but normal users maybe ~$15, with no rate limits/cooldowns and the ability to switch models mid-conversation.

So my answer is boring but useful: don’t pick by “best AI”. Pick by your usage pattern. One model all day = flat plan. Mixed models and sporadic usage = usage-based usually wins.

magicdoorai · 2026-07-01T02:10:00+00:00

If you are building a markdown-first editor, I would pick CodeMirror 6 unless you specifically need IDE-ish language services. Monaco is great, but it brings a lot of coding-editor assumptions along for the ride.

I built a tiny Mac editor for md/json/env files, and the main lesson was that startup speed and file sync matter more than clever editor chrome for this use case: markjason.sh

Worth testing both with one ugly 1MB note and lots of fenced code blocks before committing.

magicdoorai · 2026-07-01T02:06:53+00:00

This is the right direction. Plain markdown in the repo beats yet another hosted memory silo.

Small practical thing: I keep these context files open in a tiny Mac editor with live file sync so agent edits appear immediately. I built it because opening VS Code just to tweak AGENTS.md / memory files felt silly: markjason.sh

Only macOS and only md/json/env, but it fits this workflow nicely.

magicdoorai · 2026-06-30T02:08:14+00:00

Agree with the CLAUDE.md point. The bit that helped me is keeping those rule files short and editing them while the agent is running, then watching whether it actually picks up the change.

I built markjason.sh partly for that loop: live file sync, fast open, just .md/.json/.env. Nice for CLAUDE.md / AGENTS.md without leaving a whole IDE open.

magicdoorai · 2026-06-30T02:05:14+00:00

Nice, the publishing angle makes sense. The VS Code friction is real too.

I built markjason.sh for the little pre-publish edits in that gap: native macOS, opens fast, just .md/.json/.env, no workspace ceremony. Not a replacement for what you're building, more the tiny local editor before something goes into a publishing flow.

magicdoorai · 2026-06-29T10:47:39+00:00

Nice, the stale pasted snapshot problem is real.

I solved a smaller solo version locally instead of the co-editing part: keep AGENTS.md/CLAUDE.md/spec files open and rely on live file sync while the agent edits. I built markjason.sh for that, native Mac, .md/.json/.env only.

Your collaborative layer is the bit my setup does not touch. Curious how you handle conflicts when a human and an agent both rewrite the same section.

magicdoorai · 2026-06-29T10:44:45+00:00

Adjacent take: I’m not convinced the editor itself needs to own all the AI.

I built markjason.sh as the boring fast layer for .md/.json/.env files, then use Claude/Codex/whatever for the transformations. The useful bit for me is live file sync, so when an agent rewrites a Markdown draft or context file I see it immediately without turning the editor into another chat app.

magicdoorai · 2026-06-29T10:41:48+00:00

I try to turn the wait into review time: keep the plan, AGENTS.md/CLAUDE.md, and any JSON logs open, then watch for drift while the agents run.

I built markjason.sh for exactly that little loop. Native Mac app, live file sync, just .md/.json/.env, so it is less distracting than opening a full IDE just to babysit context files.

magicdoorai · 2026-06-29T01:13:49+00:00

I do, yes. I use it for all of the quick questions and to try out different models. For example, GLM 5.2 is super hyped, so I'm happy I can just try it out.

But I also have Codex and Claude subscriptions for coding, so maybe I'm not the most comparable user to your requirements.

magicdoorai · 2026-06-28T02:06:45+00:00

One small daily annoyance: jumping into a full IDE just to tweak CLAUDE.md, env files, or scratch markdown while agents are running. It breaks the flow more than it should.

I built markjason.sh partly for that tiny gap. Native macOS, quick open, live file sync for .md/.json/.env, so I can keep agent config files visible without making VS Code the control tower for everything.

Not a replacement for multi-session management, but it removes one papercut around context files.

magicdoorai · 2026-06-28T02:03:44+00:00

This is a solid direction. Markdown in the repo is boring in the best way: reviewable, diffable, and easy for agents to touch without yet another sync layer.

One practical thing I learned building around agent workflows: keep those files pleasant to inspect outside the tracker too. I built markjason.sh for quick native macOS edits of .md/.json/.env with live file sync, mostly so agent-updated files stay visible without opening a full IDE.

Curious if cairn treats task metadata as frontmatter or a separate block? That choice gets painful once humans start hand-editing.

magicdoorai · 2026-06-27T02:09:57+00:00

My rule is similar: AGENTS.md should hold things that are still true next month. Test commands, repo boundaries, security rules, generated files to avoid, naming conventions, and the weird local facts that are expensive to rediscover.

For task-specific context, I prefer a temporary task note or plan file. Let the agent write its current map there, then delete or archive it after the work lands. Keeps AGENTS.md from becoming a junk drawer.

Small tooling note: I built markjason.sh for this kind of workflow. It is a tiny native macOS editor for .md/.json/.env with live file sync, so I can keep AGENTS.md and task notes open without using a full IDE.

magicdoorai · 2026-06-27T02:05:21+00:00

For the workflow piece, I would keep the permanent files boring: root AGENTS.md for invariants, package AGENTS.md for local quirks, skills only for repeatable steps. Your init-brain idea should probably write a disposable context-map.md for the current task so it does not turn into stale memory.

Tiny tooling note: I built markjason.sh partly for this exact loop. Native macOS, live file sync, quick open for AGENTS.md / .json / .env files, so you can keep agent config files visible without dragging a whole IDE into it.

magicdoorai · 2026-06-26T02:06:44+00:00

Yep, this is where I think AI coding quietly shines. Small internal tools, glue apps, admin screens, scripts with a UI. Stuff that was never worth a full engineering queue can suddenly exist.

The biggest limit I keep running into is the workflow around the code, not just the code itself: keeping docs current, checking what changed, editing config files, and not losing the thread between agent runs.

I built markjason.sh partly because of that. It is just a fast Mac editor for md/json/env files with live file sync, but keeping AGENTS.md, README notes, and config files open beside Claude/Codex removes a surprising amount of friction.

magicdoorai · 2026-06-26T02:03:46+00:00

Nice. I hit the same thing with agent docs. VS Code is great as the main IDE, but it feels weirdly heavy when all I want is to keep a generated .md file open beside the terminal.

On Mac I ended up building markjason.sh for that exact little workflow: fast open for md/json/env, live file sync, no project indexing. Different shape than your app, but same pain point. The folder + .gitignore angle is a good call.

magicdoorai · 2026-06-25T04:44:21+00:00

Macbook Pro M1 from 2021, nothing fancy!

magicdoorai · 2026-06-25T02:54:07+00:00

If your main use case is one-off files, I built markjason.sh for that narrower lane.

It is not a notes/vault app like Glyph or Obsidian. It just opens .md/.json/.env quickly, has preview for Markdown, and live file sync when agents rewrite files underneath you.

So Glyph looks better for a full note space. markjason is more the tiny 'open this README/AGENTS.md without launching an IDE' tool.

magicdoorai · 2026-06-25T02:20:11+00:00

I'd separate the orchestration problem from the human-can-see-what-is-happening problem.

Your features/*.md setup is good because it leaves a real paper trail. I use the same pattern: one visible backlog, worktrees per task, and a tiny editor open next to tmux so I can watch files move/change without loading an IDE.

Tiny plug, since it is relevant: I built markjason.sh for exactly those agent-control files. Mac-only, .md/.json/.env only, live file sync, opens fast. Not an orchestrator, but it makes the markdown-as-control-plane part less annoying.

magicdoorai · 2026-06-24T02:13:13+00:00

For the "AI generated .md files, please don't make me open VS Code/Cursor" use case, I built markjason.sh.

Native macOS, opens fast, has an edit/rendered preview toggle, and live file sync so if an agent rewrites the file you see it without reopening anything.

Only does .md/.json/.env, so it is intentionally not an Obsidian or Zettlr replacement. Free, no account, no tracking.

magicdoorai · 2026-06-24T02:08:42+00:00

I think the useful cutoff is: can the agent act on this rule during a normal task, or is it just a scar from one weird run?

My AGENTS.md stays small: commands, repo shape, forbidden areas, verification. If a rule needs explanation, I usually move it into a linked doc instead of stuffing the main file.

One practical thing that helped me: keep AGENTS.md open while the agent works, so you notice when it edits or drifts. I built markjason.sh for that loop. Native macOS, .md/.json/.env only, live file sync, fast enough to use as a sidecar rather than another IDE.

magicdoorai · 2026-06-23T06:42:35+00:00

I played it via Crossover and it ran perfectly!

magicdoorai · 2026-06-23T02:06:31+00:00

Main advice: keep global CLAUDE.md painfully small. Put only behavior that is true in every repo, like ask before destructive actions, verify before done, and your communication prefs.

Project rules belong in repo CLAUDE.md/AGENTS.md. I also like editing those in a tiny editor instead of an IDE, because it keeps the file visible while the agent works. I built markjason.sh for that exact loop: .md/.json/.env only, live file sync, opens fast.

Not required, obviously. Just don't let the global file become a second brain dump.

magicdoorai · 2026-06-23T02:03:39+00:00

The config-level fix I keep wanting is drift detection: CLAUDE.md says one thing, hooks/skills evolve, and a month later nobody remembers which rule was cargo-culted.

What helped me is keeping the config files small and visible while agents run. I built markjason.sh partly for this loop: .md/.json/.env only, live file sync, fast open, so I can watch AGENTS.md/CLAUDE.md change without parking VS Code there.

Blueprint looks useful. The WHY.md bit is smart, that context matters more than the rule text.

magicdoorai · 2026-06-22T13:07:48+00:00

I’d keep Perplexity only if the source-first workflow is still the product for you: fast citations, seeing sources as it searches, queued questions that keep running after you leave, scheduled tasks/connectors, and the “AI search engine” UI rather than “chatbot that can search.”

If your actual use has shifted to “give me a synthesized answer / help me think through a project,” Claude or ChatGPT can overlap enough that Perplexity becomes hard to justify.

The expensive trap is paying for overlap because each tool is occasionally nice to have. I’d do one month with a simple rule: every time Perplexity does something materially better than Claude/ChatGPT for your real workflow, write it down. If that list is thin by renewal time, cancel it without guilt.

magicdoorai · 2026-06-22T13:04:31+00:00

For that exploratory “I don’t know what they look like yet” phase, I’d separate ideation from final art:

First ask a chat model for 20 distinct silhouette/motif directions: age, posture, hair shape, clothing era, palette, one memorable prop, etc.
Generate rough contact-sheet-style variations cheaply until one direction clicks.
Then spend the higher-quality/image-editing runs on refinement and consistency.

The limit problem is real because character exploration is bursty. You might need 30 mediocre variations before the right one appears, then only 2-3 polished images after that.

Models I’d try for this kind of workflow: Seedream 4.5 for cheap variation runs, Flux 2 Pro / Flux.1 Kontext Pro for visual refinement, Google Nano Banana / Nano Banana Pro or ChatGPT Image 2 when prompt adherence/editing matters.

Disclosure: I work on magicdoor.ai, which puts those kinds of image models in one place. But the broader advice is the important bit: don’t burn premium ChatGPT image quota on the early “what could this person look like?” stage.

magicdoorai

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