I tried vibe coding for free to save $1,200 a year - and it was a total disaster

I really wanted to believe in this free AI coding tool could replace Claude Code. But it isn't ready for prime time unless you're willing to babysit.

ChatGPT 5.3 Codex Moves Ahead on Code, While Claude’s 4.6 AI Banks on Reliability

On a 2.0 terminal benchmark, OpenAI’s model scores about 10% higher, guiding users toward stronger results on long, complex ...