I'm a big fan of both Amazon Q CLI and Claude Code, but I'm a bit taken aback by the price difference—$100 for Claude Code through Max versus just $19 for Amazon Q CLI. While I know Q started off pretty basic, it has really improved recently with new features like hooks and context profiles. It seems to perform similarly to what I expect from Claude Code, which I suspect is based on a Sonnet variant.
My issue is that I don't have endless access to Claude Code or a company credit card to fully explore its API. So, I'm curious if anyone has insights from direct experience using both Q and Claude Code recently. How significant is the difference between them? Is Claude Code really worth the extra $80?
3 Answers
It's tough to say if either service fully grasps the value they're offering. Honestly, I think both could easily be worth over $1000 per month compared to hiring a junior developer. The true bottleneck is in data centers and processing power—there's not enough to go around if demand spikes. But you're right—trying both for $120 total sounds like a low-risk way to see which suits your needs better.
I've been using the Amazon Q CLI on the free tier alongside Claude Code. So far, Q seems faster, though I’m not sure if that's because of fewer users or better infrastructure. However, Q is quite forgetful—at least Claude tries to keep track of things for a bit longer. I do find Q easier to use and more feature-rich, but I’m still figuring it out. In my experience, Q didn't have any limits in the free tier after an hour of use.
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