Which AI tools I'm keeping — subscriptions and why

As we move through 2026, the fourth year of generative AI’s current wave, agentic AI reshaped how I work. Agentic coding tools such as Gemini Jules, Claude Code, and OpenAI Codex can now write entire programs; I tested Codex and Claude Code by building WordPress security add-ons and a full-featured iPhone app.

I pay for the pro versions of these tools out of my own pocket to keep reviews independent. I began 2025 subscribed to Midjourney, ChatGPT Plus, and Adobe Creative Cloud. Midjourney cost $10 a month, ChatGPT Plus $20, and Adobe $69.99, which put my monthly AI spend at $100 from January through May and a cumulative spend of $500 by the end of May, $350 of which was Adobe.

In June I added OpenAI API calls to a self-hosted article archive, spending $35 on GPT-5 processing through August. September’s experiments with Codex vibe coding led me to upgrade briefly to a $200/month ChatGPT Pro tier; in four days I completed work that would have taken years by hand, then reverted to the $20 Plus plan.

generative ai, agentic ai, openai codex, claude code, gemini jules, chatgpt plus, chatgpt pro, midjourney, creative cloud, gpt-5