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AI coding tool cost calculator
Tell it how you work. It estimates what each tool would cost you per month and picks the cheapest option that fits.
| Tool | Best option for you | Est. per month | Note |
|---|
How the estimate works
Tasks per month = tasks per day x days per week x 4.33. For pay-per-token tiers we assume each task reads the token volume below for your codebase size, with 60% of input served from cache. For subscriptions we pick the cheapest plan whose usage allowance we estimate covers your task count. Plan allowances are our editorial estimates, not vendor numbers, and prices marked * are still being confirmed. Treat the result as a guide.
- Small (< 10k lines): ~60k input + ~6k output tokens per task
- Medium (10k-100k lines): ~150k input + ~12k output tokens per task
- Large / monorepo (> 100k lines): ~400k input + ~25k output tokens per task
What is Muse Code?
Muse Code is a command-line coding agent built by Meta Superintelligence Labs. You give it a task in your terminal; it can hand parts of the work to parallel subagents, runs shell commands in a sandbox with approvals, and records every session as an event log you can resume or rewind. It runs on Muse Spark 1.3.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2026-08 | Muse Code enters public beta |
| 2026-08-31 | Muse Code leaves beta |
| 2026-09-02 | Muse Spark 1.3 replaces Spark 1.2 as the default model |
| 2026-09-08 | Meta Muse (the consumer assistant, a different product) launches |
Muse Code pricing and plans at a glance
Three monthly plans (Everyday, High, Power), or pay per token. Full details, token rates and the Contributor trade-off are on the Muse Code pricing page.
| Plan | Price | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday Usage | $5/mo* | 10-50 prompts every 5 hours, incl. image and video uploads; voice mode; web search |
| High Usage | $15/mo | 5x the Everyday Usage plan; more multimodal inputs |
| Power Usage | $50/mo | 20x the Everyday Usage plan; multi-agent by default; early access; higher file uploads |
Is Muse Code free?
No. The CLI is free to install, but every session is billed, either against a plan or per token. The cheapest way in is the $5 Everyday plan. The cheapest per-token tier (Contributor) is very low cost because you allow your sessions to be used for training future Meta models.
Which plan fits your usage?
Light use (a few tasks a day on a small project) usually fits Everyday. Daily work on a real codebase points to High. Power is priced for teams or all-day agent runs. If your employer forbids training on its code, avoid the Contributor token tier and check Meta's terms for the plan you pick. Run the calculator with your own numbers.
Muse Code vs other AI coding tools
| Tool | Type | Price | Free tier | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muse Code | Terminal coding agent (CLI) | $5-$50/mo* | No free usage tier listed. Installing is free; you pay per token or by plan. | macOS, Linux, Windows (native, PowerShell) |
| Claude Code | Terminal coding agent (CLI) + IDE extensions | $20-$200/mo* | Not included in the free Claude plan | macOS, Linux, Windows |
| Cursor | AI code editor (VS Code fork) + CLI | Free, $20-$200/mo* | Hobby plan with limited agent requests | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| GitHub Copilot | IDE extension + coding agent | Free, $10-$39/mo* | Free plan with monthly caps | VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, CLI and more |
| OpenAI Codex | CLI + cloud agent (via ChatGPT plans) | $20-$200/mo* | Limited, depends on ChatGPT plan | macOS, Linux, Windows |
| Windsurf | AI code editor | Free, $15/mo* | Free plan with limited credits | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Gemini CLI | Terminal coding agent (CLI), open source | Free, $19.99/mo* | Free daily request quota with a personal Google account | macOS, Linux, Windows |
* Not yet confirmed on the vendor's official pricing page. Prices reviewed 2026-09-28; always check the official page before buying.
Head to head: Muse Code vs Claude Code.
How to install Muse Code
One command installs it on macOS and Linux (curl -fsSL https://dev.meta.ai/install.sh | sh) or Windows PowerShell (irm https://dev.meta.ai/install.ps1 | iex). Our step-by-step guide covers sign-in, the trust prompt, commands and your first task.
Don't confuse it with Meta Muse
Meta Muse is the consumer chat assistant (free tier plus $20 and $100 plans). It is not Muse Code. If you want an AI that writes and edits code in your repository, you want Muse Code.
Latest changes
- Muse Spark 1.3 is now the default model. Meta says it uses about 25% fewer tokens and 20% fewer tool calls for the same work (vendor claim).
- Muse Code left beta on 2026-08-31.
Read our Muse Code review for what it does well and where it still falls short.
FAQ
What is Muse Code?
Muse Code is a terminal-based AI coding agent from Meta Superintelligence Labs. It can split work across parallel subagents (optionally each in its own git worktree), runs shell commands in a sandbox, and uses the Muse Spark 1.3 model.
Is Muse Code free?
Installing it is free, but using it is not. Meta lists no free usage tier: you either pay per token or pick a monthly plan (Everyday, High at $15 or Power at $50).
Is it Muse Code or Muse AI Code?
Same product. The official name is Muse Code; many people search for it as "Muse AI Code" because it comes from Meta's Muse AI family.
Is Muse Code the same as Meta Muse?
No. Meta Muse is the consumer chat assistant (free tier plus $20 and $100 plans). It is not Muse Code.
Does Muse Code work on Windows?
Yes. It runs natively on Windows (installed from PowerShell), as well as on macOS and Linux. Voice input and session messaging are not available on Windows.
Is there a Muse Code desktop app or VS Code extension?
The official docs describe a command-line tool only, with no IDE extension. Run it in VS Code's integrated terminal, and only install from dev.meta.ai.
Is my code used for training?
It depends on how you pay. The Contributor token tier ($0.1 per 1M input tokens) is discounted because you allow Meta to train future models on your prompts and completions. The Standard tier ($1.25 per 1M input tokens) is regular pricing without that permission.
Should I use Muse Code or Claude Code?
Claude Code is the more mature agent today. Muse Code is cheaper to start with and has strong multi-agent tooling. See our full Muse Code vs Claude Code comparison for which fits your work.