cwork101 / compare
Comparisons
Most confusion in this ecosystem is not about how one thing works — it is about which of two similar things you should reach for. Each page opens with the answer, then shows the reasoning.
Claude vs Claude Code vs Cowork
Claude is for thinking with; Claude Code is for changing a codebase; Cowork is for producing a deliverable from your files and connected apps. If the output is a conversation, use Claude. If it is a commit, use Claude Code. If it is a document, deck or spreadsheet, use Cowork.
Verified Aug 21, 2026
Agent Skills vs MCP
A Skill is knowledge — instructions and scripts Claude loads when the task calls for them. An MCP server is a connection — access to a tool or data source. If your problem is "Claude does not know our process", write a Skill. If it is "Claude cannot reach our system", stand up an MCP server.
Verified Aug 21, 2026
Fable vs Opus vs Sonnet vs Haiku
Start with Opus 5. Move down to Sonnet 5 if it holds up on your evaluation — it is 60% cheaper and usually does. Use Haiku 4.5 for high-volume, latency-sensitive work that does not need a 1M-token window. Reach for Fable 5 only when a long-running agent is failing on capability, not on prompting.
Verified Aug 21, 2026
Plugins vs Agent Skills
Write a Skill when you are adding a capability. Publish a plugin when you are distributing one or more capabilities to other people — a plugin can contain skills, commands, hooks and MCP server configuration in a single installable unit.
Verified Aug 21, 2026
Subagents vs Agent Teams
Use a subagent when you want an answer without the context cost of finding it. Use an agent team when you have several genuinely parallel workstreams that each need their own persistent session — and ideally their own working directory.
Verified Aug 21, 2026
CLAUDE.md vs auto memory
CLAUDE.md is for what the team needs Claude to know: standards, intent, commands, conventions. Auto memory is for what Claude works out along the way. If it matters beyond your machine, it belongs in CLAUDE.md and in version control.
Verified Aug 21, 2026
Pro vs Max
Max unlocks nothing that Pro does not already have. You are buying 5x or 20x the usage, higher output limits, early feature access and priority traffic. If you are not hitting Pro's limits mid-task, you do not need Max yet.
Verified Aug 21, 2026
Team vs Enterprise
If your requirement is "one invoice, SSO, and our data is not used for training", Team covers it. If anyone has asked about audit logs, SCIM, role-based access, data retention or IP allowlisting, you need Enterprise — those are not add-ons to Team.
Verified Aug 21, 2026
Bedrock vs Google Cloud vs Foundry vs the Claude API
Use the first-party Claude API unless procurement forces otherwise. If it does, prefer an Anthropic-operated route — Microsoft Foundry or Claude Platform on AWS — because those follow Anthropic's deprecation schedule. Bedrock and Google Cloud are partner-operated and set their own.
Verified Aug 21, 2026
MCP vs Connectors
If the person connecting it will never open a config file, you want a connector. If it is a developer wiring Claude Code or an SDK agent into an internal system, you want MCP. Many connectors are MCP underneath — the difference is who operates them, not what they are.
Verified Aug 21, 2026
Hooks vs Agent Skills
If it must happen every time, it is a hook. If it needs judgement about when and how, it is a skill. Trying to guarantee behaviour with instructions is the most common configuration mistake in Claude Code.
Verified Aug 21, 2026
Projects vs Agent Skills
Use a Project when the same body of material comes up repeatedly — a client, a codebase, a research topic. Use a Skill when the same procedure comes up across different material. Material versus method is the whole distinction.
Verified Aug 21, 2026
The API vs a Claude subscription
A Claude subscription is for a person using Claude. The API is for software calling Claude. They do not share limits, credits or accounts. If you need both, you buy both — and plenty of people do.
Verified Aug 21, 2026