Non-China user: Chinese models handle 80% of my work, Codex feels like overkill
Bravo_Bravo · reddit · 2026-09-30
A Reddit user kicks off a discussion on Chinese models, noting two opposing narratives — that they dominate OpenRouter and US startups are quietly switching due to cost, versus that they're censored, slow, weak in English and not seriously used — and asking for firsthand experience.
The poster, previously a Codex user, tried Chinese models like hy3 via WorkBuddy (which also offers GPT-6-Astra and Gemini-3.5-Flash) and found they handle 80% of the work well, making Codex feel like overkill — they likely won't renew. They're also looking forward to GLM-5.3, Kimi K3, and DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, and especially want non-developer use cases: writing, studying, travel planning, translation, cooking.
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