Claude Code vs Codex vs 2 multi-agent setups: same task, hidden tests, cost breakdown
latent_lurker8587 · reddit · 2026-10-28
After a viral r/AIAgents thread (83K views) on single vs multi-agent coding setups produced plenty of opinions but no numbers, the author ran four setups on an identical task: a 5-part Python expense tracker with a deliberately messy bank CSV importer, graded by 38 hidden tests the agents never saw.
Results (M5 Max, one run each):
- Codex CLI (GPT 5.5, single agent): 2m38s, 38/38, $0.86
- Claude Code (Opus 5.5, single agent): 3m30s, 38/38, $0.75
- Paseo team (c-digs' published setup, Opus lead): 2m25s of work, 38/38, $0.68
- Atomic Agent Fusion mode (Opus plans, local Qwen 3.8 27B builds): 44m11s, 36/38 (38/38 after a one-line fix), $0.40
Takeaways:
- "Multi-agent eats tokens" didn't hold — the orchestrated setup with local workers had the smallest bill
- Zero merge conflicts across all four runs
- The standout: the Paseo lead judged the task too small, spawned zero workers, and built everything itself. A good orchestrator knowing when not to split is a feature.
Orchestration is worth it, just not for the reason most people argue about; for small tasks, a single agent is faster and equally accurate.
Related event: Benchmark test: single-agent vs multi-agent setups show 3x cost gap(2 posts)→
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