Guides
Step-by-step setup guides for AI coding setups
Plans & Cost 15
Self-Hosted AI Coding Relay with sub2api: Claude Code, Codex, and Gemini Gateway Guide
A practical guide to self-hosting an AI coding relay with Wei-Shaw/sub2api: when to use it, Docker Compose deployment, Nginx headers, Simple Mode, Claude Code / Codex / Gemini access, backups, and security risks.
2026-05-28China Coding API Roundup 2026: Ark vs Bailian vs MiniMax vs Zhipu vs DeepSeek
The most comprehensive 2026 comparison of Chinese AI coding API subscriptions: Volcengine Ark Lite ¥40/mo (¥9.9 first month), Alibaba Bailian ¥200, MiniMax ¥29, Zhipu GLM ¥49+, and DeepSeek pay-as-you-go. One big table, six scenarios, and a decision tree to find your fit in 30 seconds.
2026-05-19Volcengine Ark Coding Plan Guide: Tiers, Agent Plan Differences, and Setup Notes
Based on the official Volcengine Ark Agent/Coding Plan export: Coding Plan is a two-tier coding-focused subscription for individual developers, while Agent Plan is the upgraded multimodal + Harness package. Covers the boundary, model/activity changes, Base URL/API key rules, and setup notes for Cline, Claude Code, OpenCode, and Codex CLI.
2026-05-17Bailian Coding Plan: Complete Guide to Pricing, Quotas, and Client Setup
Alibaba Cloud's Bailian Coding Plan is a subscription-based API package for AI coding. This guide covers the Pro tier, supported models, compatible clients, and configuration steps.
2026-05-17Using GitHub Copilot from China: Access, AI Credits Billing, and Alternatives
An assessment of Copilot accessibility from China, the new AI Credits billing system explained, plus domestic alternatives for developers who need a smoother experience.
2026-05-17Volcano Ark Agent Plan Explained: The Industry's First Agent Subscription Bundle
On 2026-05-11 Volcano Ark launched Agent Plan, billed as the industry's first Agent subscription bundle. This guide breaks down its four pricing tiers, the AFP credits system, bundled multimodal models and Harness tools, and how it differs from Coding Plan.
2026-05-13GitHub Copilot Switches to AI Credits Billing in June: Will You Pay More?
GitHub Copilot is replacing Premium Request Units with AI Credits token-based billing on June 1, 2026. Here's a breakdown of what each plan includes, what models cost, and whether your bill goes up or down.
2026-05-11Where Is DeepSeek V4 API Available? Official, Model IDs, and Platform Support
As of 2026-04-29, this guide checks where DeepSeek-V4 is actually available across the official API, Alibaba Cloud Bailian, Together, Fireworks, Novita, OpenRouter, and more — plus the correct model IDs and integration path.
2026-04-29Claude Code Is Too Expensive: 5 Budget Alternatives That Actually Work
Claude Code Pro at $20/mo, Max at $100–200/mo feeling steep? Here are 5 alternatives that get you close to the same AI Agent coding capability — from low-entry plans to completely free.
2026-04-05How to Use Claude Code in China: 5 Working Methods in 2026
Claude Code is blocked in mainland China, but there are real workarounds. This guide covers 5 methods — from the Volcengine Ark relay (no VPN needed) to direct API and Kiro — with cost and effort compared.
2026-04-05How to Save Money on Cursor: 6 Tips to Reduce Your AI IDE Bill
How to stretch your Cursor Pro credit pool further — Auto mode, cheaper models, task splitting, lean .cursorrules, and backup tools for when you run out mid-month.
2026-04-05Claude Code Token Saving: The Complete Guide
A dedicated token-saving guide for Claude Code users: when to use /compact vs /clear, how to write an effective CLAUDE.md, precise file referencing, task decomposition, and the 5 most common token-wasting mistakes to avoid.
2026-03-29AI Coding Token Saving Guide: Spend Less, Hit Fewer Rate Limits
From what tokens are to 5 practical strategies, covering Cursor, Claude Code, Cline, Copilot, and more. Whether you're on a subscription or pay-as-you-go, you can apply these tips immediately.
2026-03-29Cline + Volcengine Ark Coding Plan Setup Guide
From Volcengine Ark registration to coding with Cline in 10 minutes. The most cost-effective AI coding setup for developers in China — Lite ¥40/month (¥9.9 first month), no VPN required.
2026-02-16Ollama + Aider Local Deployment Complete Guide
A zero-cost, zero-data-leak local AI coding setup. Run local models with Ollama and pair them with Aider for AI-assisted coding — completely free, offline-capable, and privacy-first.
2026-02-16Workflows & Collaboration 15
Multica.ai Deep Dive: Turning Coding Agents into Managed Engineering Teammates
What is Multica.ai? A deep explainer of its product thesis, architecture, Issue workflow, Skills, Squads, Autopilots, self-hosting model, fit, and risk boundaries.
2026-06-26AI Coding Tool Skills & Extension Systems: Claude Code, Cursor, Cline Complete Guide
A deep dive into AI coding tool extension capabilities: Claude Code's Agent Skills / Hooks / Plugins, Cursor's .mdc Rules, the cross-tool AGENTS.md standard, and how to build your own AI-powered workflow.
2026-06-08Make the AI Grill You: 8 Genuinely Interesting Agent Skills
A tour of the fun, useful Agent Skills in the Claude Code / Codex ecosystem — grill-me makes the AI interrogate your design, caveman cuts 75% of tokens, handoff writes a one-shot handoff doc, zoom-out helps you grok unfamiliar code, and more. Includes 30-second install.
2026-06-08Mobile AI Coding Tools 2026: Control Claude Code, Codex, and OpenCode from Your Phone
As of June 2026, mobile coding is splitting into local agent remote control, cloud or on-device runtimes, and phone GUI agents. This guide maps the categories and trade-offs.
2026-06-04Helio vs Cumora: Choosing an AI Teammate Workspace for Agent Collaboration
Helio and Cumora both treat agents as AI teammates, but Helio leans toward tickets, coding sessions, and approvals while Cumora leans toward chat, memory, personas, and agent-to-agent collaboration.
2026-05-28LobeHub Setup Guide: Assemble Your AI Team via the Agent Marketplace (2026)
LobeHub is the largest open-source agent collaboration platform (73K+ stars), centered on its Agent Marketplace + Agent Groups. This 15-minute guide covers: Docker Compose self-host → configure LLM API keys → pick from 273K+ Skills / 51K+ MCP servers → use Agent Groups to auto-form teams for complex tasks.
2026-05-19Multica Private Deployment Guide: Docker Compose, Daemon, Login, and Production Hardening (2026)
A practical guide to self-hosting multica-ai/multica on your own server or private network: Docker Compose quick install, manual setup, login codes, Caddy/Nginx reverse proxy, daemon pairing, Kubernetes, upgrades, and security boundaries.
2026-05-19Orkas Setup Guide: Local Desktop Commander + Workers Agent Team (2026)
Orkas is an MIT-licensed open-source desktop agent collaboration client with a unique Commander + Workers architecture. This 10-minute guide covers: git clone one-line start → configure LLM APIs → command an agent team through conversation → understand the COMPETENCE.md self-evolution mechanism.
2026-05-19Slock Setup Guide: Manage Your AI Agent Team via Chat Channels (2026)
Slock treats humans and AI agents as teammates in chat channels. This 10-minute guide walks you through: registering an account → starting the local daemon → creating your first agent → @-mentioning to assign work → understanding how task claim prevents file conflicts.
2026-05-19Conductor.build: Run a Team of Parallel AI Coding Agents on Your Mac
Conductor by Melty Labs is a Mac app that orchestrates parallel Claude Code and Codex agents, each working in an isolated git worktree. The app is free — you bring your own Claude or Codex subscription.
2026-05-162026 Agent Collaboration Platform Guide: Slock, Multica, LobeHub, Orkas Compared
From solo coding to agent teams — a deep comparison of four agent collaboration platforms: Slock's task claiming, Multica's skill sharing, LobeHub's agent marketplace, and Orkas's Commander dispatch. Find your ideal human+agent workflow.
2026-05-09AI Coding Tool Rate Limits Explained: How to Avoid Getting Blocked Mid-Sprint
Why does Claude Code, Cursor, or Copilot hit rate limits right when you're busiest? Learn how each tool's limits work and 5 practical strategies to keep working without interruption.
2026-04-05Essential VS Code Extensions for AI-Assisted Development
The best VS Code plugins to use alongside Cursor, Cline, and Claude Code — covering Git history, code quality, API testing, and readability. Build a complete AI-augmented workflow.
2026-04-01MCP Protocol Introduction: Connecting AI Coding Tools to the World
A comprehensive introduction to MCP (Model Context Protocol): what it is, why it matters, which AI coding tools support it, and how to configure MCP servers for Cursor, Claude Code, Cline, and more.
2026-03-28switch-ai: One Command to Switch AI API Configs — No More Manual Env Vars
Introducing switch-ai, a CLI tool for instantly switching between multiple AI API configurations (Anthropic, OpenAI, and more) using YAML profiles.
2026-03-02Tool Setup 5
Windsurf 2.0 Deep Dive: Full Evolution After the Cognition Acquisition
On April 15, 2026, Windsurf shipped its 2.0 major release. This guide covers the Cognition acquisition backstory, SWE-1.5 model, Codemaps visual codebase maps, Devin Cloud Agent integration, Agent Command Center, Spaces, and the complete pricing overhaul from monthly credits to daily/weekly quotas.
2026-05-25Cursor 3.0 Deep Dive: From Code Editor to Agent Command Center
On April 2, 2026, Cursor shipped its biggest redesign since launch — codename Glass. This guide covers the Agents Window, parallel agent execution, Design Mode, multi-repo support, and the May 13 cloud agent environments update.
2026-05-18Complete Guide to Using Cursor from China: Network, Payment, and Alternatives
Chinese developers face three hurdles using Cursor: VPN requirements, payment restrictions, and latency. This article covers all viable workarounds and domestic alternatives in 2026.
2026-05-17Cursor Composer 2 Deep Dive: Kimi K2.5 Base + Reinforcement Learning, 37% Better
In March 2026 Cursor launched Composer 2 — a proprietary coding model trained on top of Moonshot AI's open-source Kimi K2.5. Here's the full story: the technology, the attribution controversy, and what it means for developers.
2026-04-20Trae CN Complete Getting Started Guide: Free AI IDE for China, Zero-Cost AI Coding
ByteDance's Trae CN is completely free, requires no VPN, and includes top Chinese AI models like Doubao, DeepSeek, and Kimi K2. This guide takes you from installation to SOLO mode hands-on.
2026-02-17Market Notes 3
What Is a Meta-Harness? A 2026 Buyer's Guide to the Layer Above Your Coding Agents
Databricks Omnigent, Zed ACP, Vercel HarnessAgent, Cloudflare Flue, Conductor — a wave of meta-harnesses landed in one week of June 2026. A selection-focused survey: what it is, what it solves, how it relates to MCP/agent runtimes/collaboration platforms, and whether you should adopt one now.
2026-06-26Google AX, Agyn, and Dapr Agents Compared: Choosing an Agent Runtime
Google AX points to a new class of distributed agent runtime. This guide compares the two closest open-source projects, Agyn and Dapr Agents, across execution units, recovery, isolation, deployment, and fit.
2026-06-06AI Coding Agents in 2026: A Practical Roadmap from Autocomplete to Cloud Teammates
As of June 2026, AI coding tools are moving from autocomplete and AI IDEs into engineered agent workflows. This guide maps the shift across Codex, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, MCP, security, and team adoption.
2026-06-01