Reason vs Claude Code

  1. 1
    Open ReasonSign in on the web, or in the Mac app.
  2. 2
    Settings › ModelsConnect the plans you already pay for.
  3. 3
    In the composerGive Reason the branch and what's next.

Use Reason on the web, or in the Mac app.

Claude in your terminal. Reason when you're away.

Claude Code is Anthropic's coding agent for the terminal, IDE, desktop and web, built around Claude models and paid for with a Claude plan; Reason is an always-on teammate and coding agent with its own cloud computer per Session, memory, Loops and Slack, running the model you pick. You can use both: Reason can run Claude models on your connected Claude Pro or Max plan, and keeps going on other accounts or Reason credits when it hits its limit.

Use Claude Code and Reason together

  1. Open Reason on the web or the Mac app

    Sign in at reasonmachines.com, or download the Reason app for macOS from reasonmachines.com/download. Both open the same Sessions. Sending work to Reason needs a Pro or Max plan.

  2. Connect your Claude plan

    In Settings › Models, choose Connect Claude and sign in with your Claude Pro or Max plan. Reason can then run Claude models on it; that plan's own five-hour and weekly limits still apply.

  3. Hand Reason the work that should keep going

    Push the branch you were on in Claude Code and tell Reason in the composer what's done and what's next. It continues on its cloud computer, with your laptop closed, and opens the pull request.

  4. Keep it working when you're away

    Mention Reason in Slack to hand it a task from a thread, and set up a Loop for work that repeats, such as a nightly dependency check. Its Sessions run on Reason's cloud computers, so they keep going with your laptop closed.

Reason and Claude Code side by side

ReasonClaude Code
Made byReason MachinesAnthropic
Where it runsIts own cloud computer per Session, or your computer through the Mac appYour computer, or Claude Code cloud sessions
ModelsReason's models, plus Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, Copilot and other accounts you connectClaude models
MemoryAcross SessionsCLAUDE.md instruction files
SchedulesLoops: schedule, webhook, GitHub event or Slack messageScheduled tasks in research preview; cloud tasks at most hourly
SlackMention Reason in a channel or message it@Claude starts a cloud session
At a usage limitMoves the turn to your other accounts, then Reason creditsStops; usage credits, API credits or a bigger plan
AppsWeb, Mac, iOS, Slack, command lineTerminal, VS Code, JetBrains, desktop, web, mobile
PricingPro $50, Max $200 a monthClaude Pro $20, Max $100, Ultra $200 a month
Open sourceNoNo

From Reason's docs and Anthropic's pages, checked Nov 2, 2026. There is no head-to-head public benchmark of the two. On Artificial Analysis's Coding Agent Index v2.0, Claude Code on Opus 5.5 scores 62; Reason's published result is on the earlier v1.5, where it scored 65.1 against Codex's 62.5 on GPT-6 Astra.

When to use which

Use Claude Code when you're at your desk and want Claude in your terminal or editor. Use Reason for work that should run without you: from Slack, on a Loop, on a cloud computer, or on another model when Claude is out. Reason reads the same CLAUDE.md files in your repository, and Claude Code can connect to Reason over MCP from Settings › Channels.

Hit your limit? Reason keeps going on your other connected accounts or Reason credits.

Sources (checked Nov 2, 2026)

Questions

Is Reason better than Claude Code?

There's no head-to-head public benchmark. Claude Code on Opus 5.5 scores 62 on Artificial Analysis's Coding Agent Index v2.0; Reason's result is on v1.5. Reason adds a cloud computer per Session, Loops, Slack and model choice; try both on your own task.

Can Reason use my Claude subscription?

Yes. In Settings › Models, Connect Claude with your Pro or Max plan, and Reason can run Claude models on it. Your plan's own usage limits still apply.

Does Reason read CLAUDE.md?

Yes. In a repository, Reason reads AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, CLAUDE.local.md and other agents' instruction files, and finds skills in .claude/skills.

Can I use Reason from Claude Code?

Yes. Claude Code can connect to Reason over MCP; Settings › Channels shows how.

What does Reason cost?

Pro is $50 a month and Max $200 a month per person, with usage measured in credits; top-ups keep work going when a week's usage runs out. Models you run on your own connected subscriptions or API keys are billed by that provider and keep that provider's limits.

Is Reason affiliated with these vendors?

No. Reason is built by Reason Machines and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Anthropic, OpenAI, Anysphere, Cognition, GitHub, Google or xAI. Facts about their products come from their own pages, linked under Sources.

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