It's probably a mix of what you're working on and how you're using the tool. If you can't get it done for free or cheaply, it makes sense to pay. I first design the architecture in my mind, then use Grok 4 fast (free) for single-shot generation of main files. This forces me to think first, and read the generated code to double-check. Then, the CLI is mostly for editing, clerical work, testing, etc. That said, I do try to avoid coding altogether if the CLI + MCP servers + MD files can solve the problem.