I’m currently studying IT and want to become a Network Engineer. I’m deciding between ChatGPT Plus and Claude Pro and only want to pay for one subscription (~$20/month).
I see paying for AI as an investment in myself and my education, rather than just paying for a chatbot. I want something I can use for the next few years to help me learn as much as possible.
I already spend quite a lot of time working with Proxmox and my homelab, and I want to expand this much further.
Some things I currently do or want to learn more about:
Proxmox
Linux/Debian
VMs and containers
TrueNAS/NAS
Home Assistant
AdGuard Home
Tailscale/VPNs
Networking
VLANs
DNS/DHCP
Routing and switching
Firewalls
Wi-Fi/network design
Server management
Windows/Windows Server
PC and server hardware
Choosing and comparing hardware
Troubleshooting
Bash/PowerShell/Python
Eventually more automation and programming
I often use AI while I’m actually working on something. For example, I’ll send a screenshot or terminal output, ask what’s happening, get the next steps, try them and send the results back.
But I don’t just want an AI that gives me commands to copy and paste. I want it to explain why things work, teach me networking/Linux concepts and help me gradually become capable of solving these problems myself.
I also regularly research hardware, compare specifications, plan upgrades and want help deciding what hardware makes sense for different servers/network setups.
So coding performance isn’t my only priority. I’m more interested in which AI is the better technical assistant + teacher + research tool.
For people who have used both ChatGPT Plus and Claude Pro, how do they compare in terms of:
Price/value
Models and features included
Usage limits
Technical accuracy
Proxmox/Linux troubleshooting
Networking knowledge
Teaching/explanations
Screenshot analysis
Terminal output/log/config analysis
Hardware research and specification comparisons
Current web research/documentation
Long conversations/context
Memory/projects
Coding/scripting when I need it
Claude Code vs Codex
Overall usefulness for someone learning Network Engineering
If you were in my situation and had ~$20/month to spend on one AI subscription as an investment in learning IT and Network Engineering, which would you choose and why?
I’m also open to alternatives around the same price if there’s something better suited to this than either ChatGPT or Claude.
Source: r/homelab · by /u/Elmusiu57