Codebuff has four modes. Switch during a session with Shift+Tab or /mode: commands.

Standard mode with Claude Opus 4.5:

• Spawns file pickers and code searchers to gather context
• Uses the editor agent for code changes
• Spawns thinker for complex problems
• Runs code review after changes
• Validates with typechecks and tests

codebuff  # no flag needed

Faster and cheaper with Grok 4.1 Fast:

• Reduced file context gathering
• Uses GPT-5 for code change with the editor-gpt-5 agent
• Skips code review
• No todo tracking

Best for quick fixes and simple questions.

codebuff --lite

Uses Claude Opus 4.5 with more context gathering:

• Reads 12-20+ files per task for deeper context
• Uses editor-multi-prompt which generates multiple implementation proposals and picks the best
• Spawns thinker-best-of-n-opus for complex problems (multiple reasoning paths)
• Full code review after changes
• Validates both specific changes and the full project

Best for complex features and refactors.

codebuff --max

Planning mode. No file writes.

• Gathers context about your codebase
• Asks clarifying questions using ask_user
• Outputs a spec/plan wrapped in <PLAN> tags
• Includes requirements, constraints, and relevant files

Use this to scope out work before implementing, or to discuss approaches without making changes.

codebuff --plan