Claude Code usage limit reached? 5 ways to keep working (ranked by what actually helped me)

You're mid-task, Claude Code says you've hit your limit, and the reset is hours away. I've been there most days since Opus 5.5 came out, so here's what I tried, ranked by how much it helped.

Claude Pro plus ChatGPT Plus costs $40 a month, less than Max 5x at $100, and the two limits are independent. When Claude caps out, Codex takes over. When Codex caps out, Claude has usually reset.

The catch is the handoff. Codex starts with zero context, so you re-explain the project, what's done, and what you already ruled out. I got tired of that and built ccx, an open-source macOS tool that syncs a Claude Code session and a Codex thread both ways: messages, condensed tool calls, the todo list, and git status. Click ⇄ in the menu bar and Codex picks up where Claude stopped; go back to Claude later and Codex's progress comes with you. It also warns you when either side passes 90% of its 5-hour window, so you can switch before you're cut off mid-step.

Every message re-sends the session's context. Long sessions get expensive fast. Finish a task, then /clear or start fresh. This alone stretched my 5-hour window noticeably.

If you need the context, /compact it rather than continuing a bloated conversation.

Tell Claude in CLAUDE.md which folders to skip (build output, node_modules, logs). A single huge tool output can burn a surprising share of your window.

Renaming, copy edits, running tests, reading an error: switch to Sonnet with /model. Save Opus for planning and hard bugs.

Does running two subscriptions break any rules? No. You're using your own Claude and ChatGPT plans, each within its own limits.

Does ccx upload my code? No. Everything runs locally; the code is already on your disk. ccx only moves conversation context between the two desktop apps.

Windows or Linux? Not yet. ccx needs macOS 13+ and the Claude and/or Codex desktop app.

If the handoff pain sounds familiar, give ccx a try. A ⭐ helps a lot, and I answer every issue. I'm @aaron0x10 on X.