Choosing a mode
Devin runs in one of several modes, and the mode you pick changes both capability and cost. The framework is stable even as the lineup evolves: default Devin for most work; drop down when the task is small and verifiable; step up when it's genuinely complex or high-stakes.
Default Devin is the right answer most of the time. It handles features, bug fixes, refactors, and everything else in the normal band. You need a reason to leave it.
Drop down when the task is small and you can verify the result cheaply: a config change, a copy tweak, a well-scoped fix with a test that proves it. Step up when the task is genuinely hard (deep refactors, gnarly debugging, work spanning many files) or when the cost of a wrong answer is high enough that you want maximum capability on it.
| Mode | Reach for it when |
|---|---|
| Ultra | The task is genuinely complex or high-stakes and you want Devin's strongest reasoning on it |
| Fast | The task is quick and well-scoped and you want a faster turnaround |
| Lite | The task is lightweight and simple; small, low-risk changes |
| Fusion | You want a blended multi-model mode; see the Devin docs for its current behavior |
Current mode details and rates live in the Devin docs; treat the docs as ground truth and this table as the decision habit.
One anti-pattern to name directly: never compensate for a vague prompt with a bigger mode. A vague brief in Ultra buys you expensive trial and error. Fix the brief first (Cloud 102's How to prompt lesson); then pick the mode the task deserves.
Two mechanics worth knowing. Modes aren't locked in at launch: you can switch mid-session with the agent toggle next to the message input, and in Slack with bang commands like !ultra or !fast anywhere in your message. And when you fan a big task out across parallel sessions, each session picks its own mode: Lite for the mechanical pieces, default for the normal ones, Ultra for the one hard piece.