Claude Code vs OpenAI Codex

The two flagship lab-built coding agents. Both work in the terminal, IDE and cloud; the real difference is which subscription you already pay for.

Side by side

	Claude Code	OpenAI Codex
Starting price	From $17/mo (Claude Pro, annual)	Free with ChatGPT; Plus $20/mo
Plans	Pro: $17/mo annual ($20 monthly) · Max 5x / 20x: From $100/mo ($100 or $200) · Team: $20/seat annual ($25 monthly); Premium seat $100 annual ($125 monthly) · Enterprise: $20/seat/mo (annual, 20-seat minimum) + usage at API rates · Console / API: Pay as you go	Free: $0 · Go: $8/mo · Plus: $20/mo · Pro: $100, $200 or $500/mo · Business: $20/user/mo annual (2+ users), $25 monthly · API key: API pricing
Type	Terminal agents, Cloud agents, IDE extensions	Terminal agents, Cloud agents, IDE extensions, Open source
Open source	No	Yes
Vendor	Anthropic	OpenAI

Pick Claude Code if…

You already pay for Claude Pro or Max
You do long multi-step migrations and refactors
You want Slack and desktop steering from one agent

Full Claude Code breakdown →

Pick OpenAI Codex if…

You already pay for ChatGPT (Codex is included even on Free and Go)
You want an open-source CLI you can inspect (Apache-2.0)
You want automatic PR review and parallel cloud tasks on Plus

Full OpenAI Codex breakdown →

Claude Code limits

Not included on the Free Claude plan
Usage limits apply on every subscription tier; heavy users are pushed toward Max
Only Anthropic models

OpenAI Codex limits

Plus has five-hour message windows
API-key mode lacks cloud features (GitHub review, Slack)
Models rotate often; GPT-5.5 retired from Codex (ChatGPT sign-in) on Oct 14, 2026

FAQ

Which is cheaper, Claude Code or OpenAI Codex?

Claude Code: From $17/mo (Claude Pro, annual). OpenAI Codex: Free with ChatGPT; Plus $20/mo. See the plan table for full pricing, verified 2026-10-17.

Should I choose Claude Code or OpenAI Codex?

Choose Claude Code if: You already pay for Claude Pro or Max; You do long multi-step migrations and refactors; You want Slack and desktop steering from one agent. Choose OpenAI Codex if: You already pay for ChatGPT (Codex is included even on Free and Go); You want an open-source CLI you can inspect (Apache-2.0); You want automatic PR review and parallel cloud tasks on Plus.

Sources

Verified 2026-10-17.