Claude Code vs OpenAI Codex

A decision for a beginner, not a spec sheet. Scores are our weights. Prices are the public plans, and anything marked verify on the tool page should be re-checked before you pay.

The call

Claude Code: Terminal agent, plus the Claude apps that share one usage pool. OpenAI Codex: Desktop app, CLI, and IDE, included with ChatGPT.
Neither tool is a clear no-code winner over the other. Read the skill scores before you decide on comfort.
On the kind of project, these two are close. Budget and where you want to work should break the tie.

Pick Claude Code if you want an agent in the terminal on an existing repo.

Pick OpenAI Codex if you already pay for ChatGPT and want the coding agent in that allowance.

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Claude Code

A terminal coding agent that shares your Claude plan.

Cheapest verified paid plan: Pro · $20/mo

Pick it when

Developers who want an agent in the terminal on an existing repo
Web app and automation work where you already have a project
People who also want Claude chat and are fine sharing one allowance

Leave it when

Anyone who needs a free coding agent (free Claude does not include Claude Code)
No-code site or app building in the browser
Native mobile publishing or game engines

OpenAI Codex

A coding agent included with ChatGPT, not a separate app subscription.

Cheapest verified paid plan: Plus · $20/mo

Pick it when

Developers who already pay for ChatGPT and want the coding agent in that allowance
Web apps and automations with local and cloud tasks
A few focused coding sessions a week on Plus

Leave it when

A visual no-code builder for sites and SaaS
Staying on the free plan for real project work
Native mobile shipping or game production

Where the weights differ

Web app or SaaS

Claude Code5/5

OpenAI Codex5/5

Mobile app

Claude Code2/5

OpenAI Codex2/5

Game

Claude Code2/5

OpenAI Codex2/5

Website or landing page

Claude Code2/5

OpenAI Codex3/5

Automation or script

Claude Code5/5

OpenAI Codex5/5

No code

Claude Code0/5

OpenAI Codex1/5

I can follow a change

Claude Code3/5

OpenAI Codex4/5

I already develop

Claude Code5/5

OpenAI Codex5/5

Claude Code plans

Last verified 2026-10-19

Free

Individual

Free

Verified

Claude chat only. Claude Code is not included.

Do not plan a coding workflow on the free plan.

Pro

Individual

$20/mo

Verified

$17/mo when billed annually ($200 up front).

Includes Claude Code. At least 5x Free chat usage per five-hour session, plus weekly limits. Shared with claude.ai. No fixed prompt count.

Anthropic's pricing page lists $20 monthly and $17/mo annual.

Max 5x

Individual

$100/mo

Verified

5x Pro usage per five-hour session, higher output limits, and a weekly cap. Max also has a separate weekly limit for Fable, and the pricing table caps Fable at 50% of weekly limits. Includes $100/mo of platform API credits that Anthropic says cannot be spent inside Claude Code.

Price is from Anthropic's Max plan help article. The marketing page says Max starts at $100.

Max 20x

Individual

$200/mo

Verified

20x Pro usage per five-hour session, plus a separate weekly limit for Fable (50% of weekly limits on the pricing table). Includes $200/mo of platform API credits that do not spend inside Claude Code.

Price is from Anthropic's Max plan help article, which lists Max 20x at $200/mo.

OpenAI Codex plans

Last verified 2026-10-19

Free

Individual

Free

Verified

Limited trial access to Codex and limited access to GPT-5.6. Codex pricing docs also list GPT-6 Luna at Standard speed in the desktop app, subject to rollout. No published prompt count.

Confirmed on the Codex pricing page as a limited trial. GPT-6 Luna on Free is listed as subject to rollout, so it is not treated as a guarantee.

Go

Individual

Confirm on chatgpt.com/pricing

Verify

Limited Codex, above Free. Codex pricing docs at learn.chatgpt.com/docs/pricing list Go at $8/mo. chatgpt.com/pricing still did not print a dollar amount on 2026-10-19.

Left out of budget matching. The $8 figure is on a Codex pricing doc, and the live ChatGPT pricing page still does not show it.

Plus

Individual

$20/mo

Verified

Expanded Codex for a few focused sessions a week. Codex app on macOS and Windows. Local and cloud usage share the allowance. Weekly limits may apply. GPT-6 Astra access is limited, with credits for more.

Plus is $20/mo on OpenAI's help center. Annual billing is not offered.

Pro 100

Individual

$100/mo

Verified

Higher Codex allowance for longer daily sessions. GPT-6 Astra is included in the allowance. Ultrafast is not included.

From OpenAI's Pro tiers help article.

Pro 200

Individual

$200/mo

Verified

More included usage than Pro 100. Ultrafast is not included. New subscriptions may have a lower allowance than older Pro 200 accounts.

OpenAI says the monthly price remains $200.

Pro 500

Individual

$500/mo

Verified

Highest included Pro usage. Ultrafast for GPT-6 Astra and GPT-6.1 Sol is included and draws the included allowance at 8× the Standard rate for that model.

Ultrafast is only on this Pro tier. The 8× rate is from OpenAI's Pro tiers help article.

When Claude Code runs out

A rolling five-hour window, plus weekly limits on paid plans. Chat and Claude Code share one pool.

Wait for the five-hour window or the weekly reset. There is no fixed message count.

When OpenAI Codex runs out

Plan allowance, with weekly limits that may also apply. Local messages and cloud chats share it. OpenAI does not publish one universal reset clock.

Switch to a lower-cost model. OpenAI says that stretches the same allowance.

Full limit playbook

Questions people actually ask

Which is cheaper, Claude Code or OpenAI Codex?

Claude Code Pro and OpenAI Codex Plus are both listed at $20/mo.

Who is Claude Code for?

Claude Code is for developers who want an agent in the terminal on an existing repo, web app and automation work where you already have a project, and people who also want Claude chat and are fine sharing one allowance.

Who is OpenAI Codex for?

OpenAI Codex is for developers who already pay for ChatGPT and want the coding agent in that allowance, web apps and automations with local and cloud tasks, and a few focused coding sessions a week on Plus.

Which is a better fit if I do not want to read code, Claude Code or OpenAI Codex?

Claude Code scores 0 out of 5 for someone who does not want to read code. OpenAI Codex scores 1 out of 5. OpenAI Codex has the higher no-code score. Skip it. Claude Code assumes a terminal, a repo, and comfort with commands. You are still in a coding agent. This is a poor pick if you never want to see a file.

Do Claude Code and OpenAI Codex have free plans?

Claude Code: Free Claude does not include Claude Code. You need Pro or Max before this tool exists for you. OpenAI Codex: Free includes a limited Codex trial. OpenAI does not publish a fixed prompt count. It is enough to see the product, not to build through the month.