Codex vs Claude Code is a close call: both are coding agents with a terminal CLI, editor extensions, a desktop app and cloud tasks, and both come with a $20-a-month plan. OpenAI’s Codex comes with ChatGPT plans, and Anthropic’s Claude Code comes with Claude plans. Answer six quick questions below and get a pick with the reasons behind it, plus a side-by-side of prices, limits and features from both companies’ own pages.
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Codex or Claude Code? Get a pick in six taps
Answer six quick questions about the plan you pay for, your budget and how you work. You get a pick with the reasons behind it, what would change it, and a side-by-side of plans, prices and features taken from OpenAI's and Anthropic's own pages. No signup, and your answers stay in your browser.
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Plans and prices (USD, before tax)
| Codex | Claude Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Free option | ChatGPT Free: limited Codex in the desktop app (subject to rollout) | No: the free Claude plan doesn't include Claude Code |
| Low-cost plan | ChatGPT Go, $8 a month: limited Codex in the desktop app | None below Pro |
| Standard plan | ChatGPT Plus, $20 a month: Codex on the web, in the CLI, IDE extension and iOS | Claude Pro, $20 a month, or $17 a month billed yearly |
| Heavy use | ChatGPT Pro at $100, $200 or $500 a month; Pro plans currently have no five-hour limit | Claude Max 5x, $100 a month, or Max 20x, $200 a month |
| Teams | ChatGPT Business: $25 per user a month, or $20 billed yearly (2+ users) | Claude Team: Standard seat $25 a month or $20 billed yearly (2 to 150 seats) |
| Enterprise | ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu: contact sales | $20 per seat a month billed yearly, plus usage at API rates |
| Pay per use | OpenAI API key: CLI, SDK and IDE extension, no cloud features | Claude Console account billed for API usage |
| How limits work | Five-hour windows on Plus and Business, weekly limits may apply; buy credits to keep going | Rolling five-hour limits plus weekly limits; usage credits on paid plans |
How they work
| Codex | Claude Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | CLI, IDE extension, ChatGPT desktop app, Codex Cloud on web and mobile | CLI, VS Code and JetBrains, Claude desktop app, web and mobile |
| Editors | VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf extension; JetBrains and Xcode | VS Code extension (also installs in Cursor); JetBrains plugin |
| Models | OpenAI models (GPT-6.1 Sol and GPT-6 Luna on Plus) | Claude models (Opus, Sonnet, Haiku) |
| Default safety | OS sandbox on by default: writes limited to the workspace, network off | Auto mode by default (a classifier checks actions first); OS sandbox is opt-in |
| Skip-everything switch | --dangerously-bypass-approvals-and-sandbox (alias --yolo) | --dangerously-skip-permissions |
| Project instructions | AGENTS.md | CLAUDE.md, or an existing AGENTS.md |
| Scripting and CI | codex exec and the Codex SDK | claude -p, the Agent SDK, GitHub Actions and GitLab CI/CD |
| Windows | Native installer for PowerShell, with a Windows sandbox | Native install on Windows 10+; the sandbox needs WSL 2 |
| Install (macOS, Linux) | curl -fsSL https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.sh | sh | curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash |
Prices are US list prices before tax and change often, so check the vendor's page before you buy. The pick above comes from our own simple scoring of your answers against these facts, not from a benchmark. Also weighing Cursor? Try the Cursor vs Claude Code picker.
Sources: Codex pricing, Codex CLI, Codex IDE extension, Codex Cloud, Codex approvals and security, Codex AGENTS.md, OpenAI Codex, ChatGPT pricing, ChatGPT Pro tiers, Claude pricing, Claude Max plan, Claude Code overview, Claude Code setup, Claude Code permission modes, Claude Code sandboxing, Claude Code memory (CLAUDE.md), Claude Code CLI reference, checked October 18, 2026.
How to use the picker
- Tap an answer for each question, starting with the plan you already pay for. The pick updates as you go.
- Read the reasons and what would change the pick.
- Check the table for the plan that fits your budget.
- Still torn? The scorecard includes a five-day plan for testing both on the same work.
The short answer
- Already pay for ChatGPT Plus, Pro or Business? Start with Codex. It’s included in your plan.
- Already pay for Claude Pro, Max or Team? Start with Claude Code. It’s included in yours.
- Paying nothing yet? ChatGPT Free and Go include limited Codex in the desktop app, while Claude Code needs at least Claude Pro.
- Strong model preference? Codex runs OpenAI models; Claude Code runs Claude models. Neither lets you swap in the other company’s models.
Prices at a glance
| Plan level | Codex (ChatGPT plans) | Claude Code (Claude plans) |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Limited Codex in the desktop app | Not included |
| Low cost | Go, $8 a month: limited Codex | No plan under Pro |
| Standard | Plus, $20 a month | Pro, $20 a month, or $17 billed yearly |
| Heavy use | Pro at $100, $200 or $500 a month | Max 5x at $100 or Max 20x at $200 |
| Teams | Business, $25 a user, or $20 billed yearly | Team, $25 a seat, or $20 billed yearly |
Both plans have usage limits rather than a fixed message count. Codex usage on Plus and Business is measured in five-hour windows, with weekly limits that may also apply, and ChatGPT Pro plans currently have no five-hour limit. Claude limits reset on a rolling five-hour window with weekly limits on paid plans, shared with your Claude chats.
How they differ day to day
- Safety defaults: Codex runs local commands in an OS-enforced sandbox by default, with network access off and writes limited to your workspace. Claude Code starts in auto mode, where a classifier checks actions, and its OS sandbox is opt-in.
- Windows: both install natively. Codex has a Windows sandbox; Claude Code’s sandbox needs WSL 2.
- Editors: Codex has an extension for VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf plus JetBrains and Xcode integrations. Claude Code has VS Code (it also installs in Cursor) and JetBrains.
- Instructions: Codex reads AGENTS.md. Claude Code reads CLAUDE.md, or an existing AGENTS.md, so one file can serve both.
- The skip-everything switch: Codex has –dangerously-bypass-approvals-and-sandbox (OpenAI marks it not recommended); Claude Code has –dangerously-skip-permissions (Anthropic says to use it only in isolated environments such as containers or VMs).
Related on HOW TO // AI
- Install Claude Code: exact commands for your OS.
- Cursor vs Claude Code: the same picker for the AI code editor.
- ChatGPT pricing and Claude pricing: every plan with its limits.
- AI chatbot pricing compared: all the major AI plans side by side.
Checked against OpenAI’s Codex pricing and docs pages, the OpenAI Codex page, and Anthropic’s Claude pricing page and Claude Code docs, on October 18, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is Codex included with ChatGPT Plus?
Yes. ChatGPT Plus ($20 a month) includes Codex on the web, in the CLI, in the IDE extension and on iOS. ChatGPT Free and Go include limited Codex in the desktop app.
Is Claude Code included with Claude Pro?
Yes. Claude Code is included in all paid Claude plans: Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise. The free Claude plan doesn't include it.
Which is cheaper, Codex or Claude Code?
At the standard level they cost the same: $20 a month for ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro, and Claude Pro drops to $17 a month billed yearly. Codex is cheaper to start, because ChatGPT Free and Go include limited Codex.
Can I use Codex and Claude Code on the same project?
Yes. They install side by side, both can follow the same AGENTS.md instructions, and Claude Code's /init offers to carry over existing Codex configuration.
Can Claude Code use GPT models, or Codex use Claude?
No. Codex runs OpenAI models and Claude Code runs Anthropic's Claude models. If you want several labs' models in one tool, Cursor offers that on its Premium plan and up.