OpenAI Codex: Pricing, Features & Best Use Cases

Our take: Choose Codex if you already use ChatGPT and want one coding agent across a local CLI, IDE extension, desktop app and cloud/web, with the option to pay by API instead.

Main limitation: Usage limits apply per plan, and API-key use lacks cloud features such as GitHub code review and Slack.

By the AI Tool Atlas editors. Based on the vendor's official documentation; we have not tested this product hands-on. What “documented overview” means

Who OpenAI Codex fits

Choose Codex if you already use ChatGPT and want one coding agent across a local CLI, IDE extension, desktop app and cloud/web, with the option to pay by API instead. Based on the vendor's documentation, not on a hands-on test.

Best for: ChatGPT subscribers

Also a good fit for

Developers wanting CLI plus cloud agent

Consider another tool if usage limits apply per plan

Or if

API-key use lacks cloud features such as GitHub code review and Slack
Free and Go plans list desktop app only

OpenAI Codex in the news

Headlines from US outlets, selected automatically — not endorsements. Updated Oct 2, 2026

OpenAI Codex pricing and usage limits

Prices checked Sep 29, 2026 on the official US pricing page. Official pricing ↗ Prices and limits change often.

The official OpenAI Codex pricing page as we saw it. developers.openai.com, captured Oct 2, 2026

Free access and trial conditions

A Free ChatGPT plan includes Codex (desktop app listed).

Paid plans: what changes as you upgrade

Free ChatGPT

Free source (opens in a new tab)

Month

For: Trying Codex

Limits

Desktop app only listed
Usage limits apply

Includes

Try Codex

No API

Go ChatGPT

$8/mo source (opens in a new tab)

Month

For: Light use

Limits

Desktop app only listed
Usage limits apply

Includes

Codex access

No API

Plus ChatGPT

$20/mo source (opens in a new tab)

Month

For: Individual developers

Limits

Usage limits apply

Includes

Codex on CLI, IDE, web and iOS

No API

Pro ChatGPT

See official pricing source (opens in a new tab)

Month

Seed lists tiers at $100, $200 or $500 per month; mapping of tier to usage was not confirmed, so no single price is set.

For: Heavy individual use

Limits

Higher usage than Plus

Includes

Codex access

No API

Business ChatGPT

$25 per user per month, billed monthly source (opens in a new tab)

User/month, annual commitment

$20 per user per month billed annually; $25 monthly.

For: Teams

Limits

Usage limits apply

Includes

Workspace admin features

No API

API key API

Usage-based source (opens in a new tab)

Usage

For: CI and automation

Limits

No GitHub code review or Slack

Includes

CLI/IDE use in CI

API included

Usage caps, credits and extra costs

API-key use is billed at API rates; Enterprise/Edu is contact sales.

What is OpenAI Codex, and how does it work?

Codex is OpenAI's coding agent. The CLI runs locally on a computer, and Codex is also offered as an IDE extension, a desktop app and a cloud-based web agent. Usage is included in ChatGPT plans (Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise/Edu) or paid at API rates with an API key.

OpenAI Codex's official site: how the product presents itself. developers.openai.com, captured Oct 2, 2026

What you provide and what you get back

What you give OpenAI Codex and what comes back, from its documentation

You provide

Natural-language coding tasks
Your local repository (CLI/IDE)
Connected GitHub repositories (cloud)
Code changes for review

You get back

Code edits and pull-request style changes
Code review comments
Command output from local runs

Where you can use it

Platforms: CLI, IDE, Desktop, Web, Mobile
Account: Required
Models / versions: GPT-6.1 Sol, GPT-6 Astra, GPT-6 Luna, GPT-6 Sol; GPT-5.6 Sol/Terra/Luna during rollout
IDEs and terminals: CLI (macOS, Windows, Linux), VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, desktop app, web, iOS source (opens in a new tab)
Repo access: Local repo via CLI/IDE; GitHub-connected repos in the cloud source (opens in a new tab)
Commands: source (opens in a new tab)
Languages: source (opens in a new tab)
Context window: source (opens in a new tab)
Sandboxing: Docs nav lists Sandboxing and Agent approvals, but content was not fetched source (opens in a new tab)

Where OpenAI Codex is most useful

Scenarios are worked out by our editors from the documentation; the actual result depends on your input and plan.

Quick coding tasks

Who: Developers with small tasks
You provide: A short description of a quick change or question
Expected result: A fast edit or answer from the agent
Plan needed: Free, Go and above
Limitation: Free and Go list the desktop app only source (opens in a new tab)

Focused coding sessions

Who: Developers in longer sessions
You provide: A larger task such as a refactor in an open repo
Expected result: Multi-step work in CLI, IDE or desktop app
Plan needed: Plus, Pro and above
Limitation: Usage limits apply per plan source (opens in a new tab)

Automatic code review

Who: Teams reviewing pull requests
You provide: Connected GitHub repositories
Expected result: Automatic code review on changes
Plan needed: ChatGPT plans (not API key)
Limitation: GitHub code review is not available with API-key use source (opens in a new tab)

What OpenAI Codex does, and where it stops

Feature overview on the official site. developers.openai.com, captured Oct 2, 2026

Open-source CLI installable via script, npm or Homebrew

Provides an open-source command-line agent that runs locally on your computer, installable by script, npm or Homebrew. Lets you inspect and modify the code you run it against.

Access: Install script, npm or Homebrew.Limit: Runs against local files; cloud-only features need a ChatGPT sign-in. source (opens in a new tab)

IDE extension (VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf)

Adds Codex to VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf as an extension so the agent works next to your open files. Keeps the agent inside the editor you use.

Access: Editor marketplaces.Limit: Only those three editors are listed in the seed research. source (opens in a new tab)

Desktop app

Offers a desktop app for running Codex sessions outside the terminal. Gives a visual interface for non-terminal users.

Access: Downloadable app; Free and Go plans list desktop app only.Limit: Plan-dependent surfaces. source (opens in a new tab)

Codex on the web and iOS (Plus plan)

Runs Codex as a cloud agent on the web and on iOS, so tasks can run without your machine. Lets you start work from a phone.

Access: Plus plan and above per seed research.Limit: Not available via API key. source (opens in a new tab)

OpenAI Codex pros and cons

Reasons to choose OpenAI Codex

Free plan available to try Codex One tool for terminal, editor, app and web documented source (opens in a new tab)
Several surfaces: CLI, IDE, app, web A free ChatGPT plan can be used to try it documented source (opens in a new tab)
Same usage shared with ChatGPT Work Usage is shared with the ChatGPT plan you already have documented source (opens in a new tab)
API-key option for CI API-key use fits CI pipelines documented source (opens in a new tab)

Check before paying for OpenAI Codex

Usage limits apply per plan Heavy use can exhaust the plan quota documented source (opens in a new tab)
API-key use lacks cloud features such as GitHub code review and Slack API-key users miss cloud features documented source (opens in a new tab)
Free and Go plans list desktop app only Free and Go users get fewer surfaces documented source (opens in a new tab)
Some models retire Oct 14, 2026 (GPT-5.5) Model availability changes, requiring config updates documented source (opens in a new tab)

How to use OpenAI Codex for reviewing and refactoring code in a local repository

Set up OpenAI Codex

Install the Codex CLI with the install script, npm or Homebrew (see the project README).
Open a terminal in your repository folder.
Start the CLI and choose to sign in with your ChatGPT account (or use an API key).
Optionally install the IDE extension in VS Code, Cursor or Windsurf.

Example: reviewing and refactoring code in a local repository

Describe the refactor and the files involved.
Let Codex propose edits and review them.
Approve the changes you want to keep.
Ask Codex to run the test command.

Review and export the result

Run your test suite and linter yourself.
Inspect the full diff before committing.

Example prompt suggested by our editors (not a recorded output of the product)

Refactor the payment retry logic in src/billing/retry.ts to use exponential backoff with a maximum of 5 attempts, keep the public function signatures unchanged, update the unit tests, and summarise what changed.

OpenAI Codex API

Plan comparison on the official pricing page. developers.openai.com, captured Oct 2, 2026

API access and separate billing

OpenAI Codex has no public API in its official documentation. Cloud features such as GitHub code review and Slack are not available with API-key use. API documentation ↗

Privacy, data use and commercial rights

Summarized from the vendor's current policies; this is not legal advice and a vendor's badge is not an independent audit.

How your inputs and outputs are handled

Not described in the fetched pages.

OpenAI Codex alternatives by need

"Better suited" is based on documented features and pricing, not on a head-to-head test.

GitHub Copilot: better suited to

Cursor: better suited to

ChatGPT: better suited to

Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): better suited to

Alternatives
Alternative	Pricing	Limitation
GitHub Copilot	—	—	Compare
Cursor	—	—	Compare
ChatGPT	—	—
Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf)	—	—	Compare

Explore OpenAI Codex further

OpenAI Codex pricing, plan by planEvery plan with USD prices, limits and what is free.Best OpenAI Codex alternativesTools for the same job, by need and starting price.Codex vs Claude CodeHead-to-head with a verdict and a side-by-side table.OpenAI Codex vs CursorHead-to-head with a verdict and a side-by-side table.OpenAI Codex vs Gemini CLIHead-to-head with a verdict and a side-by-side table.OpenAI Codex vs GitHub CopilotHead-to-head with a verdict and a side-by-side table.Best AI coding toolsOur picks in this category, compared by price and free tiers.Prompts for OpenAI CodexReady-to-copy prompts with their sources.

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OpenAI Codex FAQ

Which ChatGPT plans include Codex?

Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise/Edu plans include Codex usage; Free and Go list the desktop app only. source (opens in a new tab)

Can I use Codex with only an API key?

Yes, you pay API rates, but cloud features such as GitHub code review and Slack are not available with API-key use. source (opens in a new tab)

Which editors does the Codex extension support?

VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf per the research seed. source (opens in a new tab)

How do I install the Codex CLI?

Use the install script, npm or Homebrew; the CLI is open source and runs locally. source (opens in a new tab)

Is Codex available on mobile?

Codex on the web and iOS is listed for the Plus plan in the seed research; other plan availability was not confirmed. source (opens in a new tab)

Sources and review methodology

Official sources and verification dates

Codex developer docs homepage · checked Oct 2, 2026
Codex pricing homepage · checked Oct 2, 2026
Codex CLI homepage · checked Oct 2, 2026
openai/codex README homepage · checked Oct 2, 2026
ChatGPT Learn docs docs · checked Oct 2, 2026
Models / engine, vendor page docs · checked Oct 11, 2026 · what_it_is.models_versions

Not verified: Privacy, training use and retention (privacy page 404); Context window; Supported languages and CLI commands; Sandbox details; Pro tier usage mapping; Pricing page content not captured (fetched pages were navigation only); Trial.

How we documented and maintain this page

Every fact about OpenAI Codex above comes from the 6 official pages listed here, last compared on Sep 29, 2026; we have not run OpenAI Codex ourselves, so it has no editorial score. How we check and re-check pages.

Article updated Oct 2, 2026; prices checked Sep 29, 2026. Outbound links to vendors are plain links; we do not earn commissions. How we review · Report an error