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| What matters | 💻 Claude Code | 💻 OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Anthropic coding agent for the terminal, IDEs and web that fixes bugs, runs tests and handles refactors, included in Claude paid plans. | OpenAI coding agent for cloud tasks, CLI, IDE extension and SDK, included in ChatGPT plans from Free to Enterprise. |
| Best for | Claude Code suits developers who want an agent that reads a whole codebase, makes multi-file changes and runs commands under their approval. | OpenAI Codex suits developers who want to delegate coding tasks to a cloud or local agent and review the result as a pull request. |
| Pricing model | Paid | Free plan + paid |
| Free-plan limits | Claude Code is included with paid Claude plans: Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise, all with usage limits. It can also run on Claude Console API tokens at standard API pricing. Max plans include monthly API credits, and fast mode is a research preview billed at higher rates. Check current limits before relying on it for heavy daily use. | Codex is available on ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Edu and Enterprise plans, with usage shared with ChatGPT. API-key access is billed at standard API pricing. Some features, such as computer use, are regionally limited on some plans, so check what your plan includes. |
| Platforms | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, API |
| Key capabilities | Codebase mapping and explanation Terminal, IDE, web, desktop and mobile access GitHub and GitLab issue-to-pull-request workflows Runs tests and long refactors MCP server and command-line tool connections | Local and cloud task execution Sandboxing and permission controls GitHub pull request reviews Skills, plugins and MCP servers Subagents and scheduled tasks |
| Strengths | Works across terminal, IDE and web Asks permission before changing files Handles multi-step refactors and test runs | Several ways to run it: cloud, CLI, IDE and SDK Available on a free ChatGPT plan with limits Review and delegation features for GitHub |
| Limitations | No standing free plan is stated on the product page Subscription usage limits can bind on large tasks | Usage limits depend on plan and shared with ChatGPT Some features are region or plan limited |
| No signup required | Not verified | Not verified |
| No credit card required | Not verified | Not verified |
| Open source | Not verified | Not verified |
| Free trial | Not verified | Not verified |
| Access details reviewed | 2026-10-15 | 2026-10-15 |
| Official pricing / source | Check pricingAccess source | Check pricingAccess source |
| Next step | Explore Claude Code | Explore OpenAI Codex |