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Claude Code vs OpenAI Codex: plans and pricing

OpenAI Codex via ChatGPT Go is the cheaper way in at $8 per month, vs $20 for Claude Code via Claude Pro. At the standard tier, Claude Code via Claude Pro and OpenAI Codex via ChatGPT Plus both cost $20 per month. At the power user tier, Claude Code via Claude Max 5x and OpenAI Codex via ChatGPT Pro both cost $100 per month. Claude Code has no free plan. OpenAI Codex has a free plan.

US prices from official pricing pages, verified October 29, 2026.

TierClaude CodeOpenAI Codex
Free—
ChatGPT Free
Free
Budget—
ChatGPT Go
$8/mo
Standard
Claude Pro
$20/mo ($17/mo billed yearly)
ChatGPT Plus
$20/mo
Power user
Claude Max 5x
$100/mo
ChatGPT Pro
From $100/mo
Top tier
Claude Max 20x
$200/mo
—
Teams
Claude Team (premium seat)
$125/mo per user ($100/mo billed yearly)
ChatGPT Business
$25/mo per user ($20/mo billed yearly)

Monthly prices in USD before tax. Plans are grouped by comparable tier.

Claude Code

Anthropic’s agentic coding tool, included with paid Claude plans.

  • Claude Pro$20/mo ($17/mo billed yearly)
    Claude Code included with the Pro subscription
  • Claude Max 5x$100/mo
    5x Pro’s usage per five-hour session · $100/month in API credits
  • Claude Max 20x$200/mo
    20x Pro’s usage per five-hour session · $200/month in API credits
  • Claude Team (premium seat)$125/mo per user ($100/mo billed yearly)
    Premium seats include Claude Code and Claude Cowork
  • Also available pay-as-you-go through the Claude API at standard token prices.
Anthropic official pricing ↗

OpenAI Codex

OpenAI’s coding agent, included with ChatGPT plans.

  • ChatGPT FreeFree
    Codex on quick coding tasks
  • ChatGPT Go$8/mo
    Codex for lightweight coding tasks
  • ChatGPT Plus$20/mo
    Codex on the web, CLI, IDE extension and iOS · Automatic code review and Slack integration
  • ChatGPT ProFrom $100/mo
    Plans at $100, $200 or $500 a month · Ultrafast mode on the $500 plan · No five-hour usage limit
  • ChatGPT Business$25/mo per user ($20/mo billed yearly)
    Codex across desktop and mobile apps
  • Also usable with an OpenAI API key, billed at API token prices.
OpenAI official pricing ↗

Comparing the models behind them

Plans differ mostly in usage limits; the models do the work. See how Claude Opus 5.5 and GPT-6.1 Sol compare on price and benchmarks: Claude Opus 5.5 vs GPT-6.1 Sol.

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper, Claude Code or OpenAI Codex?
OpenAI Codex via ChatGPT Go is the cheaper way in at $8 per month, vs $20 for Claude Code via Claude Pro. At the standard tier, Claude Code via Claude Pro and OpenAI Codex via ChatGPT Plus both cost $20 per month. At the power user tier, Claude Code via Claude Max 5x and OpenAI Codex via ChatGPT Pro both cost $100 per month.
Do Claude Code and OpenAI Codex have free plans?
Claude Code has no free plan. OpenAI Codex has a free plan.
What is the most expensive Claude Code plan?
Claude Code via Claude Max 20x costs $200/mo.
What is the most expensive OpenAI Codex plan?
OpenAI Codex via ChatGPT Pro costs From $100/mo.