Side-by-side comparison · Coding & Dev Tools
Claude Code vs OpenAI Codex
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.
At a glance
Pick it if: Anyone building software, from first-timers to senior engineers, who wants an AI that does the work itself.
Pick it if: ChatGPT subscribers who want a coding agent without paying for a second subscription.
Claude Code scores highest overall, but OpenAI Codex gives you more for your money. Which one is right comes down to what you value most.
Overview
| Attribute | Claude Code | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|
| In one line | An AI agent that works inside your project: it reads, writes and runs the code for you. | OpenAI's coding agent. Hand it a task and it works away while you do other things. |
| Pricing model | Paid | Freemium |
| Starting price | $20/mo | $8/mo |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | Yes | No |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Claude Code | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.4Winner | 4.2 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers the job it's built for, and how well the pieces fit together. | 5.0 | 4.5 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 5.0 | 4.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.5 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Claude Code | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | ||
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | No | No |
| API access | Yes | Yes |
| Teams & business | ||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | Yes |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | Yes |
| AI abilities | ||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | Yes | Yes |
| Makes images | No | No |
| Makes video | No | No |
| Writes code | Yes | Yes |
| Runs agents or automations | Yes | Yes |
| Learns your brand or style | Yes | Yes |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 12/ 17 | 14/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Claude Code | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | ProOur pick $20/mo, or $17/mo billed yearly Trying Claude Code and light daily use. | Free Free A quick look at what it can do. |
Team From $20/seat/mo billed yearly Businesses with 2 to 150 people who want central billing. | Go $8/mo Occasional light tasks. | |
Enterprise $20/seat/mo billed yearly, 20-seat minimum Larger companies with compliance needs. | PlusOur pick $20/mo Anyone who already pays for ChatGPT. | |
Max From $100/mo Anyone running Claude Code for hours a day. | Pro From $100/mo Developers who hit the Plus limits. | |
API (pay as you go) Usage based Teams who want to pay only for what they use. | Business $20/user/mo billed yearly, or $25 monthly Teams of 2 or more. | |
Enterprise Custom Large organisations. | ||
| Which plan to pick | Start on Pro. It is enough to build a small site or tool in evenings and weekends. If you hit the limit most days, Max 5x is the next step; it costs five times as much but usually works out cheaper than paying for the API directly. | If you already have ChatGPT Plus, you have Codex: just try it. If you are choosing between this and Claude Code with no existing subscription, Plus at $20 and Claude Pro at $20 cost the same, so pick whichever chat assistant you prefer. |
Key features
| Attribute | Claude Code | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|
| Standout features |
|
|
Pros and cons
| Attribute | Claude Code | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|
| Pros |
|
|
| Cons |
|
|
Who each one is for
| Attribute | Claude Code | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|
| Best for |
|
|
| You'll find it used by |
|
|
Questions people ask
Which is better, Claude Code or OpenAI Codex?
Claude Code scores highest overall in our ratings (Claude Code 4.4/5 and OpenAI Codex 4.2/5). Claude Code is best for building features end to end and fixing bugs you can't find. OpenAI Codex is best for background tasks in the cloud and starting a task from your phone.
Which is cheaper, Claude Code or OpenAI Codex?
Claude Code: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $20/mo. OpenAI Codex: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
Swap in another tool
More tools from Coding & Dev Tools in the library.
