Side-by-side comparison · Coding & Dev Tools
Cline vs GitHub Copilot 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 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
Pick it if: Developers and technical founders who want a capable coding agent inside their editor and want to choose, and pay for, their own AI model.
Pick it if: Teams and developers whose code lives on GitHub and who want AI in the tools they already use.
Pick it if: ChatGPT subscribers who want a coding agent without paying for a second subscription.
Overview
| Attribute | Cline | GitHub Copilot | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | A free, open-source coding agent for VS Code and the terminal that works with any model. | GitHub's AI helper: it finishes your code, reviews pull requests and takes on whole tasks. | OpenAI's coding agent. Hand it a task and it works away while you do other things. |
| Pricing model | Free | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $9.99/mo | $10/mo | $8/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | Yes | No | No |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Cline | GitHub Copilot | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.2Winner |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 3.5 | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Cline | GitHub Copilot | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | No | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | No | – | No |
| API access | Yes | – | Yes |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | Yes | No | Yes |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Makes images | No | No | No |
| Makes video | No | No | No |
| Writes code | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Runs agents or automations | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Learns your brand or style | – | Yes | Yes |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 12/ 17 | 12/ 17 | 14/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Cline | GitHub Copilot | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Open SourceOur pick Free Anyone with their own API key or happy to buy credits. | Free Free Trying autocomplete and light chat. | Free Free A quick look at what it can do. |
ClinePass $9.99/mo People who want cheap daily coding with open models. | ProOur pick $10/mo Individual developers on GitHub. | Go $8/mo Occasional light tasks. | |
Enterprise Custom Companies rolling it out to a team. | Pro+ $39/mo Developers who run agent tasks every day. | PlusOur pick $20/mo Anyone who already pays for ChatGPT. | |
Max $100/mo Heavy agent-driven work. | Pro From $100/mo Developers who hit the Plus limits. | ||
Business and Enterprise See website Companies that need admin controls and policy management. | Business $20/user/mo billed yearly, or $25 monthly Teams of 2 or more. | ||
Enterprise Custom Large organisations. | |||
| Which plan to pick | Install the free version and connect a model you already pay for. If you want to code most days without watching an API bill, add ClinePass at $9.99 a month for the open models, and keep a Claude or GPT key for the hard jobs. Enterprise only matters once a company needs JetBrains or central controls. | Pro is the sweet spot for an individual: cheap, unlimited autocomplete and enough credits for a few agent tasks a week. Only move to Pro+ if you find yourself buying extra credits every month. | 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. If you outgrow Plus, Pro starts at $100 and has no five-hour limit for now. The $200 tier gives new subscribers less usage than it used to, and Ultrafast mode is only on the $500 tier. |
Key features
| Attribute | Cline | GitHub Copilot | OpenAI Codex |
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | Cline | GitHub Copilot | OpenAI Codex |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Cline | GitHub Copilot | OpenAI Codex |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Cline, GitHub Copilot or OpenAI Codex?
OpenAI Codex scores highest overall in our ratings (Cline 4.0/5, GitHub Copilot 4.0/5 and OpenAI Codex 4.2/5). Cline is best for AI coding inside VS Code with any model and cheap coding with open models through ClinePass. GitHub Copilot is best for autocomplete as you type and Handing GitHub issues to an agent. OpenAI Codex is best for background tasks in the cloud and starting a task from your phone.
Which is cheaper, Cline, GitHub Copilot or OpenAI Codex?
Cline: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $9.99/mo. GitHub Copilot: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $10/mo. OpenAI Codex: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo.
Which is easier to use, Cline, GitHub Copilot or OpenAI Codex?
GitHub Copilot rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Teams and developers whose code lives on GitHub and who want AI in the tools they already use.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
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