Side-by-side comparison · Coding & Dev Tools
GitHub Copilot vs Grok Build 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: Teams and developers whose code lives on GitHub and who want AI in the tools they already use.
Pick it if: Developers who already pay for an X Subscription or Grok and want a Claude Code-style agent included in it.
Pick it if: ChatGPT subscribers who want a coding agent without paying for a second subscription.
Overview
| Attribute | GitHub Copilot | Grok Build | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | GitHub's AI helper: it finishes your code, reviews pull requests and takes on whole tasks. | xAI's open-source terminal coding agent, included in every paid X Subscription plan. | OpenAI's coding agent. Hand it a task and it works away while you do other things. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Paid | Freemium |
| Starting price | $10/mo | $8/mo | $8/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | No | Yes | No |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | GitHub Copilot | Grok Build | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.2Winner |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.0 | 3.0 | 3.5 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | GitHub Copilot | Grok Build | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | No | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | No | Yes |
| Desktop app | Yes | No | 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 | No | Yes | Yes |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | 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 | 9/ 17 | 14/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | GitHub Copilot | Grok Build | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free Free Trying autocomplete and light chat. | X Subscription Plus $8/mo Trying Grok Build alongside Grok and X Premium. | Free Free A quick look at what it can do. |
ProOur pick $10/mo Individual developers on GitHub. | X Subscription PremiumOur pick $30/mo Developers who use Grok most days. | Go $8/mo Occasional light tasks. | |
Pro+ $39/mo Developers who run agent tasks every day. | Super / Ultra $100/mo or $200/mo Heavy users running agents all day. | PlusOur pick $20/mo Anyone who already pays for ChatGPT. | |
Max $100/mo Heavy agent-driven work. | xAI API Pay as you go CI pipelines and people who prefer paying per use. | 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 | 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 pay for X, try it on the plan you have. Premium at $30 a month is the sensible level for regular coding, but if you're choosing a coding agent from scratch, Claude Code or Codex are the safer picks today. Plans changed on 12 October 2026, so check x.ai before you buy. | 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 | GitHub Copilot | Grok Build | OpenAI Codex |
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | GitHub Copilot | Grok Build | OpenAI Codex |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | GitHub Copilot | Grok Build | OpenAI Codex |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, GitHub Copilot, Grok Build or OpenAI Codex?
OpenAI Codex scores highest overall in our ratings (GitHub Copilot 4.0/5, Grok Build 3.5/5 and OpenAI Codex 4.2/5). GitHub Copilot is best for autocomplete as you type and Handing GitHub issues to an agent. Grok Build is best for X Subscription users who want a coding agent included and Trying Grok models on real coding work. OpenAI Codex is best for background tasks in the cloud and starting a task from your phone.
Which is cheaper, GitHub Copilot, Grok Build or OpenAI Codex?
GitHub Copilot: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $10/mo. Grok Build: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $8/mo. OpenAI Codex: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo.
Which is easier to use, GitHub Copilot, Grok Build 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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