Side-by-side comparison · Coding & Dev Tools
GitHub Copilot vs Kiro 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 and technical founders who want a written plan before the AI builds anything, especially teams already on AWS.
Pick it if: ChatGPT subscribers who want a coding agent without paying for a second subscription.
Overview
| Attribute | GitHub Copilot | Kiro | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | GitHub's AI helper: it finishes your code, reviews pull requests and takes on whole tasks. | Amazon's AI code editor that writes a plan and requirements before it writes any code. | OpenAI's coding agent. Hand it a task and it works away while you do other things. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $10/mo | $20/mo | $8/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | 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 | Kiro | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.0 | 3.6 | 4.2Winner |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 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 | 3.0 | 4.5 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | GitHub Copilot | Kiro | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | – | No | No |
| API access | – | No | 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 | 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 | 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 | GitHub Copilot | Kiro | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free Free Trying autocomplete and light chat. | Free Free Trying spec mode on a small project. | Free Free A quick look at what it can do. |
ProOur pick $10/mo Individual developers on GitHub. | ProOur pick $20/mo Most individuals using it a few days a week. | Go $8/mo Occasional light tasks. | |
Pro+ $39/mo Developers who run agent tasks every day. | Pro+ $40/mo Regular daily users. | PlusOur pick $20/mo Anyone who already pays for ChatGPT. | |
Max $100/mo Heavy agent-driven work. | Pro Max $100/mo Professionals in Kiro for hours each day. | Pro From $100/mo Developers who hit the Plus limits. | |
Business and Enterprise See website Companies that need admin controls and policy management. | Power $200/mo The heaviest users. | Business $20/user/mo billed yearly, or $25 monthly Teams of 2 or more. | |
Enterprise Custom Companies that need SSO and central billing. | 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. | Pro at $20 is the place to start, and you get $20 off your first paid month when you upgrade. Use the Auto model to make credits last, and only move up a tier once you know your monthly usage. | 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 | Kiro | OpenAI Codex |
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | GitHub Copilot | Kiro | OpenAI Codex |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | GitHub Copilot | Kiro | OpenAI Codex |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, GitHub Copilot, Kiro or OpenAI Codex?
OpenAI Codex scores highest overall in our ratings (GitHub Copilot 4.0/5, Kiro 3.6/5 and OpenAI Codex 4.2/5). GitHub Copilot is best for autocomplete as you type and Handing GitHub issues to an agent. Kiro is best for turning a rough idea into requirements and a plan and bigger features you want planned before building. OpenAI Codex is best for background tasks in the cloud and starting a task from your phone.
Which is cheaper, GitHub Copilot, Kiro or OpenAI Codex?
GitHub Copilot: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $10/mo. Kiro: There's a free plan, and 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.
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