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Compare · Prices checked October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026

GitHub Copilot vs OpenAI Codex (2026)

Published starting prices: GitHub Copilot, Free; Pro $10/mo. OpenAI Codex, Free; Plus $20/mo. Side-by-side public pricing, what each does, real use cases and who each suits, all from our listings with sources. We haven't tested either hands-on.

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Short answer: GitHub Copilot vs OpenAI Codex pricing

Comparing the lowest listed monthly plans: GitHub Copilot Pro: $10/mo (includes $15/mo in GitHub AI Credits ($10 base + $5 flex)), and OpenAI Codex Go: $8/mo (lightweight tasks). OpenAI Codex lists the lower one. GitHub Copilot and OpenAI Codex also have a free plan. Plans differ in what they include, and some are per seat or billed yearly, so compare the plan details. Checked October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026. GitHub Copilot: yes. Its Free plan is $0 (limited chat and agent use), checked October 30, 2026. OpenAI Codex: yes. Its Free plan is $0 (quick tasks), checked October 28, 2026.

Pricing side by side · FAQ

Pricing side by side

GitHub Copilot vs OpenAI Codex: public pricing
ItemGitHub CopilotOpenAI Codex
Starting priceFree; Pro $10/moFree; Plus $20/mo
Pricing modelSubscriptionSubscription
Free planYesYes
Plans
  • Free: $0
  • Pro: $10/mo
  • Pro+: $39/mo
  • Max: $100/mo
  • Business: $19/user/mo
  • Enterprise: $39/user/mo
  • Copilot access (eligible enterprises): $10/user/mo standalone
  • Free: $0
  • Go: $8/mo
  • Plus: $20/mo
  • Pro: from $100/mo
  • Business: $25/user/mo
Pricing noteUsage is metered in GitHub AI Credits (1 credit = $0.01). Each paid plan includes base credits equal to its price plus a flex allotment that GitHub says may change over time; you can set a budget for extra usage. Business, Enterprise and the new Copilot access option are from GitHub's Copilot plans docs (docs.github.com/en/copilot/get-started/plans), read 2026-10-30.Or use your own API key and pay API prices.
CheckedOctober 30, 2026October 28, 2026
SourceVendor pricing pageVendor pricing page

Copied from each vendor's public pricing page on the date shown. "not published" means the vendor doesn't publish it; we don't guess. Prices change; confirm with the vendor.

Features and details from our listings

GitHub Copilot vs OpenAI Codex: features
ItemGitHub CopilotOpenAI Codex
What it isGitHub's coding assistant with an agent mode in VS Code and other editors, a CLI and cloud agents that work on GitHub issues.OpenAI's coding agent, in a desktop app, CLI, IDE extension and on the web; included with ChatGPT plans.
Made byGitHubOpenAI
Listed underCoding agentsCoding agents
Jobs it fits
  • Fix bugs and make changes in an existing codebase
  • Review pull requests
  • Hand an issue to a cloud agent
  • Port or rewrite code against a test suite
  • Delegate coding tasks to run in the cloud
Verified public use cases15

Use cases

GitHub Copilot

OpenAI Codex

Use cases are summarised in our own words from the linked public post; vendor case studies are labelled. All use cases.

Who each is best for

From our listing data (jobs, public pricing); not a hands-on test. Full details: GitHub Copilot · OpenAI Codex.

FAQ

Which is cheaper, GitHub Copilot or OpenAI Codex?

Comparing the lowest listed monthly plans: GitHub Copilot Pro: $10/mo (includes $15/mo in GitHub AI Credits ($10 base + $5 flex)), and OpenAI Codex Go: $8/mo (lightweight tasks). OpenAI Codex lists the lower one. GitHub Copilot and OpenAI Codex also have a free plan. Plans differ in what they include, and some are per seat or billed yearly, so compare the plan details. Checked October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026.

Is GitHub Copilot free? Is OpenAI Codex free?

GitHub Copilot: yes. Its Free plan is $0 (limited chat and agent use), checked October 30, 2026. OpenAI Codex: yes. Its Free plan is $0 (quick tasks), checked October 28, 2026.

How much does GitHub Copilot cost?

GitHub Copilot lists Free: $0 (limited chat and agent use); Pro: $10/mo (includes $15/mo in GitHub AI Credits ($10 base + $5 flex)); Pro+: $39/mo (includes $70/mo in GitHub AI Credits ($39 base + $31 flex)); Max: $100/mo (includes $200/mo in GitHub AI Credits ($100 base + $100 flex)); Business: $19/user/mo (per granted seat; 1,900 GitHub AI Credits per user per month, pooled across the org); Enterprise: $39/user/mo (per granted seat; 3,900 GitHub AI Credits per user per month, pooled; designed for GitHub Enterprise Cloud customers); Copilot access (eligible enterprises): $10/user/mo standalone ($0 seat charge for users with a GitHub Enterprise Cloud license; same features and models as Enterprise; all usage billed separately, no included credits). Its lowest listed monthly plan is Pro: $10/mo (includes $15/mo in GitHub AI Credits ($10 base + $5 flex)). Usage is metered in GitHub AI Credits (1 credit = $0.01). Each paid plan includes base credits equal to its price plus a flex allotment that GitHub says may change over time; you can set a budget for extra usage. Business, Enterprise and the new Copilot access option are from GitHub's Copilot plans docs (docs.github.com/en/copilot/get-started/plans), read 2026-10-30. Checked October 30, 2026 on the vendor's pricing page.

How much does OpenAI Codex cost?

OpenAI Codex lists Free: $0 (quick tasks); Go: $8/mo (lightweight tasks); Plus: $20/mo (Codex on web, CLI, IDE); Pro: from $100/mo (plans at $100, $200 or $500/mo); Business: $25/user/mo ($20 billed annually). Its lowest listed monthly plan is Go: $8/mo (lightweight tasks). Or use your own API key and pay API prices. Checked October 28, 2026 on the vendor's pricing page.

Did AITeamGuide test them?

Not hands-on. This comparison is built from each vendor's public pricing page (with the date we checked it), published product information and credited public use cases.

Can a vendor pay to win this comparison?

No. Nothing here is paid. Paid placements on AITeamGuide are always labelled "Sponsored" or "Featured" and never change a comparison or ranking.

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Work at GitHub Copilot or OpenAI Codex? Vendors can claim their listing for free or feature it with a label that says "Sponsored"; paid status never changes the order on this page. Building a different agent? List it here.

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