GitHub Copilot vs OpenAI Codex
Cheapest paid tier each vendor publishes. Free plans are listed above; tiers priced on request are not plotted because there is no figure to plot.
Where they differ
Only on GitHub Copilot
- AI chat
- Ide integration
- Also on VS Code, iOS and Android
Only on OpenAI Codex
- Lower entry price: $8/mo against $10/mo
- Research
- Also on API
From the pricing tiers and capability tags we track. A capability missing on one side means we have not recorded it there, not that the tool cannot do it.
At a glance
GitHub Copilot and OpenAI Codex both appear in this directory's code listings. Prices below were read from the vendors' own pages, most recently on November 5, 2026. Paid plans start at $10/mo on GitHub Copilot and $8/mo on OpenAI Codex. We track ai chat on GitHub Copilot and research on OpenAI Codex; both cover code completion and pair programming. No score and no winner: the facts do the picking.
Capability tags are factual labels we assign when a tool is added; they describe what a tool does, not how well it does it.
Checked against the vendors. Written from each vendor's own site and last re-checked there: GitHub Copilot (under review since October 19, 2026) · OpenAI Codex on November 5, 2026. Vendors change pricing and features without notice, so confirm anything that decides your purchase on the vendor's page.
GitHub Copilot
AI pair programmer built into your editor
GitHub Copilot suggests code inline as you type and answers coding questions in a chat panel. It runs in VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Neovim, Visual Studio, and the GitHub web UI, and includes review, agent, and CLI features on higher plans.
OpenAI Codex
AI Coding Partner
OpenAI Codex is an AI coding partner accessible through OpenAI's ChatGPT subscription plans. It provides various levels of access, from limited to expanded usage, depending on the chosen plan. The tool assists with coding tasks and supports coding-related research.
Key features
GitHub Copilot
- Inline code completions in major IDEs
- Chat and code explanations in-editor
- Agent mode for multi-file changes
- Pull request summaries and reviews on GitHub
- Choice of underlying models on paid plans
OpenAI Codex
- AI coding partner functionality
- Variable access levels through ChatGPT plans
- Support for coding-related research
- Integration with advanced GPT models
- Developer API access via monthly credits
What each one does well
GitHub Copilot
- ✓ Speeding up boilerplate and repetitive code
- ✓ Learning an unfamiliar language or API through in-editor chat
- ✓ Teams that already use GitHub for source control and reviews
OpenAI Codex
- ✓ Coding assistance
- ✓ Developer productivity
- ✓ AI-powered code generation
People also ask
Which is cheaper, GitHub Copilot or OpenAI Codex?
OpenAI Codex is cheaper: paid plans start at $10/mo for GitHub Copilot and $8/mo for OpenAI Codex.
Does GitHub Copilot or OpenAI Codex have a free plan?
Both GitHub Copilot and OpenAI Codex publish a free plan.
What is the difference between GitHub Copilot and OpenAI Codex?
GitHub Copilot and OpenAI Codex are both tracked for code-completion, pair-programming. Of the capabilities they do not share, only GitHub Copilot is tracked for ai-chat, ide-integration, and only OpenAI Codex is tracked for developer-api, research.
How much do GitHub Copilot and OpenAI Codex cost?
GitHub Copilot: free plan, then $10/mo. OpenAI Codex: free plan, then $8/mo.
Answers are generated from the tracked plans and capability tags shown above, so they move when the vendors' pages do.
Full fact sheets, FAQs, and discussion links: GitHub Copilot · OpenAI Codex · all code tools