OpenAI Codex
6.8/10OpenAI Codex is an AI coding agent that writes, edits and reviews code across a CLI, IDE extension, desktop app, web and cloud tasks, for developers and engineering teams.
Data last updated November 2026 · Our methodology
Overview
OpenAI Codex is OpenAI's software engineering agent. Developers use it in a command-line tool, IDE extensions, a desktop app, the web and iOS, and can hand it cloud tasks that run in sandboxed virtual machines. It writes code, edits it across a repository and reviews changes, working through multi-step tasks with limited supervision. It suits individual developers, startups and engineering organizations that already pay for ChatGPT, because Codex access comes with ChatGPT plans rather than as a separate subscription. There is a free tier with lightweight models. Go costs $8 a month, Plus $20 a month, and Pro starts at $100 a month with $200 and $500 tiers. Business costs $25 per user per month on monthly billing, or $20 on annual billing with at least two users. Enterprise and Edu are sold through sales. Teams can also run Codex with an API key, paying API rates, for CI and automation, but that route has no cloud features. Once included limits run out, you can buy credits. Business adds SAML SSO, MFA and admin controls, and business data is not used for training by default. Enterprise adds SCIM, EKM, role-based access control, audit logs through the Compliance API, and data residency. The main limitation is usage allowance. Limits are counted per five-hour window and per week, are given only as wide ranges, and in 2026 users repeatedly complained about quotas draining unexpectedly fast. OpenAI reset limits more than once after background helper agents consumed more usage than intended.
Our Rating
Who OpenAI Codex is best for
Good fit
Low-cost Plus and Business plans give small engineering teams an agent for coding and code review.
Enterprise adds SCIM, EKM, RBAC, audit logs and data residency, but opaque usage limits make capacity planning hard.
Free, Go and Plus tiers make it affordable for solo developers, though heavy users may hit limits.
Per-seat Business pricing includes SSO and admin controls, with workspace credits available for overflow.
Less suited
The product is focused on software development, not marketing content.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Comes with existing ChatGPT plans, including a free tier and an $8 Go plan, so trying it costs little or nothing.
- Works across a CLI, IDE, desktop app, web, iOS and sandboxed cloud tasks, so developers can stay in their usual environment.
- Business plans include SAML SSO, MFA and admin controls, and business data is not used for training by default.
- Enterprise adds SCIM, EKM, RBAC, Compliance API audit logs and data residency for regulated organizations.
- Credits let teams keep working after hitting included limits instead of waiting for the window to reset.
Cons
- Usage limits are published only as wide ranges per five-hour window, which makes capacity hard to predict.
- In 2026 users repeatedly reported quotas draining far faster than expected, which forced OpenAI to reset limits for everyone.
- Forum users say the usage dashboard was buggy or delayed and support replies were generic.
- Fast and Ultrafast modes use included usage 2.5 to 8 times faster.
- Running Codex with an API key gives up the cloud features.
Key Features
OpenAI Codex Pricing
Free
- Quick coding tasks
- GPT-6 Luna at Standard speed in the desktop app, subject to rollout
Plus
- Cloud integrations
- GPT-6.1 Sol and GPT-6 Luna
- Codex on web, CLI, IDE and iOS
- Five-hour and weekly usage limits
- Additional credits available to buy
Business
or $240/user/year (save 20%)
- SAML SSO and MFA
- Workspace credits available to buy
- Dedicated workspace with admin controls
- Larger virtual machines for cloud tasks
- No training on business data by default
- $20 per user per month billed annually with 2 or more users
Pro
- Ultrafast mode on the $500 tier
- Tiers at $100, $200 or $500 per month
- No five-hour limit currently, though weekly limits may apply
API Key
- No cloud features
- For CI and automation
- Billed at OpenAI API token rates
Enterprise & Edu
- Priority request processing
- Audit logs through the Compliance API
- SCIM, EKM, RBAC and domain verification
- Data retention and data residency controls
- Flexible credit-based pricing with no fixed rate limits
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The Free plan allows quick coding tasks with GPT-6 Luna at Standard speed in the desktop app, subject to rollout.
Business costs $20 per user per month billed annually with at least two users, or $25 per user per month billed monthly. Enterprise and Edu pricing is available through sales.
Plus and Pro users can buy extra credits, and Business, Edu and Enterprise flexible-pricing workspaces can buy workspace credits. Otherwise you wait for the five-hour or weekly window to reset.
On Business plans, OpenAI does not train on business data by default. Enterprise adds EKM, data retention controls and data residency.
Business includes SAML SSO and MFA. Enterprise adds SCIM, role-based access control and audit logs through the Compliance API.
Yes. You can sign in with an API key and pay standard API rates for CI and automation, but cloud features are not available that way.
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