GitHub Copilot vs Codex: Pricing, Limits and Which to Pick
GitHub's assistant against OpenAI's coding agent, compared on October 2026 prices, credit and time window metering, surfaces, models and privacy.
By , research by the BestBots team · Updated Oct 19, 2026
Fact checked against each company's published pricing, documentation and verified user ratings. How we score
GitHub Copilot is the better pick for most developers: $10 a month, a free tier, unlimited completions, models from four labs including OpenAI, and agent mode in nearly every IDE. Codex wins if you already pay for ChatGPT, want flat all day agent use on Pro (no 5 hour limit currently), or want to delegate from iOS and Slack.
Side by side
| Spec | GitHub Copilot | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|
| BestBots Score | 4.6 | 4.3 |
| Starting price | $10 per month | $20 per month |
| Pricing model | per seat subscription plus AI credits | per seat subscription plus credits |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Price | $10 per month (Pro); Free plan available | $20 per month (ChatGPT Plus); Free and Go get limited desktop access |
| Models | Claude (Opus, Sonnet, Haiku, Fable), GPT 5 and 6 series, Gemini, Grok, Kimi, MAI | GPT 6.1 Sol, GPT 6 Sol, GPT 6 Astra, GPT 6 Luna |
| IDE support | VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Eclipse, Xcode, Neovim, Zed, GitHub.com | IDE extension, desktop app, web, iOS |
| Terminal agent | Yes, Copilot CLI on every plan including Free | Yes, Codex CLI |
| Usage limits | AI credits: Pro 1,500, Pro+ 7,000, Max 20,000 a month; extra $0.01 per credit | Plus: about 15 to 160 GPT 6.1 Sol local messages per 5 hours; Pro no 5 hour limit; weekly limits may apply |
| Team plan | Business $19 and Enterprise $39 per seat per month | Business $25 per user monthly or $20 annually |
The short answer
- Copilot meters chat and agents in AI credits, keeps completions unlimited, and spans VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Eclipse, Xcode, a CLI and GitHub.com.
- Codex is included with ChatGPT, meters by a 5 hour window with weekly caps, and spans a CLI, IDE extension, desktop app, web and iOS.
They are not exclusive. Copilot Pro+ and Max can delegate tasks to Codex inside GitHub.
Pricing
| GitHub Copilot | Codex | |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 2,000 completions, 50 chats, agent mode, CLI | GPT 6 Luna in desktop app, subject to rollout |
| Entry | Pro $10 (1,500 credits) | ChatGPT Plus $20 |
| Mid | Pro+ $39 (7,000 credits) | Not applicable |
| Heavy | Max $100 (20,000 credits) | Pro $100, $200 or $500 |
| Overage | $0.01 per credit | ChatGPT credits or API key |
| Team | Business $19 | Business $25, or $20 annually |
| Enterprise | $39 per seat | Custom |
| Metering | Credits by model and task | 5 hour estimates plus weekly |
Prices as listed in October 2026.
One developer, one year. Copilot Pro: $120. ChatGPT Plus: $240 (with ChatGPT included).
Heavy user. Copilot Max $100 for 20,000 credits; if you need 30,000, add $100 for $200 total. ChatGPT Pro $100 currently has no 5 hour limit.
Team of 10. Copilot Business: $190. ChatGPT Business: $250 monthly or $200 annually.
Models and features
| GitHub Copilot | Codex | |
|---|---|---|
| Models | Claude, GPT 5 and 6 series, Gemini, Grok, Kimi, MAI | GPT 6.1 Sol, GPT 6 Sol, GPT 6 Astra, GPT 6 Luna |
| IDEs | VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Eclipse, Xcode, Neovim, Zed | IDE extension |
| Terminal | Copilot CLI (Free and up) | Codex CLI (Plus and up) |
| Desktop and mobile | GitHub Mobile | ChatGPT desktop app, iOS |
| Cloud agent | Issue to pull request | Codex Cloud |
| Code review | Included from Pro | Automatic GitHub review from Plus |
| Chat integration | GitHub.com chat on Enterprise | Slack from Plus |
| Completions | Unlimited, no credits | Not the core product |
| VS Code rating | 4.1 from 1,058 | 2.9 from 722 |
Head to head scenarios
Budget developer
Winner: Copilot. Free plan plus a $10 Pro with unlimited completions, against $20 for Codex's CLI and IDE access.
Already paying for ChatGPT Plus
Winner: Codex. You already own it. Adding Copilot only makes sense for completions or other labs' models.
All day agent work
Winner: Codex. ChatGPT Pro at $100 currently has no 5 hour limit, so you do not count credits. Copilot Max's 20,000 credits are generous, but long frontier model sessions draw them down and extra is $0.01 each.
Multi model teams on GitHub
Winner: Copilot. $19 seats, pooled credits, Claude, GPT, Gemini and Grok on one plan, native GitHub integration, and Codex itself available as a delegated agent on Pro+.
Visual Studio, Xcode or Eclipse
Winner: Copilot. Agent mode runs in all three.
Delegating from your phone or Slack
Winner: Codex. iOS and Slack are included on Plus, and cloud tasks keep running while you are away.
Running both, and switching
Using both. The cheapest combined setup is Copilot Pro at $10 for completions and quick chat in the IDE, plus the Codex you already get with ChatGPT Plus for longer terminal and cloud tasks, $30 a month in total. If you would rather keep one bill, Copilot Pro+ at $39 lets you delegate tasks to Codex inside GitHub and draws on your Copilot credits instead.
Moving from Codex to Copilot. Install the Copilot extension in your editor or the Copilot CLI, sign in with GitHub, and pick a GPT model from the model menu to keep a familiar feel. Your agent instructions do not carry over automatically, so copy any project guidance into the files your new agent reads.
Moving from Copilot to Codex. Sign in to the Codex CLI or IDE extension with your ChatGPT account. Connect GitHub to keep cloud code review, and expect a usage meter by 5 hour window rather than a monthly credit balance. Check /status in the CLI during your first week to learn your pace.
What to watch in month one. On Copilot, the credits view: if you pass about 4,400 credits on Pro, Pro+ becomes cheaper. On Codex, the usage dashboard: if you hit the 5 hour wall most days, Pro at $100 is the next step.
Privacy
Copilot. GitHub may use Free, Pro and Pro+ interaction data to train models unless you opt out at github.com/settings/copilot/features. Business and Enterprise data is not used for training. Business adds IP indemnity.
Codex. OpenAI's Codex pricing page says Business has no training on business data by default; Enterprise adds SCIM, EKM, RBAC, audit logs and data residency. Personal plans follow ChatGPT's data controls.
On business plans both exclude your data from training. On personal plans, check the setting in either.
Verdict
Copilot wins three of six scenarios plus the overall value case: half the price, a free tier, unlimited completions, four labs' models, broader IDE coverage and a stronger VS Code rating (4.1 from 1,058 against 2.9 from 722). Codex wins for ChatGPT subscribers, all day agent users on Pro, and mobile or Slack delegation. If you want both, Copilot Pro+ at $39 can hand tasks to Codex inside GitHub. Full detail in our GitHub Copilot review and Codex review.
Frequently asked questions
Is Copilot better than Codex?
For most developers, yes: it is half the price at $10, has a free tier, unlimited completions, models from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and xAI, and agent mode in more IDEs. Codex is better if you already pay for ChatGPT, run long agent sessions that would burn Copilot credits, or want iOS and Slack delegation.
Can I use Codex inside GitHub Copilot?
Yes, on Pro+ ($39) and Max ($100). GitHub's plans page lists delegating tasks to third party agents such as Claude and Codex on those tiers.
Does Copilot include GPT models?
Yes. Copilot's model list includes the GPT 5 and 6 series alongside Claude, Gemini, Grok and others, drawn from your AI credits.
Which is cheaper for teams?
Copilot Business at $19 per seat with 1,900 pooled credits per user. ChatGPT Business is $25 monthly or $20 annually and includes the rest of ChatGPT.
Which has better limits for heavy use?
ChatGPT Pro at $100 currently has no 5 hour limit, which is simpler for all day agent work than counting credits. Copilot Max at $100 includes 20,000 credits with extra at $0.01. Which gives more work depends on models and task size.
Copilot cloud agent vs Codex Cloud?
Both take a task and return code from the cloud. Copilot's cloud agent turns a GitHub issue into a pull request and is included from Pro. Codex Cloud runs tasks from the web, iOS or Slack and is included from Plus.