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Claude Code vs OpenAI Codex

Both are vendor CLIs bundled into a chat subscription. Claude Code is not on Claude Free. Codex is limited on ChatGPT Free. Both publish an API-key / token path when you leave the included pool.

Claude Code vs OpenAI Codex: subscription vs API-key bills

Cl Claude Code Cx OpenAI Codex

Where they really differ

Entry
$17 vs $8

Lowest published paid individual price in the catalog.

Top plan
$200 vs $20

Highest individual list price we could parse.

Team
$20 vs $25

Lowest parsed team or seat price. not public when the string does not yield a single number.

Plan by plan

Field Claude Code OpenAI Codex
Entry paid $17 $8
Top plan $200 $20
Team seat $20 $25
Free plan Claude Free does not include Claude Code. Limited Codex access on ChatGPT Free.
Works in CLI, IDE CLI, IDE, Extension, Cloud
MCP Yes Yes
Limits Claude Code is included in all paid Claude plans and shares that plan's usage pool. Local messages and cloud chats share the ChatGPT plan allowance.
Last change None dated GPT-5.5 leaves Codex for ChatGPT sign-in

Monthly list prices in USD. Checked 15 Oct 2026, 09:00 UTC.

Questions people ask

Claude Free does not include Claude Code.

Included with ChatGPT Free / Go $8 / Plus $20 / Pro $100–$500

GPT-5.5 leaves Codex for ChatGPT sign-in. OpenAI retires GPT-5.5 from Codex sessions authenticated with ChatGPT on 14 Oct 2026 at 12:00 PDT (19:00 UTC). OpenAI API and API-key Codex sessions are not affected.

Related guides

18 tools in the catalog.