// head_to_head
Claude Code vs OpenAI Codex
Plans, included models and benchmark scores for Claude Code and OpenAI Codex, side by side — and which to pick for what.
All coding toolsPlans checked 2026-10-27
Which to choose
- You want the strongest model for coding work: Claude Code. Its best included model, Claude Fable 5.1, scores 97.7 on LiveBench coding against 96.0 for GPT-6.1 Sol on OpenAI Codex.
- You want the lowest paid entry price: OpenAI Codex. OpenAI Codex Go is $8/mo against $20/mo for Claude Code Pro.
Side by side
| Claude Code | OpenAI Codex | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Anthropic | OpenAI |
| Where you use it | Terminal agent, plus IDE extensions, desktop and web | Terminal, IDE extension, desktop app and cloud tasks |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Paid from | $20/mo · Pro | $8/mo · Go |
| Best coding model | 97.7Claude Fable 5.1 | 96.0GPT-6.1 Sol |
| Best agentic model | 77.9Claude Fable 5.1 | 77.5GPT-6 Astra |
| Own API key | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | No |
Claude Code plans and models
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | $20/mo$17/mo billed annually | At least 5× Free usage per five-hour session; weekly limits apply+ Fable via usage credits |
| Max | from $100/mo | 5× or 20× Pro usage per session, plus $100 or $200 in monthly API credits; Fable capped at 50% of weekly limits |
| Team (Standard)team | $25/moper seat · $20 billed annually | More usage than Pro; 2–150 seats |
| Team (Premium)team | $125/moper seat · $100 billed annually | 5× Standard usage; Fable capped at 50% of weekly limits |
| Model | Coding | Long-horizon agentic | Same work via API |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Fable 5.1 | 97.7 | 77.9 | $6,540/mo |
| Claude Opus 5.5 | 96.3 | 72.8 | $2,672/mo |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 | 94.7 | 63.4 | $1,336/mo |
| Claude Haiku 5.5 | 91.4 | 40.0 | $69.60/mo |
OpenAI Codex plans and models
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | GPT-6 Luna in the desktop app, subject to rollout |
| Go | $8/mo | GPT-6 Luna in the desktop app, subject to rollout |
| Plus | $20/mo | About 15–160 GPT-6.1 Sol messages per five hours; weekly limits may apply |
| Pro | from $100/mo$200 and $500 tiers | No five-hour limit |
| Businessteam | $25/moper user · $20 billed annually | Same five-hour estimates as Plus |
| Model | Coding | Long-horizon agentic | Same work via API |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-6.1 Sol | 96.0 | 68.7 | $1,336/mo |
| GPT-6.1 Terra | 94.3 | 48.6 | $668.00/mo |
| GPT-6 Astra | 93.7 | 77.5 | $6,960/mo |
| GPT-6 Luna | 84.5 | 30.9 | $69.60/mo |
Claude Code vs OpenAI Codex FAQ
Is Claude Code or OpenAI Codex cheaper?
OpenAI Codex has the lower entry price: Claude Code Pro is $20/mo and OpenAI Codex Go is $8/mo.
Which is better if you want the strongest model for coding work?
Claude Code. Its best included model, Claude Fable 5.1, scores 97.7 on LiveBench coding against 96.0 for GPT-6.1 Sol on OpenAI Codex.
Which is better if you want the lowest paid entry price?
OpenAI Codex. OpenAI Codex Go is $8/mo against $20/mo for Claude Code Pro.
Do Claude Code and OpenAI Codex have free plans?
Claude Code: no. OpenAI Codex: yes.
Where these numbers come from
- Plans and prices — each vendor's own pricing page, checked 2026-10-27: Claude Code, OpenAI Codex. Usage allowances change often; check before you buy.
- Model scores — LiveBench coding and long-horizon agentic categories for the models each plan includes, live from the same data as the leaderboard. A tool's own agent loop matters too; these scores rate the model, not the tool.
- “Same work via API” — a heavy coding-agent month (40K tokens in, 4K out, 20K requests, 70% cached input) at OpenRouter list price, for comparing a subscription against paying per token.