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GitHub Copilot vs OpenAI Codex (2026): Which should you pick?
Short answer
Pick GitHub Copilot if you work on GitHub and want issue-to-PR agents and code review, starting from a free tier.
Pick OpenAI Codex if you already use ChatGPT and want parallel cloud agents through the CLI, IDE extension or ChatGPT app.
Based only on the facts below: Pricing from github.com, checked 2026-11-03. Pricing from learn.chatgpt.com, checked 2026-11-03. No scores and no hands-on testing (methodology).
Pricing at a glance
Free tierGitHub Copilot
Free; Pro $10/mo; Pro+ $39/mo; Max $100/mo. Each plan includes monthly GitHub AI Credits for chat and agents (Pro $15, Pro+ $70, Max $200 in credits); code completions stay unlimited on paid plans.
Official pricing page · checked 2026-11-03
Free tierOpenAI Codex
Free plan includes Codex with lower limits; Go $8/mo; Plus $20/mo; Pro $100, $200 or $500/mo; Business $20/user/mo (2+ users, annual; $25 monthly); Enterprise and Edu via sales. Codex shares one usage allowance with ChatGPT Work.
Official pricing page · checked 2026-11-03
Feature checklist
From each tool's pricing page and listed use cases. "Not listed" means it is not among the use cases we list for that tool, not that it cannot do it.
| Feature | GitHub Copilot | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Free tier or open-source option | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not listed | Not listed |
| Free trial mentioned | Not listed | Not listed |
| Listed under | ||
| Coding | Yes | Yes |
| Agents | Yes | Yes |
| Testing | Yes | Yes |
| Listed use cases | ||
| autocomplete code | Yes | Not listed |
| AI pull request review | Yes | Not listed |
| assign issues to a coding agent | Yes | Not listed |
| chat about a repo | Yes | Not listed |
| cloud coding agents | Not listed | Yes |
| automated PR review | Not listed | Yes |
| coding in terminal or IDE | Not listed | Yes |
Best for and skip if
GitHub Copilot
Best for
- autocomplete code
- AI pull request review
- assign issues to a coding agent
- chat about a repo
Skip if this matters to you
- Best value if your code already lives on GitHub
- Higher usage requires upper tiers
From official docs and the pricing page, checked 2026-11-03.
OpenAI Codex
Best for
- cloud coding agents
- automated PR review
- coding in terminal or IDE
Skip if this matters to you
- Usage tied to ChatGPT plan limits, shared with ChatGPT Work
- Best experience requires ChatGPT account
From official docs and the pricing page, checked 2026-11-03.
GitHub Copilot vs OpenAI Codex: FAQ
Should I use GitHub Copilot or OpenAI Codex?
Pick GitHub Copilot if you work on GitHub and want issue-to-PR agents and code review, starting from a free tier. Pick OpenAI Codex if you already use ChatGPT and want parallel cloud agents through the CLI, IDE extension or ChatGPT app. Based on the official pricing pages and docs listed on this page, checked 2026-11-03.
Is GitHub Copilot free?
Yes, it lists a free way to start. Free; Pro $10/mo; Pro+ $39/mo; Max $100/mo. Each plan includes monthly GitHub AI Credits for chat and agents (Pro $15, Pro+ $70, Max $200 in credits); code completions stay unlimited on paid plans. (official pricing page, checked 2026-11-03)
Is OpenAI Codex free?
Yes, it lists a free way to start. Free plan includes Codex with lower limits; Go $8/mo; Plus $20/mo; Pro $100, $200 or $500/mo; Business $20/user/mo (2+ users, annual; $25 monthly); Enterprise and Edu via sales. Codex shares one usage allowance with ChatGPT Work. (official pricing page, checked 2026-11-03)
How much do GitHub Copilot and OpenAI Codex cost?
GitHub Copilot: Free; Pro $10/mo; Pro+ $39/mo; Max $100/mo. Each plan includes monthly GitHub AI Credits for chat and agents (Pro $15, Pro+ $70, Max $200 in credits); code completions stay unlimited on paid plans. OpenAI Codex: Free plan includes Codex with lower limits; Go $8/mo; Plus $20/mo; Pro $100, $200 or $500/mo; Business $20/user/mo (2+ users, annual; $25 monthly); Enterprise and Edu via sales. Codex shares one usage allowance with ChatGPT Work. (official pricing pages, checked 2026-11-03).
What is the difference between GitHub Copilot and OpenAI Codex?
GitHub Copilot is listed for: autocomplete code; aI pull request review; assign issues to a coding agent; chat about a repo. OpenAI Codex is listed for: cloud coding agents; automated PR review; coding in terminal or IDE.
Is GitHub Copilot free for students?
Yes. Verified students get Copilot Student for free, with unlimited code completions and an allowance of AI credits (models through auto selection only). Verified teachers and maintainers of popular open source projects can get Copilot Pro for free.
Source: GitHub Docs: Copilot plans; GitHub Docs: Copilot billing for individuals; GitHub Docs: Free Copilot Pro for teachers and maintainers (checked 2026-10-29)
What are GitHub AI Credits in Copilot?
They are how Copilot bills features that use AI models, such as Copilot Chat, Copilot CLI and the cloud agent: 1 AI credit is $0.01. Pro ($10/mo) includes 1,500 credits a month, Pro+ ($39/mo) 7,000 and Max ($100/mo) 20,000. Code completions and next edit suggestions do not use credits and stay unlimited on paid plans. The free plan includes 2,000 code completions a month.
Source: GitHub Docs: Copilot billing for individuals (checked 2026-10-29)
Is Codex included with ChatGPT Plus?
Yes. Codex is included in ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Edu and Enterprise, and it shares usage with ChatGPT Work. Plus usage is measured per five-hour period and weekly limits may also apply; Pro plans currently have no five-hour limit. Plus and Pro users who reach their limit can buy more credits, and anyone can run extra local chats with an API key at API rates.
Source: OpenAI docs: ChatGPT Work and Codex pricing (checked 2026-10-29)
Did you test GitHub Copilot and OpenAI Codex?
No. Verdicts are based on each vendor's public docs and pricing pages, not hands-on testing, unless a page says otherwise.