GitHub Copilot vs Codex: pricing and usage limits (Oct 2026)

GitHub Copilot starts at $10/mo, Codex at $8/mo. Both have a free plan. Every plan from both vendors, the limits each one actually publishes, and what changed recently, with a source on every line.

AI codingChecked Sources on every line

The short answer

Verdict from the data
Cheaper to start
Codex. ChatGPT Go (Codex) is $8/mo; the cheapest GitHub Copilot plan, GitHub Copilot Pro, is $10/mo ($2 more).
Free plan
Both have one. What each includes is quoted under Free plans below.
Top of the ladder
GitHub Copilot Max at $100/mo vs ChatGPT Pro (Codex) from $100/mo.
Latest move
GitHub Copilot, 1 Jun 2026: GitHub Copilot switches to usage-based GitHub AI Credits; Max plan ($100) launches.

Pick Codex if you want the lowest monthly bill. Beyond price and free access, the deciding factor is which models and features you need; we track the money, not the model quality.

Head to head

FactGitHub CopilotCodex
Free planFree tierFree tier
Cheapest planPro · $10/moGo · $8/mo
Top planMax · $100/moPro ($100/$200/$500) · from $100/mo
Plans tracked34
Yearly discountNone shownNone shown
Allowance periodsMonthly5-hourWeekly
Latest changebilling model None logged
Last checked

Closest price match: GitHub Copilot Pro vs ChatGPT Go (Codex)

Pro

$10/mo
Limits Unlimited completions/next-edit suggestions; $15/month total GitHub AI Credits ($10 base + $5 flex). Chat, agent mode, code review, cloud agent and CLI consume credits.Source: github.com · checked 2026-10-16

Go

$8/mo
Limits GPT-6 Luna at Standard speed in the desktop app (lightweight tasks). Caps not published.Source: developers.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16

Every plan side by side

ToolPlanPriceLimits as stated & source
GitHub CopilotPro$10/mo
Unlimited completions/next-edit suggestions; $15/month total GitHub AI Credits ($10 base + $5 flex). Chat, agent mode, code review, cloud agent and CLI consume credits.
Source: github.com · checked 2026-10-16
GitHub CopilotPro+$39/mo
$70/month total AI Credits ($39 base + $31 flex); premium models incl. Opus; '4x+ included usage than Pro'.
Source: github.com · checked 2026-10-16
GitHub CopilotMax$100/mo
$200/month total AI Credits ($100 base + $100 flex); '2.9x+ included usage than Pro+'; priority access to new models.
Source: github.com · checked 2026-10-16
CodexGo$8/mo
GPT-6 Luna at Standard speed in the desktop app (lightweight tasks). Caps not published.
Source: developers.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16
CodexPlus$20/mo
Estimated local messages per 5 hours: GPT-6 Astra 5-45; GPT-6.1 Sol 15-160; GPT-6 Sol 15-150; GPT-6 Luna 350-3,000. Weekly limits may also apply. Shared with ChatGPT Work.
Source: developers.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16
CodexPro ($100/$200/$500)$100/mo
'Pro plans currently have no five-hour limit'; weekly allowances vary by tier (not published). Ultrafast mode on Pro $500 only.
Source: developers.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16
CodexAPI keyAPI token pricing
Pay per token; no cloud features (GitHub code review, Slack).
Source: developers.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16

Free plans

ToolFree?What you get for $0 & source
GitHub CopilotFree tier
Free $0: 2,000 completions per month; 'limited chat and agent usage'; Haiku 4.5, GPT-5 mini and more; Copilot CLI. No credit card. Verified students get a free Copilot Student plan; verified teachers and popular OSS maintainers may get Pro free.
Source: github.com · checked 2026-10-16
CodexFree tier
Free $0: GPT-6 Luna at Standard speed in the desktop app, 'subject to rollout'. No image generation on Free.
Source: developers.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16

Recent price and limit changes

  1. billing model
    GitHub Copilot switches to usage-based GitHub AI Credits; Max plan ($100) launches

    Premium requests replaced by AI Credits billed at model API rates. Pro $10 includes $15 total ($10 base + $5 flex), Pro+ $39 includes $70, new Max $100 includes $200. Flex allotments may change over time.

Questions people ask

Which is cheaper, GitHub Copilot or Codex?

Codex is cheaper to start: ChatGPT Go (Codex) costs $8/mo, against $10/mo for GitHub Copilot Pro. At the top end, GitHub Copilot Max is $100/mo and ChatGPT Pro (Codex) is from $100/mo.

Is GitHub Copilot or Codex free?

GitHub Copilot: Yes. Free $0: 2,000 completions per month; 'limited chat and agent usage'; Haiku 4.5, GPT-5 mini and more; Copilot CLI. No credit card. Verified students get a free Copilot Student plan; verified teachers and popular OSS maintainers may get Pro free. Codex: Yes. Free $0: GPT-6 Luna at Standard speed in the desktop app, 'subject to rollout'. No image generation on Free.

How do the usage limits compare at the closest price?

GitHub Copilot Pro ($10/mo): Unlimited completions/next-edit suggestions; $15/month total GitHub AI Credits ($10 base + $5 flex). Chat, agent mode, code review, cloud agent and CLI consume credits. ChatGPT Go (Codex) ($8/mo): GPT-6 Luna at Standard speed in the desktop app (lightweight tasks). Caps not published.

When did GitHub Copilot and Codex last change their pricing?

1 Jun 2026, GitHub Copilot: GitHub Copilot switches to usage-based GitHub AI Credits; Max plan ($100) launches.

Free to cite. All data is CC BY 4.0: quote, embed or republish it with a link to AI Plan Tracker. Raw data: tools.json · changes.json. Spotted an error? Every fact links to its source and the date we checked it.