ℹ️ Quick Answer: OpenAI Codex, powered by the new GPT-5.3-Codex model, is pulling developers away from Claude Code. It scores 56.8% on SWE-Bench Pro, runs 25% faster than its predecessor, and comes included with ChatGPT Plus at $20 a month. Frustrated by Claude Max pricing and recent OAuth restrictions, many developers now call Codex their daily driver.
What’s Inside
- Why I Started Looking at Alternatives
- What OpenAI Codex Brings to the Table
- The Claude Pricing Problem Nobody Wants to Talk About
- OpenAI Codex vs Claude Code: Which One Should You Actually Use
- OpenAI Codex FAQ
OpenAI Codex just became my plan B, and honestly it might become plan A.
I was using Claude Code yesterday on the $200 Max plan. Before that, I tried downgrading to the $100 tier to save some money. The limits on that plan have gotten noticeably worse. You hit walls faster than you would expect for a hundred dollar subscription. So I switched back to the $200 version, which works but feels excessive for what you get.
Then I saw developers on X and Reddit talking about OpenAI Codex like it was a revelation. So I looked into it.
What OpenAI Codex Brings to the Table
OpenAI launched GPT-5.3-Codex on February 5 as the engine behind their Codex coding platform. It runs across the Codex web app, a local CLI tool, IDE extensions, and the ChatGPT sidebar. Basically everywhere you already work.
The benchmarks are solid. It scores 56.8% on SWE-Bench Pro, 77.3% on Terminal-Bench 2.0, and 64.7% on OSWorld. The biggest jumps over the previous model came in real world system interaction tasks, not just pure code generation. It runs 25% faster and uses fewer tokens to get things done.
What got developers excited is the practical stuff. OpenAI Codex handles codebase questions, executes code, and drafts pull requests. You can steer it mid-task if it goes off track instead of waiting for a full response you need to redo. And it goes beyond coding into PRDs, data analysis, and presentations.
The pricing is where it gets interesting. OpenAI Codex comes included with ChatGPT Plus at $20 a month. You get 30 to 150 messages every five hours depending on complexity. Pro users at $200 a month get 300 to 1,500 messages in the same window. No extra fees, no separate subscription.
If you are already using AI agent workflows to automate tasks, OpenAI Codex slots right into that setup. It can handle the coding side of automation projects that used to require manual work.
The Claude Pricing Problem Nobody Wants to Talk About
Claude Code is genuinely good. Opus 4.6 is a beast for deep codebase work and complex multi-file refactoring. I still think it writes cleaner code in certain scenarios, but the pricing structure is pushing people away.
The $100 Max plan promises more than it delivers. Independent analysis suggests you get roughly 200 to 800 prompts per five hours, and the token math means heavy coding sessions burn through that fast. The $200 plan bumps you up, but spending $200 a month on a coding assistant is a tough sell when the competition includes it for a tenth of the price.
Then there is the OAuth situation. In January, Anthropic blocked third party tools from using Claude Max subscriptions. Developers who had been using tools like OpenCode with their $200 plans suddenly got locked out without warning. Some had upgraded just days before the change, that eroded a lot of trust.
Competition benefits consumers. I am a consumer. So the more options we have, the better the tools get and the more reasonable the pricing becomes. Right now, OpenAI is making the more consumer friendly move. With OpenAI pushing frontier AI agents for enterprise, the investment in their coding tools is clearly long term.
OpenAI Codex vs Claude Code: Which One Should You Actually Use
The honest answer is both, depending on what you are doing. OpenAI Codex is faster for interactive coding, quick fixes, and everyday tasks. Claude still has the edge on deep codebase navigation and produces fewer hallucinations on complex projects.
If you are paying $200 a month for Claude Max, here is a smarter option. Drop to the $100 Claude Max plan and add ChatGPT Plus for $20. That gives you Claude for the heavy lifting and OpenAI Codex for the everyday stuff. Total cost is $120 a month instead of $200. That is $80 back in your pocket every month, and you get access to two different AI coding models instead of one.
The coding AI space is moving fast. Claude Sonnet 4.6 just dropped. Grok and GitHub Copilot are evolving. The worst thing you can do right now is lock yourself into one tool and ignore everything else.
OpenAI Codex FAQ
Is OpenAI Codex free?
OpenAI Codex is included with ChatGPT Plus at $20 a month. Free ChatGPT users do not get access. Plus users get 30 to 150 messages every five hours, while Pro users at $200 a month get 300 to 1,500.
Is OpenAI Codex better than Claude Code?
It depends on the task. OpenAI Codex is faster and cheaper for interactive coding and everyday development. Claude Code excels at deep codebase analysis and complex multi-file projects. Many developers now use both for different scenarios.
Does OpenAI Codex work on Windows?
The OpenAI Codex web app works everywhere. The Codex CLI currently supports macOS and Linux. Windows support is not available yet but is expected in a future update.
The best coding AI is the one that fits your workflow and your wallet. Right now, OpenAI Codex is making a strong case on both fronts.
Related reading: OpenAI Codex App Launches on macOS | Claude Code Fast Mode for Opus 4.6 | AI Agent Workflows to Automate First | New to AI? Start here
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