GitHub Copilot CLI vs OpenAI Codex
GitHub Copilot CLI vs OpenAI Codex (Coding Agents (CLI & Cloud)). Agent test scores: GitHub Copilot CLI 9.2/10, OpenAI Codex 7.4/10. GitHub Copilot CLI scored 1.8 higher overall in our separate rubric v0.1 tests (editions and tasks can differ — see Edition tested and the notes below). Pricing: GitHub Copilot CLI — Copilot Free $0 (monthly AI Credits allowance); Pro $10/mo (1,500 credits); Pro+ $39/mo; Max $100/mo; OpenAI Codex — Included in every ChatGPT plan (Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, Edu); usage limits vary by plan. Codex Cloud needs Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise or Edu. Plus/Pro buyers can add credits. Plan prices on chatgpt.com/pricing.
Every fact on this page comes from our tool records and test logs. Last updated:
- VibeToolRank score
- 9.2/10
- Last tested
- 2026-10-17
- Runs
- 3 runs
- Outcome score
- 9/10
- Edition tested
- Copilot CLI 1.0.98, Copilot Free, Auto model, existing gh login
- Free plan, as measured
- 0.16-0.27 AI Credits per bugfix run (about 72K-89K tokens in, mostly cached)
- Free plan
- Yes: Copilot Free includes the CLI with a monthly AI Credits allowance, Auto model only
- Price
- Copilot Free $0 (monthly AI Credits allowance); Pro $10/mo (1,500 credits); Pro+ $39/mo; Max $100/mo
- Pricing checked
- 2026-10-17
- VibeToolRank score
- 7.4/10
- Last tested
- 2026-10-16
- Runs
- 3 runs
- Outcome score
- 8/10
- Edition tested
- Codex CLI 0.163.0 with OpenRouter free model cohere/north-mini-code:free (no ChatGPT login; not OpenAI's models)
- Free plan, as measured
- 33K–262K tokens per bugfix run on a free OpenRouter model, $0
- Free plan
- Yes: Codex CLI, IDE extension and app on ChatGPT Free and Go with plan usage limits (no Codex Cloud)
- Price
- Included in every ChatGPT plan (Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, Edu); usage limits vary by plan. Codex Cloud needs Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise or Edu. Plus/Pro buyers can add credits. Plan prices on chatgpt.com/pricing
- Pricing checked
- 2026-11-02
Side by side
| Field | GitHub Copilot CLI | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | GitHub Copilot CLIGitHub's Copilot coding agent in the terminal, included in Copilot Free. | OpenAI CodexOpenAI's coding agent for CLI, IDE and cloud. |
| Pricing | GitHub Copilot CLICopilot Free $0 (monthly AI Credits allowance); Pro $10/mo (1,500 credits); Pro+ $39/mo; Max $100/mo | OpenAI CodexIncluded in every ChatGPT plan (Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, Edu); usage limits vary by plan. Codex Cloud needs Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise or Edu. Plus/Pro buyers can add credits. Plan prices on chatgpt.com/pricing |
| Free tier | GitHub Copilot CLIYes: Copilot Free includes the CLI with a monthly AI Credits allowance, Auto model only | OpenAI CodexYes: Codex CLI, IDE extension and app on ChatGPT Free and Go with plan usage limits (no Codex Cloud) |
| Pricing verified | GitHub Copilot CLI2026-10-17 | OpenAI Codex2026-11-02 |
| Edition tested | GitHub Copilot CLICopilot CLI 1.0.98, Copilot Free, Auto model, existing gh login | OpenAI CodexCodex CLI 0.163.0 with OpenRouter free model cohere/north-mini-code:free (no ChatGPT login; not OpenAI's models) |
| Tested on | GitHub Copilot CLI2026-10-17 | OpenAI Codex2026-10-16 |
| Outcome score | GitHub Copilot CLI9 | OpenAI Codex8 |
| Speed score | GitHub Copilot CLI9 | OpenAI Codex8 |
| Cost score | GitHub Copilot CLI9 | OpenAI Codex9 |
| Developer experience score | GitHub Copilot CLI9 | OpenAI Codex6 |
| Reliability score | GitHub Copilot CLI10 | OpenAI Codex5 |
| Overall score | GitHub Copilot CLI9.2 | OpenAI Codex7.4 |
What our tests found
GitHub Copilot CLI
3/3 runs fixed our seeded cart bug (4/4 tests pass) in 22-26s on Copilot Free, using 0.16-0.27 AI Credits each. It used our existing gh login with no browser step and never touched the test file.Copilot Free CLI
- Fixed the seeded bug correctly in 3 of 3 runs, in 22-26 seconds
- Runs headlessly with an existing GitHub CLI login (GH_TOKEN), no browser step
- Ran the test suite itself before finishing
- Copilot Free is limited to the Auto model
- The Free AI Credits allowance isn't stated in GitHub's docs, so heavy use is hard to plan
- Unattended runs need --allow-all-tools, which lets it run any command in the folder
Who it’s for: Developers who already use GitHub and want a free terminal agent without setting up an API key.
OpenAI Codex
Using a custom OpenRouter provider and a small free model, Codex CLI fixed our seeded cart bug in 2 of 3 runs (19-76s). In the failed run the model issued an apply_patch call that Codex rejected. Token use was high (33K-262K). Not tested with OpenAI's own models.CLI, free model
- Runs without a ChatGPT login through any Responses-compatible provider
- Fixed the bug in 2 of 3 runs on a free model at $0
- Sandboxed workspace-write mode for unattended runs
- With a free model, 1 of 3 runs failed on an unsupported apply_patch call
- Used 33K-262K tokens per run, versus about 2K for Aider
- Flags change between versions (--full-auto removed) and the chat wire API is no longer supported
- Our test did not use OpenAI's own models
- Codex cloud (the web agent) needs ChatGPT Plus, Pro or Business; the Go plan redirects to an upgrade (2026-10-16)
Who it’s for: Developers in the OpenAI ecosystem who want a terminal agent; it works best with OpenAI models via a ChatGPT plan or API key.
Verdict
Scores use rubric v0.1 from separate runs. Editions and tasks can differ (see Edition tested and What our tests found); some tests were a single run, which caps reliability scores. Overall: GitHub Copilot CLI 9.2, OpenAI Codex 7.4. Check the free-tier limits above against your project before choosing.
FAQ
Which is better, GitHub Copilot CLI or OpenAI Codex?
In our tests GitHub Copilot CLI scored higher overall (9.2/10 vs 7.4/10). Scores use the same rubric (v0.1) but came from separate runs; editions and tasks may differ (see Edition tested and test summaries), so check the per-dimension scores for what matters to you.
Is GitHub Copilot CLI free?
Yes: Copilot Free includes the CLI with a monthly AI Credits allowance, Auto model only (pricing checked 2026-10-17).
Is OpenAI Codex free?
Yes: Codex CLI, IDE extension and app on ChatGPT Free and Go with plan usage limits (no Codex Cloud) (pricing checked 2026-11-02).
How much does GitHub Copilot CLI cost compared with OpenAI Codex?
GitHub Copilot CLI: Copilot Free $0 (monthly AI Credits allowance); Pro $10/mo (1,500 credits); Pro+ $39/mo; Max $100/mo. OpenAI Codex: Included in every ChatGPT plan (Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, Edu); usage limits vary by plan. Codex Cloud needs Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise or Edu. Plus/Pro buyers can add credits. Plan prices on chatgpt.com/pricing.
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Scores come from our own tests and are never for sale; sponsored placements are always labelled. Some links are affiliate links (currently Railway). Disclosure