Claude Code vs Codex limits
Every number below comes from the vendor's own pricing page, linked next to it. Last checked 2026-10-19. Where a vendor doesn't publish a limit, we say so.
At $20/mo, Codex (via ChatGPT Plus) is the one with published numbers: per-5-hour local message estimates by model (GPT-6 Luna 350-3,000; GPT-6.1 Sol 15-160), with weekly limits possibly on top. Claude Code on Pro shares one pool with Claude chat and is defined only as at least 5x Free per 5-hour session, plus weekly limits.
At $100/mo, ChatGPT Pro currently has no five-hour Codex limit (weekly allowance not published), while Claude Max 5x gives 5x Pro per session plus $100/month in API credits.
Pick Codex if you want caps you can plan around. Pick Claude Code if you already use Claude and want one subscription for chat and coding.
| Claude Pro Claude (Anthropic) | ChatGPT Plus ChatGPT (OpenAI) | Claude Max 5x Claude (Anthropic) | ChatGPT Pro ChatGPT (OpenAI) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $20/mo ($17/mo billed annually) $20/mo monthly; $17/mo annual ($200 up front) [source, checked 2026-10-19] | $20/mo $20/mo [source, checked 2026-10-19] | $100/mo $100/mo [source, checked 2026-10-19] | $100/mo (Pro 100 shown; Pro 200 $200/mo and Pro 500 $500/mo also available) Pro 100 $100/mo, Pro 200 $200/mo, Pro 500 $500/mo (monthly billing only) [source, checked 2026-10-19] |
| Usage limits | Usage: At least 5x Free per 5-hour session, plus weekly limits; no fixed message count [source, checked 2026-10-19] | Chat message caps: not published [source, checked 2026-10-19] | Usage: 5x Pro per 5-hour session, plus weekly limits [source, checked 2026-10-19] | Pro 200 usage change: New Pro 200 subscriptions get a lower included allowance than before (price still $200). Grandfathered Pro 200 subscribers keep the previous allowance through Oct 29, 2026, then move to the lower allowance [source, checked 2026-10-19] |
| Context window | Context window: Up to 1M, varies by model [source, checked 2026-10-19] | Context window (Instant / Reasoning): 54K / 256K [source, checked 2026-10-19] | not listed | Context window (Instant / Reasoning): 128K / 400K [source, checked 2026-10-19] |
| Coding | Claude Code: Included; shares the same usage pool as chat [source, checked 2026-10-19] | Codex local messages per 5h (estimate): 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 [source, checked 2026-10-19] Codex surfaces: Web, CLI, IDE extension, iOS; cloud code review [source, checked 2026-10-19] | Claude Code: Included, shared pool [source, checked 2026-10-19] | Codex 5-hour limit: None currently ("Pro plans currently have no five-hour limit"); weekly allowance not published [source, checked 2026-10-19] |
| Credits & extras | not listed | not listed | API credits: $100/month [source, checked 2026-10-19] | not listed |
| Other details | Fable model: Usage credits only [source, checked 2026-10-19] | not listed | Fable model: 50% of weekly limits [source, checked 2026-10-19] | Ultrafast mode: Pro $500 only; uses 8x included usage [source, checked 2026-10-19] Voice / images: Unlimited* (reasonable use) [source, checked 2026-10-19] |
| Key models | Opus, Sonnet, Haiku (Fable via usage credits) | GPT-6, GPT-6.1 Sol, GPT-6 Astra, GPT-6 Sol, GPT-5.6 Sol/Terra | Fable, Opus, Sonnet, Haiku | GPT-6 Astra (Pro reasoning), GPT-6.1 Sol (expanded) |
All Claude (Anthropic) plans · All ChatGPT (OpenAI) plans
Recent changes for these vendors
- 2026-10-14: ChatGPT (OpenAI): GPT-5.5 retired from Codex with ChatGPT sign-in
- 2026-10-07: Claude (Anthropic): Claude Max and Team plans add monthly API credits; prices and usage limits unchanged
- 2026-09-29: ChatGPT (OpenAI): ChatGPT Pro $500 tier added; Pro $200 reopens to new subscribers with a lower usage allowance (grandfathered subscribers keep the old allowance through Oct 29)
- 2026-09-14: Claude (Anthropic): Claude Code weekly limits permanently 25% above pre-promotion levels after 50% promo ended Sept 13
Sources
- https://claude.com/pricing (checked 2026-10-19)
- https://developers.openai.com/codex/pricing (checked 2026-10-19)
- https://chatgpt.com/pricing (checked 2026-10-19)
- https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9793128-about-chatgpt-pro-tiers (checked 2026-10-19)
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