Claude Code vs Codex: usage limits
Both put a coding agent on a subscription with a 5-hour window and a weekly limit. The details differ: who gets which window, what's shared, and what happens at the wall.
The short answer
Claude Code comes with Claude Pro ($20) and Max ($100 or $200) and shares a 5-hour session limit and a weekly limit with your Claude chats. Codex comes with every ChatGPT plan; Plus ($20) and Business use 5-hour windows and may have weekly limits, while Pro plans ($100 to $500) have no 5-hour limit. Neither publishes a fixed message count for its main paid tiers.
Side by side
| Claude Code | Codex | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry paid plan | Claude Pro, $20 a month | ChatGPT Plus, $20 a month (Go $8) |
| Bigger plans | Max 5x $100, Max 20x $200 | Pro $100, $200, or $500 |
| Free plan | Not included | Included (no Codex Cloud) |
| 5-hour window | All plans | Plus and Business; Pro plans have none |
| Weekly limit | Yes, at a fixed time per account | "May also apply" |
| Shared with | claude.ai and Claude Desktop | Cloud chats (and other ChatGPT work tools on some plans) |
| Published counts | None | Ranges per model for Plus/Business, "not fixed limits" |
| Check usage | /usage, Settings › Usage | /status, chatgpt.com/codex/settings/usage |
| Mid-turn at the limit | Small wrap-up allowance | Can finish the turn, subject to fair use |
| Past the limit | Usage credits, upgrade, Console API, or wait | Credits, banked reset, upgrade, API key, or wait |
Which gives you more room?
Neither company publishes enough to compare token for token, and both change limits often. The honest answer is to measure your own work: run the same kind of task on each for a few days and watch how fast each window fills.
Two structural differences matter more than the price tags. Claude's limits are shared with your Claude chats, so heavy chat use leaves less for Claude Code. And Codex's Pro plans drop the 5-hour window entirely, so long sessions only run into the weekly limit.
Track both in one place
Fuel Gauge reads both on your Mac with no sign-in: Claude Code's limits from its status line, and Codex's from its session logs. Each window gets a forecast, so you can see which one you'll run out of first, and switch tools before you hit it.
Sources
Checked on October 20, 2026. Anthropic changes plans from time to time, so the help pages are the final word.
Questions
Does Codex have a 5-hour limit like Claude Code?
On Plus and Business, yes. Pro plans currently have no five-hour limit, though weekly limits may apply.
Is Claude Code or Codex cheaper?
Both start at $20 a month for the entry paid plan. Codex is also included in ChatGPT Free and Go; Claude Code isn't included in Claude Free.
Can I track Claude Code and Codex limits together?
Yes. Fuel Gauge reads both on your Mac and forecasts each window.
Keep reading
Know if you'll make it to reset.
Free. No account, no subscription.
brew install --cask coreyhaines31/tap/fuelgaugeOr ask your coding agent:
Install Fuel Gauge on my Mac: run `brew install --cask coreyhaines31/tap/fuelgauge`, open Fuel Gauge, then run `fuelgauge install-statusline` and `fuelgauge status`.
macOS 14 Sonoma or later · Apple Silicon and Intel