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OpenAI Codex & ChatGPT Related Pricing
Complete summary of ChatGPT subscription plans + Codex-inclusive pricing + API costs. Everything you need if you're using Codex CLI, Codex Web, or combining with ChatGPT.
Subscription / ChatGPT Plans (With Codex Access)
| Plan Name | Price | Models & Features Included | Codex Access | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | GPT-3.5, limited GPT-4o mini | Basic Codex Web features (heavily rate-limited). Codex CLI requires paid plan for heavy use. | Trying things out, lightweight prompts |
| ChatGPT Plus | $20/month (or ~$17 annual) | Full access to GPT-4o/GPT-4o mini/GPT-4.1 models; faster response times; priority access; custom GPTs; image & voice input | Includes Codex features via Web, IDE, local tasks up to "Plus" usage limits. For CLI usage beyond basic limits, might need higher tier or API. | Individual devs who want more power & stability |
| ChatGPT Pro | ~$200/month | All main GPT-5/GPT-4.1/4o with larger quotas, more memory, usage limits | Full Codex access with expanded cloud task limits | Heavy users, professionals, fast iteration |
| Business/Team/Enterprise | Custom pricing | All models with team features, admin tools, collaborative features | Full Codex access with team management and enterprise features | Teams, organizations, enterprise deployments |
| ChatGPT Go | ₹399/month (~$5 USD) | Access to GPT-5, expanded quotas vs Free, but fewer features than Plus/Pro | Region-limited Codex access | Users in specific regions needing lower-cost access |
Key Points on Codex Pricing & Inclusion
- ✅ Codex is included with ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, Edu, and Enterprise plans
- ⚠️ Usage limits vary by plan and task type (local vs cloud) — heavier cloud tasks or large codebase context may hit plan limits
- 🔑 Codex CLI requires a ChatGPT-signed account for full features and access to GPT-5-Codex in local/IDE/web environments
API Pricing (Latest Public Data)
Below are rates from OpenAI for API usage of models relevant to Codex and ChatGPT workflows. (Token = roughly ~4 characters; context windows vary per model.)
| Model | Input Tokens / 1M | Output Tokens / 1M | Notes on Use / Relation to Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-5 | $1.25 | $10.00 | Latest, often used by Codex in cloud & IDE; strong performance on software engineering tasks |
| GPT-5 mini | $0.25 | $2.00 | Used for lighter tasks or high-volume usage. ChatGPT Plus and above users often get some access |
| GPT-5 nano | $0.05 | $0.40 | Cheapest option for bulk operations and simple coding tasks |
| GPT-4o / GPT-4.1 | $2.50 | $10.00 | Common backbone models in ChatGPT, used in Codex for certain features |
| Image models | ~$10 | ~$40 | For image-outputs or image-based prompts (UI screenshots etc) in Codex Web or ChatGPT. Higher cost for image outputs |
Sources: OpenAI official platform and developer documentation
How ChatGPT Plan & API Pricing Relates to Your Codex Workflow
Light Usage Scenarios
If you're just using Codex Web or IDE for light tasks, ChatGPT Plus is usually enough. It gives access to powerful models, some Codex cloud usage, but you may hit region/rate/context window limits.
Heavy Usage Scenarios
For large codebases, long sessions, or frequent cloud tasks, the API + a higher tier plan or enterprise plan with sufficient quotas is needed.
Image Processing Considerations
If your work includes image processing (UI screenshots, etc.), watch out for image output token costs — those are substantially higher per output token.
Regional Pricing
Region-based pricing matters: Some plans like ChatGPT Go or special EDU or region promos offer access to GPT-5/Codex at lower price, but with some limitations (lower quotas, region restricted).
Optimized Pricing Strategy (Including ChatGPT + Codex)
Step 1: Start Small
- Use Free + Codex Web for prototyping and verification; stay within light usage
Step 2: Scale Up
- Upgrade to ChatGPT Plus to unlock better models and more stability; use Codex features included
Step 3: Add API When Needed
- Add API credits only when required (big refactors, complex automation, code review across many files)
Step 4: Regional Optimization
- Leverage region-based tiers if available (lower-cost plans in your country) for additional savings
Step 5: Model Mixing
- Mix usage modes: mini/nano for light tasks, full GPT-5 for heavy tasks; avoid using heavy output image models unnecessarily
Cost Optimization Tips
Model Selection Strategy
- GPT-5 nano (80% of tasks) → $0.05 input / $0.40 output
- GPT-5 mini (15% of tasks) → $0.25 input / $2.00 output
- GPT-5 full (5% of tasks) → $1.25 input / $10.00 output
Usage Monitoring
- Track usage in OpenAI Console for API users
- Monitor plan limits for subscription users
- Set spending alerts to avoid surprise costs
Best Practices
- ✅ Use cached context when possible
- ✅ Optimize prompt length and context size
- ✅ Batch similar operations together
- ✅ Use appropriate model for task complexity
- ❌ Avoid unnecessary image generation/processing
- ❌ Don't use GPT-5 full for simple tasks
Enterprise & Team Considerations
Team Plans Benefits
- Shared usage pools
- Centralized billing and administration
- Team collaboration features
- Advanced analytics and reporting
Enterprise Features
- Custom usage limits and SLAs
- On-premises deployment options
- Advanced security and compliance
- Dedicated support and training
Volume Discounts
- Available for large-scale API usage
- Custom pricing for enterprise contracts
- Negotiable terms for long-term commitments
Ready to get started? Get OpenAI API access or upgrade to ChatGPT Plus for Codex development!