# Cursor vs Claude Code vs Codex: pricing and usage limits

Verified 2026-10-14. Every figure from the official vendor page; unknown = not published.

| | Cursor | Claude Code | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runs in | Cursor (VS Code fork) | Terminal / any editor | CLI, IDE extension, web, Codex app |
| Cheapest paid plan | Plus $8/mo | Pro $20/mo | Go $8/mo |
| How limits work | Shared AI usage pool across Cursor and Grok; allowance refreshes weekly; third-party models billed separately at API list price; top-offs available. | Rolling 5-hour session window plus weekly limits on paid plans; Claude Code shares the pool with Claude chat; no fixed message count published; optional usage credits at API rates. | Included in ChatGPT plans. Plus: estimated local messages per 5-hour window (e.g. GPT-6.1 Sol 15-160, GPT-6 Astra 5-45), weekly limits may apply. Pro: no 5-hour limit currently. Credits extend usage. |
| Official pricing | https://cursor.com/pricing | https://claude.com/pricing | https://chatgpt.com/codex/pricing/ |

## Every plan

| Tool | Plan | Price | Usage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cursor | Free | $0 | Limited agent and chat requests | https://cursor.com/pricing |
| Cursor | Plus | $8/mo | Basic shared pool; Grok models only | https://cursor.com/pricing |
| Cursor | Premium | $30/mo | 4x Plus; third-party models at API list price; cloud agents | https://cursor.com/pricing |
| Cursor | Super | $100/mo | 15x Plus; priority access at peak | https://cursor.com/pricing |
| Cursor | Ultra | $200/mo | 50x Plus | https://cursor.com/pricing |
| Cursor | Pro (per docs page) | $20/mo | Two pools: Cursor models + third-party at API price. Docs: daily agent users typically $60-100/mo total | https://cursor.com/docs/models-and-pricing |
| Claude Code | Free | $0 | No Claude Code | https://claude.com/pricing |
| Claude Code | Pro | $20/mo | At least 5x Free per 5-hour session; exact tokens unknown | https://claude.com/pricing |
| Claude Code | Max 5x | $100/mo | 5x Pro per 5-hour session; $100/mo API credits | https://claude.com/pricing |
| Claude Code | Max 20x | price unknown | 20x Pro per 5-hour session; $200/mo API credits. Price not shown on card ('From $100'); third-party sources say $200 - unverified | https://claude.com/pricing |
| OpenAI Codex | Free | $0 | Limited Codex | https://chatgpt.com/pricing |
| OpenAI Codex | Go | $8/mo | Limited Codex; may include ads | https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/pricing |
| OpenAI Codex | Plus | $20/mo | Expanded Codex; 5-hour message estimates by model | https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/pricing |
| OpenAI Codex | Pro 100 | $100/mo | No 5-hour limit currently; exact allowance unknown | https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9793128-about-chatgpt-pro-tiers |
| OpenAI Codex | Pro 200 | $200/mo | More than Pro 100; new subs get lower allowance than before (grandfathering to 2026-10-29) | https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9793128-about-chatgpt-pro-tiers |
| OpenAI Codex | Pro 500 | $500/mo | Highest allowance; Ultrafast mode | https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9793128-about-chatgpt-pro-tiers |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Cursor, Claude Code or Codex?

Cursor's cheapest paid plan is Plus at $8/mo (Basic shared pool; Grok models only); Claude Code's cheapest paid plan is Pro at $20/mo (At least 5x Free per 5-hour session; exact tokens unknown); OpenAI Codex's cheapest paid plan is Go at $8/mo (Limited Codex; may include ads). Source: official vendor pricing pages, verified 2026-10-14.

### How do the usage limits differ?

Cursor: Shared AI usage pool across Cursor and Grok; allowance refreshes weekly; third-party models billed separately at API list price; top-offs available. Claude Code: Rolling 5-hour session window plus weekly limits on paid plans; Claude Code shares the pool with Claude chat; no fixed message count published; optional usage credits at API rates. OpenAI Codex: Included in ChatGPT plans. Plus: estimated local messages per 5-hour window (e.g. GPT-6.1 Sol 15-160, GPT-6 Astra 5-45), weekly limits may apply. Pro: no 5-hour limit currently. Credits extend usage.

### Where does each tool run?

Cursor runs in Cursor (VS Code fork); Claude Code runs in Terminal / any editor; OpenAI Codex runs in CLI, IDE extension, web, Codex app.

### What does each plan cost?

Cursor: Free $0, Plus $8/mo, Premium $30/mo, Super $100/mo, Ultra $200/mo; Claude Code: Free $0, Pro $20/mo, Max 5x $100/mo, Max 20x price unknown; OpenAI Codex: Free $0, Go $8/mo, Plus $20/mo, Pro 100 $100/mo, Pro 200 $200/mo, Pro 500 $500/mo.