Earl Grey
Cursor"Propina", a USD/MXN tip calculator for the Hacktoberfest/MLH Build a Mini App challenge. One prompt, one commit, live on GitHub Pages in 8 minutes
Limits comparison
Cursor vs OpenAI Codex
Plans, usage limits, what happens at the limit, model scores, real build spend and use cases, side by side.
Data checked · every row links its source
The verdict, from the data
Cursor is in our AI IDEs group, OpenAI Codex in Coding agents.
Better for you if…
Cursor
- Has a free plan (Free); OpenAI Codex doesn't list one.
Better for you if…
OpenAI Codex
No clear data edge in what we track.
It depends
- Entry price: OpenAI Codex has no individual monthly price in our data, so we can't compare entry cost.
- Model scores: Cursor lets you pick models from several labs, so the score depends on the model you choose.
- Usage per dollar: the two tools meter usage in different units, so we don't rank them on it.
- Reported build spend: Cursor median $200 (n=3), OpenAI Codex median $200 (n=3).
Each line is computed from our plan, score and cost data. It isn't a quality ranking. Data checked .
Latest models
CursorMulti-model: you pick models from several labs. See the plan table for what each plan includes.
OpenAI Codex · latest GPT modelsGPT-6.1 Sol Sep 29, 2026 · GPT-6 Luna Sep 22, 2026 · GPT-6 Astra Sep 3, 2026
Release dates from the vendors' official pages, checked Oct 17, 2026. Older models are hidden from the score charts below.
Price
CursorOpenAI Codex
Plans and limits
Cursor
| Plan | Price | Included | Resets | At the limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free partial | $0/mo | Agent and Chat with 'limited' usage (no numeric limit); Cursor models only, no third-party models | unverified (weekly refresh is documented for paid plans) | Not confirmed |
| Plus | $8/mo | Base weekly pool; Grok 4.7/4.6/4.5 + Composer 2.5 only; no Auto, Cloud Agents, Automations, Bugbot, Origin, third-party models or BYOK | Weekly | Buy a top-up |
| Premium | $30/mo | 4x Plus usage; third-party models at API list price | Weekly | Buy a top-up |
| Super | $100/mo | 15x Plus usage | Weekly | Buy a top-up |
| Ultra | $200/mo | 50x Plus usage | Weekly | Buy a top-up |
| Teams | $30, $100 or $200 per seat/mo | Each seat matches Premium/Super/Ultra weekly usage | Weekly | Buy a top-up |
| Enterprise partial | Custom | Pooled usage across Grok and Cursor; invoicing, SCIM, granular spend controls, audit logs | per contract | Not confirmed |
Sources: cursor.com · cursor.com · cursor.com · checked 2026-10-16
OpenAI Codex
| Plan | Price | Included | Resets | At the limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| API key partial | Pay per use at OpenAI API pricing | Codex CLI, SDK, IDE extension; no cloud features (GitHub review, Slack); models follow API key access | n/a (usage-based) | Usage-billed |
Sources: developers.openai.com · help.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16
Model scores by category
Best non-preliminary score from each tool's current model lineup (newest generation only) on one board per category. Older models are left out. Bars run from the lowest to the highest score on that board. These are third-party model scores, not tool scores.
CursorOpenAI Codex
LMArena WebDev Arena · Terminal-Bench 4.0 · Design Arena (All categories) · Android Bench 2.0 (long-horizon, 30 tasks)
What builders say they spent
Cursor$130–$419median $200 · n = 3 · paid
OpenAI Codex$111.51–$200median $200 · n = 3 · paid
Estimate from user reports, p25–p75. How costs are counted →
Use cases
@chongdashu
CursorA multiplayer capture-the-flag 3D game "using Cursor" with Gemini 4 Argon
@sudoingX
CursorA Cursor agent running Opus 5.5 was blocked mid-deploy: "53 files edited … request blocked under anthropic's usage policy. no rule named"
@joaopaulots
OpenAI CodexA Snew landing page update: "For the first time in my life, I built something directly using Codex only."
Paras
OpenAI Codex12 builds: a website about itself and a 3D Three.js Colosseum, each at all 6 reasoning efforts (low to ultra), about 7.5h of agent time. Max had the best code in a blind review
@kevincodex
OpenAI CodexA music video built "using codex alone powered by GPT-6.1-Sol xhigh … cost is just $1.16"
FAQ
Is Cursor or OpenAI Codex cheaper?
Our data lacks an individual monthly price for OpenAI Codex, so we can't say. See the plan tables for what is listed.
Does Cursor or OpenAI Codex have a free plan?
Cursor: yes (Free). OpenAI Codex: no free plan listed.
What happens when you hit the limit on Cursor vs OpenAI Codex?
Cursor Plus: Buy a top-up. OpenAI Codex API key: Usage-billed.
Which scores higher on coding benchmarks, Cursor or OpenAI Codex?
It depends on the model you use. At least one side is multi-model or both use the same model family, so the boards don't separate them.