OpenAI Codex vs Amazon Q Developer
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. OpenAI Codex has the lower starting price: about $8 a month, against $19 for Amazon Q Developer.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Cloud coding tasks
- Codex CLI
- IDE extension
- Desktop app
- Automatic PR review
- IDE plugins and CLI
- Agentic coding requests
- Java and .NET transformation
- Reference tracking
- Admin dashboard on Pro
| Feature | OpenAI Codex | Amazon Q Developer |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | OpenAI's coding agent in the cloud, CLI, IDE and desktop app | AWS coding assistant for the IDE and CLI, formerly CodeWhisperer |
| Category | Coding | Coding |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $8/mo | $19/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | OpenAI | Amazon Web Services |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
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Pricing compared
OpenAI Codex has the lower starting price: about $8 a month, against $19 for Amazon Q Developer.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
6 plans
Free
Free
- Limited Codex usage
- Via ChatGPT account
Go
$8/mo
- ChatGPT Go plan
- More Codex usage than Free
Plus
$20/mo
- ChatGPT Plus plan
- Codex in CLI, IDE and cloud
Pro
$100/mo
- Starting price; $200 and $500 tiers
- Highest Codex limits
Business
$25/mo
- Per user
- Shared workspace and admin controls
Enterprise
Contact sales
- Enterprise security
- Flexible usage
2 plans
Free Tier
Free
- 50 agentic requests a month
- 1,000 lines of transformation a month
- IDE and CLI access
Pro Tier
$19/mo
- Per user
- Higher agentic request limits
- 4,000 lines of transformation pooled
- Identity Center and admin controls
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
OpenAI Codex
- Included in ChatGPT plans
- Runs many tasks in parallel
- Open-source CLI
- Token-based limits are hard to predict
- Free tier usage is small
Amazon Q Developer
- Free tier with no time limit
- Deep knowledge of AWS services
- Automates Java version upgrades
- Free tier allows only 50 agentic requests a month
- Extra transformation lines cost more
- Most useful for teams already on AWS
Which one should you choose?
Choose OpenAI Codex if you want:
- Included in ChatGPT plans
- Runs many tasks in parallel
- Open-source CLI
Watch out: token-based limits are hard to predict.
Choose Amazon Q Developer if you want:
- Free tier with no time limit
- Deep knowledge of AWS services
- Automates Java version upgrades
Watch out: free tier allows only 50 agentic requests a month.
OpenAI Codex vs Amazon Q Developer FAQ
What is the difference between OpenAI Codex and Amazon Q Developer?
OpenAI Codex: OpenAI's coding agent in the cloud, CLI, IDE and desktop app. Amazon Q Developer: AWS coding assistant for the IDE and CLI, formerly CodeWhisperer. Both are coding tools.
Is OpenAI Codex or Amazon Q Developer cheaper?
OpenAI Codex has the lower starting price: about $8 a month, against $19 for Amazon Q Developer.
Do OpenAI Codex and Amazon Q Developer have free plans?
OpenAI Codex: Yes. Amazon Q Developer: Yes.
Who makes OpenAI Codex?
OpenAI Codex is made by OpenAI, based in United States.
Who makes Amazon Q Developer?
Amazon Q Developer is made by Amazon Web Services, based in United States.
Which should I choose, OpenAI Codex or Amazon Q Developer?
Choose OpenAI Codex if you value included in chatgpt plans and runs many tasks in parallel. Choose Amazon Q Developer if you value free tier with no time limit and deep knowledge of aws services.