Cline vs OpenAI Codex: Features, Pricing and User Reviews 2026
Compare features, pricing, reviews, and more to make an informed decision
Cline
Cline is a free, open-source AI coding assistant for VS Code that helps developers create, edit files and execute commands autonomously.
OpenAI Codex
OpenAI Codex is an AI-powered coding assistant that writes, tests, and reviews code in your development environment and cloud.
Cline
Cline is a free, open-source AI coding assistant for VS Code that helps developers create, edit files and execute commands autonomously.
OpenAI Codex
OpenAI Codex is an AI-powered coding assistant that writes, tests, and reviews code in your development environment and cloud.
Cline
Plan and Act modes for strategic coding
Autonomous file creation and editing
Terminal command execution
Browser testing and debugging
Multi-model AI support (Claude, GPT-4, Gemini)
Bring your own API keys
Open source and transparent
Real-time cost tracking
Checkpoint and version control
MCP server integration
Team collaboration features
Works with VS Code and JetBrains
Enterprise security ready
OpenAI Codex
Writes code, fixes bugs, and adds tests
Works in terminal, IDE, cloud, and mobile
Automatic pull request reviews on GitHub
Runs multiple tasks at the same time
Provides detailed logs and test results
Supports custom setup through AGENTS.md files
Secure isolated environment for each task
Integrates with VS Code, Cursor, and Windsurf
Background cloud processing
Mobile app support for task management
Cline
Cline offers flexible pricing options designed for individual developers, teams, and enterprises.
The Open Source version is completely free for individual developers. Install the extension and bring your own API keys from any provider. You get unlimited usage with no vendor restrictions and full community support. Pay only for the AI model usage directly to your chosen provider.
Open Source Teams is free for small teams of 1-10 people. This includes basic admin dashboard features, user-level spending controls, and the ability to add team members. You still bring your own keys and pay only for AI usage.
Cline Teams costs $30 per user monthly or $300 annually. This plan includes custom MCP libraries, team workspace settings, advanced admin controls, priority support, and enterprise-grade security. It also offers VPC deployment options for organizations with strict compliance requirements.
For larger enterprises, Cline provides custom solutions with self-hosted deployment options coming soon.
OpenAI Codex
OpenAI Codex is included as part of your ChatGPT subscription and does not require a separate purchase. It is available across multiple plan levels, each with different usage limits.
ChatGPT Plus costs $20 per month and includes Codex with usage limits that allow about 30 to 150 local messages or 5 to 40 cloud tasks every 5 hours. This plan is best for developers working on a few focused coding sessions each week.
ChatGPT Pro costs $200 per month and provides significantly higher limits, allowing about 300 to 1,500 local messages or 50 to 400 cloud tasks every 5 hours. This plan suits developers who need Codex throughout their full workday across multiple projects.
Business, Education, and Enterprise plans include the same per-seat limits as Plus. However, plans with flexible pricing can purchase additional credits to go beyond included limits. For automatic pull request reviews on all repositories, flexible pricing is required.
