Head to head
GitHub Copilot vs Codex
Which is better, GitHub Copilot or Codex?
Codex finishes ahead of GitHub Copilot on the index, 78.7 to 77.0. It is the stronger of the two on Craft, while GitHub Copilot still leads on Speed. Both are scored on the same rubric, in the same week, and neither placing is sponsored.
Updated
GitHub Copilot
16 of 54
77.0
The most polished inline completion, now with an agent mode worth using.
Codex
11 of 54
78.7
Delegate a task, come back to a diff with logs and test citations.
The four scores, side by side
| Score | GitHub Copilot | Codex | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Craft | 78 | 84 | +6 |
| Speed | 80 | 76 | +4 |
| Control | 72 | 74 | +2 |
| Value | 78 | 80 | +2 |
| Index score | 77.0 | 78.7 | +1.7 |
Which to pick
Pick Codex unless Speed is what decides it for you, which is exactly where GitHub Copilot is the better answer.
GitHub Copilot
Copilot's inline suggestion is still the most refined single-line completion anywhere, and agent mode has matured into something that competes on multi-file work rather than trailing it. Its real advantage is reach: it runs inside VS Code, Visual Studio and the JetBrains editors, so it meets a team where that team already is. It is the safe institutional choice, and it is rarely the sharpest tool on any individual axis.
Where it shines
- The most polished inline completion in the market
- Runs in VS Code, Visual Studio and JetBrains, so a team keeps its tools
- A free tier that is genuinely usable rather than a demo
Codex
Codex is a delegation tool rather than an assistant. You hand over a task, it works in an isolated sandbox for minutes or hours, and it returns a diff along with the logs and test evidence for what it did. That receipt is the real feature, because reviewing agent work is the actual bottleneck. It reaches you from the web, a command line, an editor extension and a phone, and it comes with every ChatGPT plan including the free one. The move to credit pricing makes heavy months harder to forecast.
Where it shines
- Returns logs and test citations, so review is not guesswork
- Included with every ChatGPT plan, the free one included
- Reachable from web, command line, editor and phone