Which has higher limits for heavy users, Claude Code or Codex?

Neither vendor publishes fixed message counts, so limits cannot be compared directly. Claude Max gives 5x or 20x Pro usage per 5-hour session; ChatGPT Pro offers 3 usage tiers.

Do Claude Code and Codex have weekly limits?

Claude: Rolling 5-hour window + weekly limit. Codex: 5-hour + weekly windows (Pro tiers: reported no 5-hour limit as of Oct 2026 — secondary source).

What happens when a heavy user hits the limit?

Claude Code: Paid plans can turn on usage credits at standard API rates. Codex: Plus/Pro can buy credits or use an API key (secondary source).

Claude Code vs Codex limits for heavy users

Short answerBoth meter in a 5-hour window plus a weekly cap. Claude Max 5x is $100/month for 5x Pro usage per session, and Max 20x offers 20x (price not printed on the official page). ChatGPT Pro has 3 usage tiers, reported at $100/$200/$500 (secondary source), and Pro tiers reportedly drop the 5-hour limit (secondary source). Over the limit: Claude turns on usage credits at API rates; Codex users can buy credits or use an API key. Checked 2026-10-14.

	Claude Code (Max)	Codex (ChatGPT Pro)
Heavy-use plan	Max 5x $100/mo; Max 20x (price not shown)	Pro, 3 tiers: $100/$200/$500^*
Metering	Shared usage pool across Claude chat and Claude Code. Rolling 5-hour session window; paid plans add weekly limits. No fixed message count.	Codex shares the plan allowance. Five-hour window plus weekly window (per third-party summary of OpenAI help center).
Reset	Rolling 5-hour window + weekly limit	5-hour + weekly windows (Pro tiers: reported no 5-hour limit as of Oct 2026 — secondary source)
Over the limit	Paid plans can turn on usage credits at standard API rates.	Plus/Pro can buy credits or use an API key (secondary source).
Extras	5x Pro usage per 5-hour session; $100/mo API credits listed.	Official: 'Your choice of 3 usage tiers'. $100/$200/$500 from secondary source.
Source	claude.com	chatgpt.com · secondary

* Secondary source; OpenAI's page lists the tiers without prices in the fetched text.

More: Claude Code limits explained · Codex limits explained · Claude Code vs Codex pricing · All usage limits

Questions

Which has higher limits for heavy users, Claude Code or Codex?: Neither vendor publishes fixed message counts, so limits cannot be compared directly. Claude Max gives 5x or 20x Pro usage per 5-hour session; ChatGPT Pro offers 3 usage tiers.
Do Claude Code and Codex have weekly limits?: Claude: Rolling 5-hour window + weekly limit. Codex: 5-hour + weekly windows (Pro tiers: reported no 5-hour limit as of Oct 2026 — secondary source).
What happens when a heavy user hits the limit?: Claude Code: Paid plans can turn on usage credits at standard API rates. Codex: Plus/Pro can buy credits or use an API key (secondary source).