ChatGPT (incl. Work & Codex) vs GitHub Copilot
Last checked 2026-10-15
Based on published features, pricing and documentation, checked 2026-10-15. No hands-on testing. No hands-on testing; this compares published information only.
| ChatGPT (incl. Work & Codex) | GitHub Copilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | OpenAI | GitHub / Microsoft |
| Summary | General assistant with Chat, Work (agent for long multi-step tasks and deliverables; replaced agent mode) and Codex (coding agent across app, editor, terminal and cloud). | Coding assistant with IDE agent mode and a cloud agent that works in GitHub Actions on issues, branches and pull requests. |
| Free tier | Yes (verified) | Yes (verified) |
| Cheapest verified paid plan | See official site | Pro: $10/mo (github.com/features/copilot/plans) |
| Plans | Free: Free Go: See official site Plus: See official site Pro: See official site Business / Enterprise: See official site | Free: Free Pro: $10/mo Pro+: $39/mo Max: $100/mo Business / Enterprise: See official site |
| Capabilities | Chat, Web search, Agent: multi-step tasks, Scheduled tasks, Cloud browser, Docs/slides/spreadsheets, Image generation, Voice, Coding agent (Codex), Cloud coding tasks, PR review, Computer use (Codex), App connectors | IDE agent mode, Cloud agent, Issue → PR, Custom agents, MCP, Hooks & skills, Code chat |
| Rubric score | 88/100 | 80/100 |
| Sources | help.openai.com/en/articles/20001275-chatgpt-work-and-codex chatgpt.com/codex/ chatgpt.com/pricing | docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/cloud-agent/about-cloud-agent github.com/features/copilot/plans |
Tasks both are listed for (14)
- Explain unfamiliar code
- Write unit tests
- Fix a failing build
- Refactor across files
- Automated PR review
- Issue to pull request
- Generate a regex or SQL query
- Write a shell/PowerShell script
- Explain logs and errors
- Infrastructure-as-code changes
- CI pipeline setup
- Write analysis code
Only ChatGPT (incl. Work & Codex) (96)
- Rewrite for tone
- Summarize a long document
- Proofread and fix grammar
- Outline a long-form article
- Draft in a shared canvas
- Style-guide enforcement
- Cited quick answers
- Deep research report
- Literature scan
- Compare products or vendors