Question 1

What is the best API or subscription for OpenAI Codex CLI?

Accepted Answer

Codex CLI is provider-agnostic, so you're not locked to a ChatGPT plan. A ChatGPT Plus/Pro subscription authenticates natively; for cheaper or unlimited volume, point Codex CLI's config at OpenCode Go, OpenRouter, or Standard Compute. If you run Codex tasks in parallel all day, Standard Compute's unlimited flat-rate avoids the window multiplication.

Question 2

What is the cheapest way to run OpenAI Codex CLI?

Accepted Answer

OpenCode Go behind Codex CLI's custom provider, or a ChatGPT plan if you want OpenAI models specifically.

Question 3

Is there an unlimited plan for OpenAI Codex CLI?

Accepted Answer

Standard Compute — parallel Codex tasks multiply usage; unlimited flat-rate removes the ceiling.

Option	Price	The honest take
OpenCode Go	$10/mo ($5 first month)	Best raw open-weight value: ~$60/mo of usage for $10 (~6x). Capped by $12/5h + $30/week windows. Works with any agent.
Standard ComputeUNLIMITED	$9 / $39 / $99 / $399	Unlimited: no token meter, no 5-hour or weekly windows — and unlike the open-weight-only plans here, smart routing reaches the full frontier (Claude, GPT, Gemini class). Extreme sustained load is paced smoothly, not cut off. Wins when your agent runs all day or needs frontier quality that capped open-weight plans can't match.
OpenRouter	Pay-as-you-go	400+ models, ~5.5% fee, no markup on inference. Maximum flexibility, not a subscription — bill scales with usage, so heavy agents get expensive.
GitHub Copilot Pro	$10 / $39	Cheap closed-model access (GPT/Claude/Gemini) with monthly premium-request allowances. Best if you want frontier models cheaply and lightly.

Best API & Subscription for OpenAI Codex CLI

Every option for Codex CLI, compared honestly