Criterion Amazon Q DeveloperOpenAI Codex
CategoryAI Coding AssistantsAI Coding Assistants
In one sentenceAWS's AI coding assistant, whose IDE plugins reach end of support on April 30, 2027 with Kiro as the recommended replacement.OpenAI's coding agent, included with ChatGPT plans and usable with an API key.
Problem it solvesDevelopers on AWS need help writing, upgrading and troubleshooting code and cloud resources.Engineering backlogs contain many well-defined coding tasks. Codex takes those tasks on so developers can focus on review and design.
Free planYesYes
Developer APINoYes — docs
Open sourceNoNo
PlatformsVS Code, JetBrains IDEs, CLI, AWS Management ConsoleDesktop app, CLI, IDE extension, Web, iOS
Pricing (summary)Free tier costs $0 with 50 agentic requests and 1,000 transformation lines per month. Pro is $19 per user per month with higher limits, admin dashboard and IP indemnity. AWS recommends Kiro for IDE use ahead of the April 30, 2027 plugin end of support.
Checked 2026-10-19		Codex is included in ChatGPT Free, Go ($8), Plus ($20), Pro (from $100), Business ($25 per user monthly or $20 annually) and Enterprise/Edu plans. Usage limits rise with the plan. API-key usage is billed separately at standard API token rates.
Checked 2026-10-19
Strengths
  • AWS integration
  • Code transformation tooling
  • IP indemnity on Pro
  • Bundled with ChatGPT subscriptions
  • Wide range of models and speed modes
  • Works with API key for local use
Limitations
  • IDE plugins being retired April 30, 2027
  • Free tier limited to 50 agentic requests a month
  • Cancelling mid-month still charges the full month
  • Usage per 5-hour window is an estimate and varies by model and task
  • Cloud features not available with API key
  • Free and Go tiers are for light use