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GitHub Copilot VS Codex by OpenAI

Compare GitHub Copilot VS Codex by OpenAI and see what are their differences

GitHub Copilot logo GitHub Copilot

Your AI pair programmer. With GitHub Copilot, get suggestions for whole lines or entire functions right inside your editor.

Codex by OpenAI logo Codex by OpenAI

AI that writes the code for you
  • GitHub Copilot Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-03

Trained on billions of lines of public code, GitHub Copilot puts the knowledge you need at your fingertips, saving you time and helping you stay focused.

  • Codex by OpenAI Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-19

GitHub Copilot features and specs

  • Productivity Boost
    GitHub Copilot helps developers write code faster by providing intelligent suggestions and automating repetitive tasks. This can save significant time and reduce the cognitive load on developers.
  • Learning Tool
    For less experienced developers, Copilot can serve as a learning tool by suggesting best practices and introducing them to new coding patterns and techniques.
  • Support for Multiple Languages
    Copilot supports a wide range of programming languages, making it a versatile tool for developers working in different tech stacks.
  • Context-Aware Suggestions
    Copilot offers context-aware suggestions based on the code that has been written so far, making its recommendations relevant to the current development task.
  • Integration with GitHub
    Seamless integration with GitHub simplifies the development workflow, enabling smoother transitions from coding to version control and collaboration.

Possible disadvantages of GitHub Copilot

  • Code Quality Concerns
    The quality of the code generated by Copilot may vary, and it might introduce suboptimal code or practices that could lead to maintenance challenges.
  • Security Risks
    Copilot might suggest insecure code patterns or snippets, potentially introducing vulnerabilities into the project if not carefully reviewed by the developer.
  • Dependence on AI
    Over-reliance on Copilot's suggestions can lead to a lack of deep understanding of the code, which may hinder a developer's growth and problem-solving skills.
  • Licensing and Code Reuse Issues
    There are concerns about the legality and ethics of using AI-generated code snippets that might be derived from copyrighted sources, which can lead to licensing issues.
  • Limited Customizability
    Copilot may not always align with specific coding standards or preferences of a development team, and the ability to customize its behavior to enforce such standards is limited.

Codex by OpenAI features and specs

  • Code Generation
    OpenAI Codex can generate code snippets based on natural language prompts, saving time for developers and enhancing productivity.
  • Language Versatility
    It supports multiple programming languages, allowing developers to work in a variety of coding environments.
  • Learning Tool
    Codex serves as an educational tool, helping new programmers understand coding concepts by providing instant code examples.
  • Debugging Assistance
    Codex can assist in debugging by providing possible corrections and optimizations for existing code.
  • Integration Friendly
    It can be integrated into various IDEs and development tools, making it accessible directly within a developer’s workflow.

Possible disadvantages of Codex by OpenAI

  • Accuracy Issues
    The generated code might not always be accurate or optimized, requiring close scrutiny and modifications by the developers.
  • Dependence on Input Quality
    The quality and clarity of the generated code are highly dependent on the quality and specificity of the input prompts.
  • Limited Context Understanding
    Codex may struggle with understanding complex or context-specific requirements, which can lead to inappropriate code suggestions.
  • Security Risks
    There is a potential risk of generating insecure or vulnerable code, which can be a concern for sensitive applications.
  • Cost
    Depending on the usage model, incorporating Codex into development processes may involve significant costs.

Analysis of GitHub Copilot

Overall verdict

  • Overall, GitHub Copilot is a beneficial tool for many developers, especially those looking to increase their productivity and experiment with new coding styles. It can be seen as an intelligent coding assistant that complements a developer's workflow rather than replaces it.

Why this product is good

  • GitHub Copilot is considered good by many because it provides AI-assisted code completion and suggestions, which can significantly speed up coding tasks and improve productivity. It leverages OpenAI's advanced language models to offer context-aware snippets and solutions that can help developers write code more efficiently, reduce errors, and explore new coding approaches.

Recommended for

  • Software developers seeking to increase productivity
  • Beginner programmers looking for contextual code suggestions
  • Experienced developers interested in exploring and discovering alternative coding solutions
  • Teams aiming to standardize code quality and reduce time spent on routine coding tasks

Analysis of Codex by OpenAI

Overall verdict

  • Codex is generally considered good, especially for its specific applications in coding and software development. Its ability to streamline coding tasks and provide intelligent code assistance makes it a valuable tool for developers looking to enhance productivity and accuracy.

Why this product is good

  • Codex by OpenAI is designed as a powerful AI model for understanding and generating human-like text. It is a successor to GPT-3 with specialized capabilities in understanding and writing code, making it well-suited for programming-related tasks. Codex can assist developers by auto-completing code snippets, offering code suggestions, and helping with language interpretation across different programming languages.

Recommended for

  • Software developers seeking coding efficiency
  • Programmers looking for code suggestions
  • Individuals learning to code
  • Developer teams aiming to streamline their workflow
  • Data scientists requiring quick script and data analysis tool generation

GitHub Copilot videos

Game over… GitHub Copilot X announced

More videos:

  • Review - The New GitHub Copilot X Powered by GPT-4 is Here!
  • Review - GitHub Copilot X -- AI Programming Gets Better... and Scary.
  • Review - GitHub Copilot Review 2023: I Love It, But It's Not For Everyone
  • Review - Is Github Copilot Worth Paying For??

Codex by OpenAI videos

No Codex by OpenAI videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to GitHub Copilot and Codex by OpenAI)
Developer Tools
84 84%
16% 16
AI
79 79%
21% 21
Coding
89 89%
11% 11
Productivity
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using GitHub Copilot and Codex by OpenAI. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare GitHub Copilot and Codex by OpenAI

GitHub Copilot Reviews

  1. Stan
    · Founder at SaaSHub ·
    Indispensable

    It definitely increases my productivity.

    🏁 Competitors: Tabnine

Cursor vs Windsurf vs GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot Chat is similar — you can ask it to explain code or suggest improvements. It's integrated right into VS Code, so it feels pretty seamless. They've been rolling out some new features lately, like better chat history, drag and & folders and ways to attach more context. But if you're already using Cursor, you might not find anything groundbreaking here.
Source: www.builder.io
Cursor vs GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot Chat is similar — you can ask it to explain code or suggest improvements. It's integrated right into VS Code, so it feels pretty seamless. They've been rolling out some new features lately, like better chat history, drag and & folders and ways to attach more context. But if you're already using Cursor, you might not find anything groundbreaking here.
Source: www.builder.io
Top 10 Vercel v0 Open Source Alternatives | Medium
Next up, we have GitHub Copilot, a popular AI-powered code completion tool that’s been making waves in the developer community. Built on top of OpenAI Codex, Copilot integrates seamlessly with various code editors and IDEs to provide intelligent code suggestions as you type.
Source: medium.com
10 Best Github Copilot Alternatives in 2024
GitHub Copilot is an excellent tool for developers, allowing them to boost their workflow and project quality. Are you looking for a GitHub Copilot alternative that fits your needs in 2024? Whether you’re searching for a free GitHub Copilot alternative, an open-source alternative to GitHub Copilot, or a tool that works well with VSCode, this guide is here to help.
The Best GitHub Copilot Alternatives for Developers
Moreover, GitHub Copilot provides a wide range of functionalities, such as code explanation, answering coding questions, refactoring code, and generation of unit tests and docs. With it, developers can automate coding tasks, improve productivity and focus more on complex coding. GitHub Copilot supports various programming languages, including JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Go,...
Source: softteco.com

Codex by OpenAI Reviews

Top 10 Vercel v0 Open Source Alternatives | Medium
Kicking off our list is OpenAI Codex, a powerful AI model that’s capable of generating code based on natural language descriptions. While not a complete platform like Vercel v0, Codex can be integrated into various development environments to provide AI-assisted coding capabilities.
Source: medium.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, GitHub Copilot should be more popular than Codex by OpenAI. It has been mentiond 300 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

GitHub Copilot mentions (300)

  • 6 Ways AI Can Improve Your Python Code(Tested!)
    Writing comprehensive unit and integration tests is one of the best ways to ensure code quality – but it’s also labor-intensive. AI can help automate this tedious task. New AI assistants (like GitHub Copilot) can analyze Python functions and automatically generate meaningful test cases. As one developer puts it, “progress in AI has opened doors to automated test generation…presenting developers with an innovative... - Source: dev.to / about 12 hours ago
  • AI Threat to Tech, Marketing and Creative Jobs
    Tools like GitHub Copilot, Replit Ghostwriter, and Tabnine don’t just suggest code, they write it. These models are trained on billions of lines of open-source code and can auto-generate:. - Source: dev.to / 7 days ago
  • AI + App Dev: What Happens When Apps Start Designing Themselves?
    Or tools like GitHub Copilot, which autocomplete not just functions but full app logic. These aren’t just helping developers. They’re starting to think like one. - Source: dev.to / 7 days ago
  • My Experience at Commit Conf 2025
    AI is replacing traditional platforms like Stack Overflow, Reddit, and Google Search for developers — tools like GitHub Copilot, Cursor.ai, and Windsurf are seen as faster, more tailored, and more efficient. - Source: dev.to / 13 days ago
  • Getting the Best Out of GitHub Copilot
    As my first in-editor AI coding partner, I started with Cursor. However, four months ago, I decided to switch to GitHub Copilot. While using Cursor, I was aware of Copilot and its features, but at the time, it felt unstable and not as polished as Cursor. Recently, I noticed that GitHub Copilot has been improving significantly, becoming a strong competitor to Cursor. This encouraged me to give Copilot a try,... - Source: dev.to / 16 days ago
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Codex by OpenAI mentions (73)

  • OpenAI Codex Review
    > incorrect, its an o3 finetune. This is Open AI's fault (and literally every AI company is guilty of the same horrid naming schemes). Codex was an old model based on GPT-3, but then they reused the same name for both their Codex CLI and this Codex tool... I mean, just look at the updates to their own blog post, I can see why people are confused. https://openai.com/index/openai-codex/. - Source: Hacker News / 28 days ago
  • OpenAI o3 and o4-mini – OpenAI
    The big step function here seems to be RL on tool calling. Claude 3.7/3.5 are the only models that seem to be able to handle "pure agent" usecases well (agent in a loop, not in an agentic workflow scaffold[0]). OpenAI has made a bet on reasoning models as the core to a purely agentic loop, but it hasn't worked particularly well yet (in my own tests, though folks have hacked a Claude Code workaround[1]). o3-mini... - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • AI Agents — A Software Engineer’s Overview
    Fine-tuning based learning (pre-trained optimization). For example, a language model (e.g., OpenAI Codex) fine-tuned for the software development tasks. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Codestral: Mistral's Code Model
    > there's no CodeGPT, its just GPT4 Codex[1] is OpenAI's CodeGPT. It's what powers GitHub Copilot and it is very good but not publicly accessible. Maybe they don't want something else to outcompete Copilot. [1] https://openai.com/index/openai-codex/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Klarna AI assistant handles two-thirds of customer service chats in first month
    > it would need some human touch but most of the work will be done already By that very loose standard, the matter of time is 2 years 6 months 18 days ago — August 10, 2021 was OpenAI's blog post about the Codex model, with a chat interface producing functional JavaScript: https://openai.com/blog/openai-codex Right now, what I see coming out of these tools (and what I see in the jobs market) gives me the... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing GitHub Copilot and Codex by OpenAI, you can also consider the following products

Tabnine - TabNine is the all-language autocompleter. We use deep learning to help you write code faster.

Codeium - Free AI-powered code completion for *everyone*, *everywhere*

Kite - Kite helps you write code faster by bringing the web's programming knowledge into your editor.

Cursor - The AI-first Code Editor. Build software faster in an editor designed for pair-programming with AI.

Visual Studio IntelliCode - Visual Studio IntelliCode is an experimental set of AI-assisted development capabilities for next-generation developer productivity.

OpenAI - GPT-3 access without the wait