Codex 5-hour limit explained

Published estimates (Plus and Standard Business)

Local messages per 5 hours: GPT-6 Astra 5–45, GPT-6.1 Sol 15–160, GPT-6 Sol 15–150, GPT-6 Luna 350–3,000. OpenAI says these are estimates, not fixed message limits: model, context, reasoning, tool use and caching all change the cost. Cloud tasks may use more than local messages.

Pro plans

Pro 100, Pro 200 and Pro 500 currently have no 5-hour limit. Pro 200 includes more usage than Pro 100, and Pro 500 the most; OpenAI doesn't publish the sizes. New Pro 200 subscriptions get a lower allowance than before at the same $200 price; grandfathered subscribers keep the old one through Oct 29, 2026.

What speeds it up

Fast mode uses your included allowance at 2.5x the Standard rate; Ultrafast (GPT-6 Astra and GPT-6.1 Sol, Pro 500 only) at 8x. Image generation uses limits 3–5x faster on average. ChatGPT Work shares the same limits.

When you hit it

A turn already in progress can keep going, subject to fair use. Plus and Pro can buy credits to continue without upgrading. Anyone can run extra local chats with an API key at standard API rates.

Check your usage

Use the usage dashboard, or /status in the Codex CLI for remaining limits and reset times.

FAQ

Is the Codex 5-hour limit a fixed number of messages?

No. OpenAI publishes estimate ranges and says to check your usage dashboard for current limits.

Does Codex have a weekly limit?

OpenAI says weekly limits may also apply; it doesn't publish their size.

Does Business have a 5-hour limit?

Standard Business seats share the Plus estimates. Premium seats get 5x Standard usage with no 5-hour limit.

Sources

• Codex pricing (learn.chatgpt.com) (checked Oct 20, 2026)
• OpenAI help: About ChatGPT Pro plans (checked Oct 19, 2026)