Claude Code vs Codex usage limits
Both Anthropic's Claude Code and OpenAI's Codex meter how much you can use, and both will stop a long agentic run that runs out mid-task. But they count usage differently. Here's how the two compare, and how to stay ahead of whichever one bites first.
How each one meters usage
Claude Code tracks a rolling 5-hour window and a 7-day (weekly) window. On some plans there's an additional weekly limit specific to Sonnet, tracked on top of the all-models weekly. On Team and Enterprise plans the meaningful limit is a shared pool across the organisation, and a third-party app can only see your individual allocation, not the pooled total.
Codex tracks a rolling short window (around five hours) and a weekly window. Big multi-step agent runs burn the short window fast, while the weekly window quietly governs how much heavy work you can do across the week.
Side by side
| Claude Code | Codex | |
|---|---|---|
| Short window | Rolling 5 hours | Rolling ~5 hours |
| Long window | 7-day weekly (+ separate Sonnet weekly on some plans) | Weekly |
| Reset | Rolls continuously (5h); weekly on a 7-day cycle | Rolling short window; weekly cycle |
| Team/Enterprise | Shared org pool; per-user view only | Per-account |
| What burns it fast | Long sessions, heavy models | Bursty multi-step agent runs |
The shared problem: no forecast
Neither tool tells you whether you'll make it to the reset. They show a current number, but the question that actually matters is "at my current pace, will I run out before the window resets?" Without a forecast you only find out when a task halts.
Track and forecast both in one place
ReserveGauge reads your live Codex and Claude Code limits on your Mac, forecasts each from your real usage history, and tells you which one is most at risk, so you can ease off, switch models, or finish the critical part first. No account, no backend, nothing leaves your Mac.