Does the Codex 5-hour limit apply to Pro plans?
Updated
No. On 2026-07-12 Tibo Sottiaux announced Codex was 'Temporarily removing the 5 hour usage limit restriction for all Plus, Business and Pro plans'. In a post timestamped 2026-08-25 01:16 UTC he said the 5h limit would return for Plus 'Tomorrow', which in Pacific time is 2026-08-25, while 'keeping the 5h limit not enabled for Pro $100 and Pro $200 subscriptions' for the upcoming months. OpenAI's help center therefore says limits 'may apply' over a five-hour window depending on your plan.
What the official docs say
Temporarily removing the 5 hour usage limit restriction for all Plus, Business and Pro plans
Quoted from Tibo Sottiaux on X, 2026-07-12 (5-hour limit removed for Plus, Business and Pro) And we continue to not have the 5h rate limit as well
Quoted from Tibo Sottiaux on X, 2026-07-14 (5h limit still off) Tomorrow we will bring back the 5h limit for Plus accounts across ChatGPT Work and Codex.
Quoted from Tibo Sottiaux on X, posted 2026-08-25 01:16 UTC ("Tomorrow we will bring back the 5h limit for Plus") We are for the upcoming months keeping the 5h limit not enabled for Pro $100 and Pro $200 subscriptions.
Quoted from Tibo Sottiaux on X, posted 2026-08-25 01:16 UTC ("Tomorrow we will bring back the 5h limit for Plus") the 5h limit allows us to smoothen the load on our compute, allowing to keep the plan generous in terms of weekly usage
Quoted from Tibo Sottiaux on X, posted 2026-08-25 01:16 UTC ("Tomorrow we will bring back the 5h limit for Plus") Depending on your plan, usage limits may apply over a five-hour window and a weekly window.
Quoted from OpenAI Help Center: Managing usage with GPT-6 Astra in Work and Codex
How it is counted
The removal came first. On 2026-07-12 Tibo Sottiaux, who runs Codex, posted that the team was 'Temporarily removing the 5 hour usage limit restriction for all Plus, Business and Pro plans'. Two days later he confirmed 'we continue to not have the 5h rate limit as well'.
The return was partial. His post of 2026-08-25 01:16 UTC said 'Tomorrow we will bring back the 5h limit for Plus accounts across ChatGPT Work and Codex', explaining that 'the 5h limit allows us to smoothen the load on our compute, allowing to keep the plan generous in terms of weekly usage'. The same post said Codex was 'keeping the 5h limit not enabled for Pro $100 and Pro $200 subscriptions' for the upcoming months. This site dates the Plus return to 2026-08-25 because the post was written on the evening of 2026-08-24 Pacific time; no separate announcement names the day.
Business plans were named in the removal but not in the return post, so their status is unconfirmed here. The help center's wording covers all cases: 'Depending on your plan, usage limits may apply over a five-hour window and a weekly window.'
| Plan | 5-hour limit | Since | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plus | Applies | 2026-08-25, dated by the post of 2026-08-25 01:16 UTC that said "Tomorrow" | [3] |
| Pro $100 / Pro $200 | Not enabled "for the upcoming months" | Removed 2026-07-12; exemption confirmed in the 2026-08-25 post | [1] [3] |
| Business | Removed 2026-07-12; not named in the return post | Unconfirmed | [1] [3] |
| Any plan | Weekly limit may still apply on top | Ongoing | [4] |
FAQ
Why did OpenAI bring the 5-hour limit back for Plus?
Tibo Sottiaux's post of 2026-08-25 01:16 UTC says 'the 5h limit allows us to smoothen the load on our compute, allowing to keep the plan generous in terms of weekly usage'. The five-hour window spreads demand; the weekly allowance is what it protects.
Is the Pro exemption permanent?
No end date has been published. The post says Codex is 'for the upcoming months keeping the 5h limit not enabled for Pro $100 and Pro $200 subscriptions'. Treat it as current policy that can change; this page is updated when a new post changes it.
What about Business plans?
Business was included in the 2026-07-12 removal but was not named in the 2026-08-25 return post. This site does not infer either way; the row above is marked unconfirmed until OpenAI says so.
Do Pro plans still have a weekly limit?
The help center says 'Depending on your plan, usage limits may apply over a five-hour window and a weekly window.' Only the five-hour window was switched off for Pro; nothing in the posts says the weekly limit was removed, and OpenAI publishes no weekly number.
Sources
- Tibo Sottiaux on X, 2026-07-12 (5-hour limit removed for Plus, Business and Pro)verified 2026-09-17
- Tibo Sottiaux on X, 2026-07-14 (5h limit still off)verified 2026-09-17
- Tibo Sottiaux on X, posted 2026-08-25 01:16 UTC ("Tomorrow we will bring back the 5h limit for Plus")verified 2026-09-17
- OpenAI Help Center: Managing usage with GPT-6 Astra in Work and Codexverified 2026-09-17
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