🧠 Food for thought

Claude Code’s momentum raises stakes for OpenAI as it adds a new pricing tier

• Anthropic’s Claude Code has gained real traction with software developers at work. Workplace adoption hit 18% in January 2026, up sixfold from mid-2025 1.
• User feedback looks strong. Claude Code leads loyalty measures, including a 91% customer satisfaction score 1.
• Before OpenAI launched the Codex desktop app and promoted it inside ChatGPT, only 3% of software developers used Codex for workplace tasks. In the same period, 28% used ChatGPT for coding and software development at work 1.
• OpenAI added a US$100 ChatGPT Pro tier. It sits between the US$20 Plus plan and the US$200 Pro plan.

AI coding tools are changing how software development gets priced

• More pricing tiers suggest a shift toward pay-as-use productivity tools, similar to cloud computing.
• Codex pricing mixes plan access with usage caps plus add-on credits. OpenAI says some customers are moving to Application Programming Interface (API) token-based rates for credit use 2.
• chief information officers, engineering leaders, and other tech decision-makers now need clearer proof of value. They often track pull request throughput and time saved to support the spend 3.
• Access to top-tier AI help may hinge on an employer’s credit budget, rather than a flat software license.