Hi!
Supposedly OpenAI has released the Codex models to use for free until December 11. I just ran out of credits on my Plus plan, and I’m getting the message that I have no credits left. My credits don’t renew until the 22nd :_(
So… I can’t use it for free or not??
ok, it is just a matter of time.
now it works!
Works for me too, currently! Just maxed out my $20 reload on Codex 5.1. Tried switching to Mini, but it still shows Codex Max (free until Dec 11). I already spent $20 a few days ago and another $20 today, and I hit the cap again. If I add another $20, will it automatically upgrade me to Pro+ for the rest of the month? Any insight would be appreciated.
It’s not even worth your time lol. It’s honestly pretty bad. Even ChatGPT-5.1-Thinking in the MAC OS app agreed. I had ChatGPT-5.1-Thinking provide a detailed prompt, and build the plan, and ChatGPT-Thinking described Codex Max’s plan as. “Yeah, that plan is still mostly vibes and marketing, not what you asked for. It’s better than the totally generic fluff, but it’s still failing the core requirement: it never proves it actually looked at your real src/server.ts or PLAN.md. It’s just restating the architecture we’ve already talked about, then sprinkling “implementation-ish” language on top.” rofl.
They said the same about grok last month and I got changed, it’s showing a change now for using the new codex.
■■■■.. Here I was thinking it was only me.
I only use codex when am broke
DigitalHustlerX
Update: Codex Max is the new and free model. Regular Codex is not new.
For Codex Max we have a temporary display issue which will be resolved.
Codex Max is the new model shown as free and is not being billed.
I recommended the new gpt-5.1-codex-max model in Cursor to my friend because the announcement said it is free to use until December 11th. However, when my friend tried to use it, it prompted him to upgrade to a Pro plan in order to access the model.
Is the model actually free, or is it only free for users who already have a Pro subscription? Could someone provide more details or clarify how the free-access period is supposed to work?
Yes, it shows me as free. The non-fast ones are slow and degrade the developer experience. Just asking a simple question about a 200-line file takes a lot of time. But guys, the xhigh-fast version gives the best answer at high speeds - I highly recommend using them while it’s free.
Totally agree!
GPT 5.1 Codex family is pretty bad — it’s not even an option in agent mode. Even though it sounds strange, Auto mode works much better for me (when it uses Plan, it usually handles things quite well).
Honestly, the only model that solves things efficiently is Claude Sonnet/Opus 4.5. By far. (Maybe Gemini 3 Pro sometimes too)
@GeniusAlbert as the message says a Pro subscription is required.
Thanks, but the tweet doesn’t explicitly state that only paid members can use it for free. When other models were first released, was it also only paying users who could use them for free? I’m not very familiar with this, as I’ve always been on the pro plan. https://x.com/cursor_ai/status/1996645841063604711?s=20
The Free plan is not a replacement for the Pro plan as a lot of functionality runs through our servers. This was also the case for all introduction of new models for a while, where they were offered by us or 3rd party providers to paying subscribers as a way to test and learn new models.
I understand. Thanks for sharing this.
I forgot to mention in my message that I am an enterprise user.
Cursor IDE
Cursor says GPT5.1 codex is free but it is still using credit in my usage, other free models do not.
use GPT-5.1 Codex Max (any of the so called free models)
look at your expenses.
the usage should not be counted.
MacOS
Version: 2.1.48 (Universal)
VSCode Version: 1.105.1
Commit: ce371ffbf5e240ca47f4b5f3f20efed084991120
Date: 2025-12-04T19:26:27.263Z
Electron: 37.7.0
Chromium: 138.0.7204.251
Node.js: 22.20.0
V8: 13.8.258.32-electron.0
OS: Darwin arm64 24.6.0
No - Cursor works, but with this issue
I’ve now been waiting for days as it says until Dec 11 its free but I always get the "not enabled in slow pool” error (old 500 requests pricing). So if its free, shouldn’t we be able to use it?
Grok was free for a limited amount, and I did utilize it also. I only had to pay for a few tokens .
