The Codex plugin directory mixes several different things: local skills, OpenAI capabilities, app connectors, and hosted MCP services. They can all look like one-click plugins, but their costs are not the same. A plugin may be free to install while the service it connects to requires a paid account, or it may require authentication only to meter a generous free tier.
This guide separates those layers and classifies popular Codex plugins using official pricing and product documentation checked on July 20, 2026. Pricing changes frequently, so use the linked provider page as the final check before enabling billing.
Key takeaways
- Authentication is an identity and permission step; it is not proof that a plugin is paid.
- OpenAI plugins currently do not show a separate install price, but Codex work still uses your plan allowance or credits.
- Browser, Chrome, and Computer Use are best labeled included—not unlimited or universally free.
- Context7 is freemium: its Free plan includes 1,000 API calls per month, while Pro and overages are paid.
- GitHub, Figma, Linear, Slack, Supabase, Cloudflare, Sentry, and CircleCI can start free but enforce provider-specific limits.
- Check three cost layers before installing: Codex access, plugin fee, and the connected service or infrastructure bill.
The short answer: login does not mean paid
A login can serve several purposes: OAuth permission to read your files, attribution of API usage, access to private data, or billing if you later upgrade. Context7 is a good example. It requires an account for tracked access, but its official Free plan currently includes public repositories and 1,000 API calls per month. You pay only when you select a paid plan, use paid private-repository features, or incur supported overages.
The reverse is also true: a plugin that does not ask for a second login is not necessarily cost-free. Browser and Computer Use operate inside Codex, so their work contributes to the same plan usage or credit pool as the rest of the Codex task.
The three cost layers
| Layer | What you are paying for | Where to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Codex access | The model, agent runtime, and shared Work/Codex usage | Codex Usage panel and current OpenAI rate card |
| Plugin | The installable workflow bundle: skills, apps, MCP configuration, or tools | Plugin detail page in Codex |
| External service | GitHub, Context7, Figma, Slack, cloud compute, API calls, seats, or storage | The provider's official pricing and billing dashboard |
Popular Codex plugins: free, freemium, or paid
| Plugin or integration | Authentication | External cost | Practical classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Browser | No extra provider account for public pages; site login may be needed | No separate Browser fee documented; Codex usage and paid websites still apply | Included with eligible Codex access |
| Chrome | ChatGPT sign-in, Chrome extension permissions, and any site login | No separate Chrome plugin fee documented; Codex usage and website plans still apply | Included with eligible Codex access |
| Computer Use | OS permissions; app or website login only when the task needs it | No separate plugin fee documented; uses Codex/Work allowance or credits | Included, plan/region/workspace dependent |
| OpenAI Developers | None for public documentation | No external service bill for reading public docs | Included / public documentation |
| Playwright or local browser tools | None locally; target sites may require login | Open-source local tooling; your machine or CI compute is the cost | Free software, infrastructure separate |
| Context7 | Context7 account via OAuth or API key | Free: 1,000 API calls/month; Pro: $10/seat/month plus documented overages | Freemium, not paid-only |
| GitHub | GitHub OAuth and repository permissions | GitHub Free works for many flows; Team, Enterprise, Actions, Copilot, or storage can add cost | Free possible, account required |
| Figma | Figma OAuth and file access | Starter is free with limits; advanced Dev Mode, teams, AI credits, and seats can be paid | Freemium, capability depends on seat |
| Linear | Linear OAuth and workspace access | Free includes 2 teams and 250 issues; larger workspaces and advanced features are paid | Freemium |
| Slack | Slack OAuth plus workspace approval where required | Free has limited history and app integrations; paid plans expand both | Freemium, workspace policy applies |
| Google Drive, Gmail, Calendar | Google OAuth and source permissions | Consumer accounts can be free; Workspace editions and admin features can be paid | Free possible, provider plan applies |
| Outlook, Teams, SharePoint | Microsoft account and tenant permissions | Personal or organizational Microsoft licensing determines access | Provider-dependent; often organization-paid |
| Supabase | Supabase OAuth or scoped project configuration | Free tier available; Pro starts at $25/month and usage can add cost | Freemium |
| Cloudflare | Cloudflare account, OAuth, or scoped API token | Free plans available; Workers Paid has a $5/month minimum and usage pricing | Freemium / usage-based |
| CircleCI | CircleCI account and project authorization | Free plan available; paid credits and plans apply beyond included capacity | Freemium / usage-based |
| Sentry | Sentry account and project authorization | Developer free plan available; team, retention, volume, and AI features can be paid | Freemium / usage-based |
“No separate plugin fee documented” is deliberately narrower than “free.” OpenAI may change plan availability, shared usage, or credits, while a connected website can charge independently. The Codex plugin detail, Usage panel, and provider billing page remain the authoritative checks for your account.
Context7: why it asks you to authenticate
Context7 retrieves current, version-specific library documentation for coding agents. Authentication lets the provider enforce quotas, show usage, manage access, and support private sources on paid plans. It does not automatically activate billing.
- Free currently costs $0 and includes public repositories plus 1,000 API calls per month.
- When the Free monthly quota is exhausted, requests are blocked apart from the provider's documented daily bonus calls until reset.
- Pro currently costs $10 per seat per month, includes 5,000 calls per seat, and supports paid overages.
- Private repository parsing and enterprise features have separate paid terms.
- Before connecting it, open the Context7 dashboard and confirm that your selected plan is Free and that no payment method or automatic upgrade behavior is enabled unless you want it.
A clearer label system for plugin directories
A useful directory should avoid a single “Free” badge. The following labels expose the decision a user actually needs to make:
| Label | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Included | No separate plugin line item found; activity still consumes the Codex plan or credits |
| Free software | Runs locally under an open-source license; compute, models, and operations remain your responsibility |
| Free tier | Provider account required; usable without payment within published quotas |
| Freemium | A free tier exists, while higher limits or features require payment |
| Paid service required | The useful workflow depends on a paid provider license, seat, or API |
| Usage-based | The bill depends on calls, tokens, compute, storage, or overages |
| Unknown / verify | The provider does not publish enough information for a safe claim |
Free-first setup checklist
- Start with included or local plugins: Browser, Chrome only when an existing signed-in profile is necessary, Computer Use only for GUI-only tasks, and Playwright for reproducible local web tests.
- For hosted integrations, create or select the provider's Free plan before authorizing Codex.
- Grant read-only and project-scoped permissions first; expand access only when the workflow proves it needs more.
- Disable automatic overages, spend caps, or paid upgrades unless you explicitly accept them.
- Check both dashboards after the first real task: Codex Usage and the provider's Usage/Billing page.
- Remove unused OAuth grants, API keys, apps, and plugins; installed integrations increase permission surface even when they cost $0.
How to verify any plugin before installing
- Open the plugin detail and identify every bundled skill, app, MCP server, and required connector.
- Check whether Codex says Install, Connect, Enable, or asks an admin—these are different setup layers, not pricing labels.
- Follow only the provider's official pricing link and record the plan, quota, overage rule, and reset date.
- Confirm whether OAuth requests read-only or write permissions and which account or workspace is active.
- Look for a spend cap, auto-reload, automatic overage, trial conversion, or per-seat charge.
- Save the verification date. A price without a date becomes misleading quickly.
Security and privacy still matter on free plans
A $0 integration can still access valuable data. Chrome can work in your signed-in browser profile; Computer Use can operate approved desktop apps; GitHub, Google, Slack, and Microsoft connectors can expose private workspace content within the permissions you grant. Prefer the dedicated connector over broad screen control when it offers narrower, reviewable access, and never treat a Free badge as a security review.
Frequently asked questions
- Are Codex plugins free to install?
- OpenAI's current plugin documentation does not describe a separate marketplace purchase price for installing the plugins covered here. That does not make the workflow cost-free: Codex uses your plan allowance or credits, and connected services can require their own free or paid account.
- Does authentication mean a plugin is paid?
- No. Authentication identifies you, scopes permissions, and tracks quotas. Context7, GitHub, Figma, Linear, Slack, Supabase, Cloudflare, and other services all offer some form of free access while still requiring a login.
- Is Context7 free in Codex?
- It is freemium. As verified on July 20, 2026, Context7's Free plan includes 1,000 API calls per month for public repositories. Pro seats, overages, private repository parsing, and enterprise capabilities are paid. Check the current Context7 pricing page before relying on these limits.
- Are Browser, Chrome, and Computer Use unlimited?
- No unlimited claim should be inferred. They have no separate plugin fee documented here, but availability depends on plan, region, workspace settings, and permissions, while their agent work uses the shared Codex or Work allowance and credits.
- Can a free plugin create a paid cloud bill?
- Yes. A free Cloudflare, Supabase, GitHub, or CI integration can create or operate resources that exceed a free quota. Review proposed actions, enable provider spend controls, and verify the provider billing dashboard after deployment or high-volume work.
- What is the safest default for an unknown plugin?
- Label it Unknown / verify, do not attach a payment method, start with read-only permissions, and require an official pricing source plus a dated quota check before calling it free.
Conclusion
The useful question is not “Is this Codex plugin free?” but “Which layer can charge me?” Browser, Chrome, and Computer Use are included capabilities subject to Codex access and usage. Context7 is authenticated but genuinely freemium. Most productivity and developer integrations sit in the middle: no separate plugin price, a free provider tier, and paid limits that belong to the external account. Use dated, multi-label pricing instead of a single Free badge, and verify both Codex and provider billing before scaling a workflow.
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