Helios vs OpenAI Agents
Files persist. Triggers on every plan.
OpenAI spreads agent work across scheduled tasks, Codex cloud, and Workspace Agents. Helios runs every workflow on one surface with the same triggers and one meter.
5,000 free credits to start.
OpenAI offers agent work in several places. ChatGPT scheduled tasks run on a timer and, on Plus and above, on Gmail, Slack, and GitHub events. Codex cloud runs coding tasks in a disposable container. Workspace Agents are in preview for Business, Enterprise, and Edu, metered in credits. Helios is one product. Each run gets a sandbox, files come from a shared Library, and the same triggers work on every account. This page lists the facts, with dates, and lets you decide.
At a glance
Side by side
Short facts for each product. The OpenAI Agents column comes from public pages on the date shown at the bottom of this page.
| Topic | Helios | OpenAI Agents |
|---|---|---|
| Sandbox per run | Yes. Each run and chat gets its own sandbox with shell, files, and code execution. 30 minute limit per workflow run. | Codex cloud: a disposable container per task, cached for at most 12 hours, internet off by default. No published CPU, RAM, or timeout. Scheduled tasks: web or desktop, no sandbox. |
| Tools and APIs | The full API of each connected tool. The agent searches the API surface and calls the endpoint it needs. | Connectors through the Connector Registry, and the Agents SDK for developers. ChatKit remains after the Agent Builder shutdown. |
| Triggers | Manual, cron schedule, signed webhook, and integration events from GitHub, Slack, and Plain. Same on every account. | Scheduled tasks: timer on any plan. Gmail, Slack, and GitHub events on Plus and above since August 25 2026, web only. Desktop tasks need the computer on. |
| Human review | Library changes are proposed by the agent and approved per file by a person. No approval step inside a run. | Codex opens pull requests for a person to review. Admins can allow or block event-triggered scheduled tasks. |
| Permissions | Resource roles viewer, operator, editor, and admin. Share with a person, a group, or the whole organization, with expiry. | Workspace admin settings, including 'Allow event-triggered scheduled tasks'. Workspace Agents activity in the admin console. |
| CLI | The Helios CLI runs, shares, and triggers workflows with the same permissions as the dashboard. JSON output when piped. | Codex CLI for local coding tasks. Scheduled tasks and Workspace Agents are web and app surfaces. |
| Pricing model | Credits. 5,000 free to start, then $0.002 per credit. No seats. | Seats. Plus $20, Pro $200, Business $20 to $25 per user with a two-user minimum, Enterprise custom. Codex, Work, and Workspace Agents share one agentic credit pool.Per eesel.ai and openai.com, Sep 2026 |
| Org spend limits | Yes. A monthly spending limit for the organization. Triggers stop when credits run out. | Workspace Agents are credit metered since July 6 2026, typical run 5 to 25 credits. Limits are set at the seat and pool level. |
| Memory or context | Shared Library files mounted into the sandbox at ~/context. Edits are staged for review. | ChatGPT memory for chat. Web scheduled tasks keep no folder between runs. Codex containers are rebuilt after 12 hours. |
| Availability | Web dashboard and CLI on any operating system. Available to teams now. | Scheduled tasks on every plan. Codex cloud on Plus and above. Workspace Agents in preview on Business, Enterprise, and Edu. |
Where OpenAI Agents is strong
What OpenAI Agents does well
- Distribution and price anchor. ChatGPT Plus is $20 per month and most people already have an account.
- Model quality. OpenAI models are among the best available, and they are in the plan.
- Event triggers in a consumer product. Since August 25 2026, scheduled tasks on Plus and above can start on Gmail, Slack, and GitHub events.
- Codex cloud integrates with GitHub and gives each task a fresh container with internet off by default.
- Workspace Agents show activity in the admin console, and Slack-triggered runs were free on the date checked.
Where Helios is different
How Helios works instead
- Files persist between runs. Shared Library files mount into the sandbox at ~/context, and edits are staged for review. Codex containers are 'cached for at most 12 hours, then rebuilt', and web scheduled tasks keep no folder between runs.
- Triggers are the same on every account and surface. Manual, cron schedule, signed webhook, and integration events from GitHub, Slack, and Plain. OpenAI event triggers are web only and gated by plan.
- One surface. OpenAI retired Operator in 2025, removed ChatGPT agent mode in August 2026, and will shut down Agent Builder, Evals, and reusable Prompts on November 30 2026. Helios has not retired an agent surface.
- One permissions model in the dashboard and the CLI. Roles, groups, and service accounts behave the same in both.
- One meter. Credits with an organization spending limit cover model and sandbox usage for every workflow and chat.
Pricing
What each one charges
Public list prices, checked on 7 September 2026. Prices change, so confirm on each vendor's page before you decide.
Helios
5,000 free credits to start. $0.002 per credit after that. No seats. Set an organization spending limit and optional auto refill.
Helios pricing →OpenAI Agents
ChatGPT Plus $20 per month, Pro $200, Business $20 to $25 per user per month with a two-user minimum, Enterprise custom. Codex, ChatGPT Work, and Workspace Agents share one agentic credit pool. Workspace Agents are credit metered since July 6 2026, with a typical run at 5 to 25 credits.
OpenAI Agents pricing page →Checked on 7 September 2026
Using both
Helios and OpenAI Agents together
Most teams keep both. ChatGPT stays for chat and quick research, and Codex stays for pull requests in a repo. Helios takes the work that must run on a trigger for a team, with the full API of each tool and files that carry from one run to the next. If you built on Agent Builder, note the November 30 2026 shutdown and move those flows to a Helios workflow or to the Agents SDK before then.
FAQ
Helios and OpenAI Agents, common questions
Run your first task.
5,000 free credits. Set an organization spending limit before your first workflow runs.
OpenAI Agents information is from public pages on 7 September 2026. Marks belong to their owners. Helios is not affiliated with OpenAI Agents. Tell us if something is out of date at [email protected].
Sources
- ChatGPT agent mode removal notice (usecarly.com)
- Agent Builder deprecation (OpenAI developer docs)
- AgentKit and Agent Builder timeline (montanalabs.ai)
- ChatGPT scheduled tasks and automations (learn.chatgpt.com)
- Codex cloud containers (agent37.com)
- Introducing Workspace Agents in ChatGPT (openai.com)
- Workspace Agents pricing and credits (useauteur.com)
- ChatGPT Work pricing (eesel.ai)