Guide
Codex or ChatGPT Work limit reached? How to keep working
When your Codex usage limit is reached, OpenAI's own options are to wait for the reset, buy credits on eligible plans, or upgrade your plan; Work and Codex share one allowance, while, until December 2026, regular ChatGPT Chat has its own plan limits. With TunnelGPT you can keep working on the same local project from regular Chat on chatgpt.com, if your account still has Chat usage and connector access. Our team tested this on ChatGPT Plus and Pro, with reading, editing and commands.
TunnelGPT does not give you more OpenAI usage. It connects a project on your Mac to a different part of ChatGPT that you may still be able to use. Whether that part is available on your account is for OpenAI to decide, so check it during the free trial before you rely on it. From December 2026, OpenAI shares one allowance across ChatGPT and Codex, so moving to Chat will no longer save Codex usage.
Checked on 25 October 2026
We checked OpenAI's public pricing, Codex and help pages on 25 October 2026. Those pages carry no date stamps, and plans, limits and features change. The test result described here is from our team in October 2026 on Plus and Pro accounts. Usage limits depend on the plan, and we cannot promise the same behavior on every account.
What changes in December 2026
OpenAI has announced that from December 2026, Plus, Pro and Business plans have one usage allowance shared by ChatGPT and Codex, measured in tokens. Only Instant chat does not draw from it (OpenAI help center). Until then, regular Chat and Codex have separate allowances, which is what this guide describes.
From December 2026, switching from Codex to Chat with TunnelGPT does not save usage: both come out of the same allowance. What TunnelGPT still gives you is ChatGPT working on your real local project from the chat, reading and editing files and running approved commands in an isolated container.
Your options when Codex or Work runs out
| Option | What it gives you | Cost or limit | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wait for the reset | Your Codex and Work allowance comes back on OpenAI's schedule. | No extra cost. You lose the time until the reset. | The work can wait, or the reset is close. |
| Buy credits | More Codex and Work usage on eligible plans (Plus and Pro, according to OpenAI's help center). | Priced by OpenAI. Check the pricing page. | You need to continue in Codex itself today. |
| Upgrade your plan | A plan with different usage limits. | The new plan's price. Limits depend on the plan. | You hit the limit regularly. |
| Copy, paste or upload files into Chat | Regular Chat can look at what you paste or upload. | No extra tool. Manual, and nothing runs on your computer. | A small question about one or two files. |
| Open-source bridges | Community projects that connect ChatGPT or Codex to your machine in different ways. | Free (MIT). Setup, platform support and safety model vary by project. Compare them. | You want to inspect the code, use Windows or Linux today, or prefer a CLI. |
| TunnelGPT | Regular Chat on chatgpt.com reads, edits with confirmation and runs approved commands on your local project. | $9.97 USD one-time, Version 1 Perpetual License, after a 3-day trial. Your ChatGPT plan limits still apply; from December 2026 Chat and Codex share them. | You use a Mac with Apple Silicon and want to keep working on the same project. |
OpenAI describes the official options in its help article on Codex usage limits. If you need Codex specifically, credits or a plan change are the direct route.
Why Chat is a different allowance until December 2026
The ChatGPT desktop app has three modes: Chat, Work and Codex. Work and Codex can open a local folder, edit files and run commands. OpenAI's pricing page is explicit about how Work is counted:
ChatGPT Work usage inside ChatGPT uses the same pricing, credits, and usage limits as Codex.
That is why switching from Codex to Work does not help: both draw from the same allowance. Until December 2026, regular Chat is not part of that shared allowance. In our testing on Plus and Pro, work done through TunnelGPT in regular Chat used Chat usage, not the Codex or Work allowance. From December 2026 that changes, as explained above.
The catch is that regular Chat on the web cannot open files on your computer by itself. OpenAI notes that Work on web and mobile cannot directly access local files either. Chat can reach your project only through a connector, which is the gap TunnelGPT fills.
OpenAI does not publish how connector calls are metered against Chat usage. Check it on your own account during the trial: do a normal working session and watch your usage.
What TunnelGPT does and does not do
TunnelGPT does not
- add quota, transfer tokens between Codex and Chat, or reset any limit;
- restore your original Codex conversation;
- promise that Chat or connectors stay available on your account, since OpenAI controls both;
- replace a ChatGPT subscription or change your plan.
TunnelGPT does
- let ChatGPT read the same local project, starting in read-only mode;
- let ChatGPT edit files when you turn on editing for that project, asking for confirmation on write actions and checking each file before and after the change;
- run approved commands in an isolated Linux container in Docker with no external network, working on a private copy by default so you review changes before publishing them;
- keep jobs running on the Mac if the chat stops, so you can check status, logs and results from a new conversation;
- save the task's goal and next step in task memory, so a new chat with the same connector can pick up where you left off.
Reconnecting does not automatically resume a ChatGPT response or re-run work. Task memory is something you ask the agent to save, not an automatic restore.
How to continue once you are set up
These steps assume the one-time setup is already done: Docker running, the OpenAI Secure MCP Tunnel and restricted key created, the project connected in TunnelGPT and the connector added in ChatGPT. That first setup takes longer. The setup guide walks you through it, and it is better to do it before you run out.
- Check that the Mac is awake and online, Docker is running and the project's connection shows as ready in TunnelGPT.
- Open regular Chat on chatgpt.com, start a new conversation and select the project's connector.
- Give ChatGPT the context. If you saved task memory earlier, ask it to load the goal and next step. If you were in Codex, paste a short summary of what you were doing.
- Ask it to read the relevant files and the git status or diff, so it sees where the work stands.
- Turn on editing or command execution for the project only if the task needs it, then confirm each write and review the job results.
Will this get my account in trouble?
TunnelGPT uses OpenAI's official Secure MCP Tunnel, through OpenAI's own tunnel-client, and ChatGPT's documented custom MCP server feature. It does not automate or script the ChatGPT web interface: you use ChatGPT normally, and ChatGPT calls the connector's tools. We cannot speak for OpenAI, so follow OpenAI's terms for your account and workspace.
TunnelGPT is independent software, not affiliated with OpenAI. No TunnelGPT relay server sits in the data path. Your original files stay on the Mac, and the tool results ChatGPT requests are sent to OpenAI so it can answer.
Can I keep using Codex after buying TunnelGPT?
Yes. TunnelGPT does not change your Codex setup. You can keep Codex for its own workflow and use Chat with TunnelGPT on the same project. Until December 2026 that also helps when the Codex or Work allowance runs out; from December 2026 both draw from one shared allowance, so it no longer saves Codex usage.
Which plans has this been tested on?
Our team tested it on ChatGPT Plus and Pro in October 2026. You need an account that can add custom MCP servers on chatgpt.com, and permission in your OpenAI Platform organization to create a Secure MCP Tunnel and a restricted key with Tunnels Read and Use. Availability can change.
What do I need on my computer?
A Mac with Apple Silicon (M1 or later) and Docker 24 or later running. Intel Macs are not supported yet. For Windows, check TunnelGPT for Windows for its current status. The computer must stay awake and online while ChatGPT works on the project.
How do I check it works on my account before paying?
Use the trial: 3 free days, meaning 72 consecutive hours from the first successful connection, including disconnected time. No card is required, and there is one trial per account. If you buy and it does not fit, you can ask for a refund within 14 calendar days at support@tunnelgpt.com.