Side-by-side comparison · Coding & Dev Tools
Cursor vs Claude Code vs OpenAI Codex
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
Cursor
3.9Pick it if: Developers and curious beginners who want AI help but still want a visual editor.
Claude Code
4.4Pick it if: Anyone building software, from first-timers to senior engineers, who wants an AI that does the work itself.
OpenAI Codex
4.2Pick it if: ChatGPT subscribers who want a coding agent without paying for a second subscription.
Claude Code scores highest overall, but OpenAI Codex gives you more for your money. Which one is right comes down to what you value most.
Overview
| Attribute | Cursor | Claude Code | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | A code editor with AI built in, for people who want to watch every change happen. | An AI agent that works inside your project: it reads, writes and runs the code for you. | OpenAI's coding agent. Hand it a task and it works away while you do other things. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Paid | Freemium |
| Starting price | $8/mo | $20/mo | $8/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | No | Yes | No |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Cursor | Claude Code | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3.9 | 4.4Winner | 4.2 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.0 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| FeaturesHow much it can do, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.5 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Cursor | Claude Code | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | No | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | No | No | No |
| API access | – | Yes | Yes |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | Yes |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Makes images | No | No | No |
| Makes video | No | No | No |
| Writes code | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Runs agents or automations | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Learns your brand or style | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 12/ 17 | 12/ 17 | 14/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Cursor | Claude Code | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free Free Trying the editor and a few agent runs. | ProOur pick $20/mo, or $17/mo billed yearly Trying Claude Code and light daily use. | Free Free A quick look at what it can do. |
Plus $8/mo Light users who are happy with Grok models only. | Team From $20/seat/mo billed yearly Businesses with 2 to 150 people who want central billing. | Go $8/mo Occasional light tasks. | |
PremiumOur pick $30/mo Most developers who want Claude or OpenAI models. | Enterprise $20/seat/mo billed yearly, 20-seat minimum Larger companies with compliance needs. | PlusOur pick $20/mo Anyone who already pays for ChatGPT. | |
Super $100/mo Heavy daily agent users. | Max From $100/mo Anyone running Claude Code for hours a day. | Pro From $100/mo Developers who hit the Plus limits. | |
Teams From $30/user/mo Companies that need admin controls and SSO. | API (pay as you go) Usage based Teams who want to pay only for what they use. | Business $20/user/mo billed yearly, or $25 monthly Teams of 2 or more. | |
Enterprise Custom Large organisations. | Enterprise Custom Large organisations. | ||
| Which plan to pick | Skip Plus unless you are happy with Grok. Premium is the realistic starting point if you want Claude or OpenAI models, and budget for the extra usage billing on top of the $30. There is also a $200 Ultra plan with 50x the Plus usage for people who live in it. | Start on Pro. It is enough to build a small site or tool in evenings and weekends. If you hit the limit most days, Max 5x is the next step; it costs five times as much but usually works out cheaper than paying for the API directly. | If you already have ChatGPT Plus, you have Codex: just try it. If you are choosing between this and Claude Code with no existing subscription, Plus at $20 and Claude Pro at $20 cost the same, so pick whichever chat assistant you prefer. |
Key features
| Attribute | Cursor | Claude Code | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standout features |
|
|
|
Pros and cons
| Attribute | Cursor | Claude Code | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pros |
|
|
|
| Cons |
|
|
|
Who each one is for
| Attribute | Cursor | Claude Code | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for |
|
|
|
| You'll find it used by |
|
|
|
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability. The "Visit" buttons may use affiliate links, which never affect a score.
Swap in another tool
More coding & dev tools tools from the library.
