Side-by-side comparison · Coding & Dev Tools
Cursor vs OpenAI Codex vs Replit
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
Pick it if: Developers and curious beginners who want AI help but still want a visual editor.
Pick it if: ChatGPT subscribers who want a coding agent without paying for a second subscription.
Pick it if: Beginners and non-developers who want to build and launch something without setting up a development environment.
Overview
| Attribute | Cursor | OpenAI Codex | Replit |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | A code editor with AI built in, for people who want to watch every change happen. | OpenAI's coding agent. Hand it a task and it works away while you do other things. | Build, run and host an app in your browser while an AI agent writes the code. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $8/mo | $8/mo | $20/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | No | No | No |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Cursor | OpenAI Codex | Replit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3.9 | 4.2Winner | 3.7 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers the job it's built for, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 3.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 3.0 | 4.5 | 3.0 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Cursor | OpenAI Codex | Replit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | No | No | No |
| API access | – | 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 | Yes | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Makes images | 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 | No |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 12/ 17 | 14/ 17 | 11/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Cursor | OpenAI Codex | Replit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free Free Trying the editor and a few agent runs. | Free Free A quick look at what it can do. | Starter Free Trying the agent and publishing one app. |
Plus $8/mo Light users who are happy with Grok models only. | Go $8/mo Occasional light tasks. | CoreOur pick $20/mo, or $18/mo billed yearly Anyone building and launching real projects. | |
PremiumOur pick $30/mo Most developers who want Claude or OpenAI models. | PlusOur pick $20/mo Anyone who already pays for ChatGPT. | Pro $100/mo, or $90/mo billed yearly Teams and heavy builders. | |
Super $100/mo Heavy daily agent users. | Pro From $100/mo Developers who hit the Plus limits. | Enterprise Custom Companies with security and compliance needs. | |
Teams From $30/user/mo Companies that need admin controls and SSO. | 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. | 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. | Start on the free Starter plan to see if the agent builds what you have in mind. Move to Core as soon as you want to keep an app online. Watch your credit usage in the first month, because that tells you whether Core is enough or you are better off on Pro. |
Key features
| Attribute | Cursor | OpenAI Codex | Replit |
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | Cursor | OpenAI Codex | Replit |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Cursor | OpenAI Codex | Replit |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Cursor, OpenAI Codex or Replit?
OpenAI Codex scores highest overall in our ratings (Cursor 3.9/5, OpenAI Codex 4.2/5 and Replit 3.7/5). Cursor is best for editing with AI autocomplete and learning by watching changes happen. OpenAI Codex is best for background tasks in the cloud and starting a task from your phone. Replit is best for first coding projects and prototypes you can share straight away.
Which is cheaper, Cursor, OpenAI Codex or Replit?
Cursor: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo. OpenAI Codex: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo. Replit: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $20/mo.
Which is easier to use, Cursor, OpenAI Codex or Replit?
Replit rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Beginners and non-developers who want to build and launch something without setting up a development environment.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
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