Side-by-side comparison · Coding & Dev Tools
Cursor vs OpenAI Codex vs Warp
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.
Overview
| Attribute | Cursor | OpenAI Codex | Warp |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | A modern terminal where you can type what you want in plain English instead of commands. |
| 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 | Warp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3.9 | 4.2Winner | 4.1 |
| 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 | 4.0 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Cursor | OpenAI Codex | Warp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | No |
| 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 | – |
| 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 | 14/ 17 | 10/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Cursor | OpenAI Codex | Warp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free Free Trying the editor and a few agent runs. | Free Free A quick look at what it can do. | FreeOur pick Free Everyone who just wants a better terminal. |
Plus $8/mo Light users who are happy with Grok models only. | Go $8/mo Occasional light tasks. | Build $20/mo, or $18/mo billed yearly People who lean on the Warp agent daily. | |
PremiumOur pick $30/mo Most developers who want Claude or OpenAI models. | PlusOur pick $20/mo Anyone who already pays for ChatGPT. | Max $200/mo, or $180/mo billed yearly Heavy agent users. | |
Super $100/mo Heavy daily agent users. | Pro From $100/mo Developers who hit the Plus limits. | Business $50/user/mo, or $45/user/mo billed yearly Teams that need SSO and usage metrics. | |
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. | 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. | Stay on Free. The terminal is the product, and you can run Claude Code inside it on your Claude subscription without paying Warp anything. Only buy Build if you find yourself using Warp's own agent more than Claude Code. |
Key features
| Attribute | Cursor | OpenAI Codex | Warp |
|---|---|---|---|
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | Cursor | OpenAI Codex | Warp |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Cursor | OpenAI Codex | Warp |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Cursor, OpenAI Codex or Warp?
OpenAI Codex scores highest overall in our ratings (Cursor 3.9/5, OpenAI Codex 4.2/5 and Warp 4.1/5). 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. Warp is best for A nicer home for Claude Code and Plain-English commands.
Which is cheaper, Cursor, OpenAI Codex or Warp?
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. Warp: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $20/mo.
Which is easier to use, Cursor, OpenAI Codex or Warp?
Warp rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone who has to use the terminal but never wanted to learn it.
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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