Claude Code
Coding & Dev Tools
An agent that lives in your project folder, reading, writing and running code for you.
OpenAI Codex
OpenAI's coding agent that works on tasks in the cloud while you do something else.
Paid
Visit website What is it?
Codex is OpenAI's answer to Claude Code. It is a coding agent you can run in your terminal, inside your editor, or as a cloud service from ChatGPT, where it works on a task in the background and comes back with finished changes.
The cloud mode is the interesting part. You can kick off a task from your phone, let it run, and review the result later. If you already pay for ChatGPT, it is included, which makes it an easy one to try alongside Claude Code.
Usage now draws from a credit pool rather than a flat limit, so heavy use on the Plus plan can run out mid-month.
Who it's for
ChatGPT subscribers who want a coding agent without paying for a second subscription.
Best for
- Background tasks that run in the cloud
- Starting a task from your phone
- Developers already on ChatGPT Plus
- Terminal-based coding
Why it made the list
The strongest direct rival to Claude Code, and it comes bundled with a plan many people already have.
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