Codex CLI vs Claude Code
Codex CLI and Claude Code side by side: what each one is, verified plan pricing and install commands where we have them, and the full review of each.
Codex CLI
OpenAI's open-source (Apache-2.0) terminal coding agent, built in Rust. Included with ChatGPT Plus from $20/mo or usable with an API key. Defaults to GPT-6.1 Sol.
Claude Code
Daily DriverAnthropic's agentic coding CLI. Runs in your terminal, edits files autonomously, spawns sub-agents, and maintains memory across sessions. Defaults to Claude Opus 5.5 on paid plans as of October 2026.
At a glance
| Field | | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI Coding | AI Coding |
| Website | github.com | docs.anthropic.com |
| Pricing | Plus - $20/mo: Codex in the CLI, IDE extension, web, and iOS, plus cloud code review and Slack; Pro - $100, $200, or $500/mo: everything in Plus with no five-hour limit; Ultrafast mode on Pro $500; Business - $20/user/mo billed annually ($25 monthly), 2+ users; Enterprise and Edu - contact sales; API key - pay per token at OpenAI API rates; no cloud features; Free and Go ($8/mo) - GPT-6 Luna in the desktop app only, subject to rollout | Pro - $20/mo, or $17/mo billed annually ($200 up front): includes Claude Code; Max - $100/mo (5x Pro usage) or $200/mo (20x Pro usage), plus $100 to $200/mo in API credits; Team - Standard seat $20/seat/mo billed annually ($25 monthly); Premium seat $100/seat/mo billed annually ($125 monthly); 2 to 150 seats; Enterprise - $20/seat/mo billed annually, 20 seat minimum, plus usage at API rates; Console (API key) - pay per token at Anthropic API rates; Free claude.ai plan - does not include Claude Code |
| Install | curl -fsSL https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.sh | sh or npm install -g @openai/codex or brew install --cask codex | curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash or brew install --cask claude-code or npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code |
| Models | GPT-6.1 Sol is the default as of CLI 0.161.0, with GPT-6 Astra, GPT-6 Sol, and GPT-6 Luna also available on ChatGPT plans. API-key sessions get whichever models the key can access, and custom Responses-compatible providers can be configured. | Defaults to Claude Opus 5.5 on Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise, and the Anthropic API (Sonnet 4.5 on Microsoft Foundry). Switch with /model, claude --model, or ANTHROPIC_MODEL using the opus, sonnet, haiku, and fable aliases (Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5.5, Haiku 5.5, Fable 5.1 on the Anthropic API) or a full model name; Fable is never the default and must be picked explicitly. |
| Last verified | October 17, 2026 | October 17, 2026 |
In Depth
Codex CLI
Codex CLI is OpenAI's coding agent for your own machine. Run `codex` in a repository and it opens a full-screen terminal UI where it reads the code, proposes and applies edits, runs commands inside a sandbox with approval controls, and keeps a resumable session history. It is open source under Apache-2.0 and written in Rust, and the same agent also ships as an IDE extension (VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf), a desktop app (`codex app`), and a scriptable `codex exec` mode for CI. Sign in with ChatGPT to use the usage allowance on a Plus, Pro, Business, Edu, or Enterprise plan, or sign in with an API key and pay standard API rates instead (API-key sessions skip the cloud features such as GitHub code review and Slack). Project instructions live in AGENTS.md, and MCP servers, skills, plugins, and subagents extend what it can do. OpenAI ships CLI releases fast - four landed between October 1 and October 8, 2026 - so the changelog is worth watching. Pick Codex CLI over Codex cloud when local services, your own toolchain, and immediate feedback matter more than async background runs.
Claude Code
Claude Code is a terminal-based coding agent from Anthropic. You give it a prompt, and it reads your codebase, plans changes, edits files, runs tests, and commits - all autonomously. It spawns sub-agents for parallel work, uses persistent memory (CLAUDE.md files) to remember project context between sessions, and integrates with MCP servers for external tools. I run it on the Max plan (from $100/mo) and it handles everything from multi-file refactors to full feature builds. My video on Claude Code sub-agents hit 160,000 views - it's the tool my audience asks about most. As of October 2026 it defaults to Claude Opus 5.5 on Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise, and API accounts, and you can switch models per session.
FAQ
Answers taken from each tool's verified fact sheet, with the date it was last checked.
How much does Codex CLI cost?
As of October 17, 2026: Plus - $20/mo: Codex in the CLI, IDE extension, web, and iOS, plus cloud code review and Slack; Pro - $100, $200, or $500/mo: everything in Plus with no five-hour limit; Ultrafast mode on Pro $500; Business - $20/user/mo billed annually ($25 monthly), 2+ users; Enterprise and Edu - contact sales; API key - pay per token at OpenAI API rates; no cloud features; Free and Go ($8/mo) - GPT-6 Luna in the desktop app only, subject to rollout. Source: openai/codex README, Codex pricing, Codex changelog.
How do I install Codex CLI?
Official install commands as of October 17, 2026: curl -fsSL https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.sh | sh or npm install -g @openai/codex or brew install --cask codex.
Which models does Codex CLI use?
As of October 17, 2026: GPT-6.1 Sol is the default as of CLI 0.161.0, with GPT-6 Astra, GPT-6 Sol, and GPT-6 Luna also available on ChatGPT plans. API-key sessions get whichever models the key can access, and custom Responses-compatible providers can be configured.
How much does Claude Code cost?
As of October 17, 2026: Pro - $20/mo, or $17/mo billed annually ($200 up front): includes Claude Code; Max - $100/mo (5x Pro usage) or $200/mo (20x Pro usage), plus $100 to $200/mo in API credits; Team - Standard seat $20/seat/mo billed annually ($25 monthly); Premium seat $100/seat/mo billed annually ($125 monthly); 2 to 150 seats; Enterprise - $20/seat/mo billed annually, 20 seat minimum, plus usage at API rates; Console (API key) - pay per token at Anthropic API rates; Free claude.ai plan - does not include Claude Code. Source: Claude Code setup docs, Claude Code model configuration, Claude pricing, anthropics/claude-code CHANGELOG, anthropics/claude-code releases, @anthropic-ai/claude-code on npm (release dates).
How do I install Claude Code?
Official install commands as of October 17, 2026: curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash or brew install --cask claude-code or npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code.
Which models does Claude Code use?
As of October 17, 2026: Defaults to Claude Opus 5.5 on Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise, and the Anthropic API (Sonnet 4.5 on Microsoft Foundry). Switch with /model, claude --model, or ANTHROPIC_MODEL using the opus, sonnet, haiku, and fable aliases (Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5.5, Haiku 5.5, Fable 5.1 on the Anthropic API) or a full model name; Fable is never the default and must be picked explicitly.
