Pick Cursor if
software engineers already in git who want an agent in the editor.
Read the Cursor pageCursor vs OpenAI Codex
Our take
Pick Cursor if software engineers already in git who want an agent in the editor. Pick OpenAI Codex if developers already on a ChatGPT plan who want one agent across desktop, CLI, and GitHub review. Skip Cursor if non-developers, or teams that cannot send code to a third-party model API.
Best for
Cursor Changing a real repo
OpenAI Codex A reviewable coding session on an OpenAI account
Free plan
Cursor $0 · limited Agent and Chat requests
OpenAI Codex $0 · /month. GPT-6 Luna at Standard speed in the desktop app (rollout)
Lowest paid
Cursor Plus $8/mo · Grok models only
OpenAI Codex Plus $20/mo
Next step up
Cursor Premium $30/mo · other models at API price
OpenAI Codex Business $25
Coding agent
Cursor Agent + Tab inside the editor
OpenAI Codex Codex
Runs where
Cursor Desktop editor; models hosted
OpenAI Codex Hosted
Watch out
Cursor Plus is Grok-only
OpenAI Codex Codex and ChatGPT Work share the same usage pool
Last checked
Cursor 2026-10-19 · cursor.com/pricing
OpenAI Codex 2026-10-22 · learn.chatgpt.com/docs/pricing
Which one, then?
Pick OpenAI Codex if
developers already on a ChatGPT plan who want one agent across desktop, CLI, and GitHub review.
Read the OpenAI Codex page