Claude Code vs Codex
| Claude Code | Codex | |
| Maker | Anthropic | OpenAI |
| Category | Coding agent | Coding agent |
| Best for | Builders | Builders |
| What it does | Agentic coding tool that runs in the terminal and IDEs, reads a codebase and makes multi-file edits. | OpenAI's software engineering agent, available as a CLI, IDE extension and cloud agent inside ChatGPT. |
| Pricing | Included with Claude Pro/Max plans or API usage | Included with ChatGPT Plus/Pro/Business plans |
Bottom line
Pick Claude Code if this fits: agentic coding tool that runs in the terminal and ides, reads a codebase and makes multi-file edits. Pick Codex if this fits: openai's software engineering agent, available as a cli, ide extension and cloud agent inside chatgpt. Both are worth a trial before you commit; pricing changes often, so check Claude Code and Codex directly.