Cursor vs OpenAI Codex

Cursor: An AI-first code editor that understands your whole project. OpenAI Codex: OpenAI's coding agent that writes, reviews and fixes code in the cloud or terminal. Here is how they compare on features, pricing, platforms, pros and cons.

Quick verdict

Cursor

Best for: Developers who want AI at the centre of their editor.

Stands out for: Familiar VS Code-style editor; Strong project-wide context.

OpenAI Codex

Best for: Developers who want to hand off whole coding tasks.

Stands out for: Works across cloud, terminal and editor; Strong at multi-step tasks.

Side-by-side comparison

Comparison of Cursor, OpenAI Codex
	Cursor Visit cursor.com (opens in a new tab)	OpenAI Codex Visit openai.com (opens in a new tab)
What it is	An AI-first code editor that understands your whole project.	OpenAI's coding agent that writes, reviews and fixes code in the cloud or terminal.
Pricing	Free + Paid	PaidIncluded with paid ChatGPT plans
Free to use	Yes	No
Category	AI Coding	AI Coding
Editor rank	#2 in category	#11 in category
Made by	Anysphere	OpenAI
Best for	Developers who want AI at the centre of their editor.	Developers who want to hand off whole coding tasks.
Key features	Codebase-aware chat Multi-file agent edits Next-edit predictions	Cloud tasks that run in parallel Open-source Codex CLI IDE extension Code review on pull requests
Pros	Familiar VS Code-style editor Strong project-wide context Choice of several AI models	Works across cloud, terminal and editor Strong at multi-step tasks
Cons	Heavy use quickly needs a paid plan Large agent edits need careful review	Needs a paid ChatGPT plan
Use it to	Ask questions about a whole codebase Make multi-file edits from one instruction Autocomplete the next few lines of code	Ask the agent to fix a bug and open a pull request Generate tests for a module Review a teammate's changes
Web app
Windows
Mac
Linux
VS Code