Compare AI coding agents
Choose up to three tools to see a side-by-side feature matrix: pricing tiers, model support, interfaces, agent features and open-source status. Rows that differ are highlighted.
Claude Code vs Cursor vs OpenAI Codex
| Feature | Claude Code | Cursor | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made by | Anthropic | Anysphere (part of SpaceX since Aug 2026) | OpenAI |
| Status | Active | Active | Active |
| Type | CLI / terminal, IDE extension, Cloud agent | AI IDE, Cloud agent, Code review | CLI / terminal, Cloud agent, IDE extension, Code review |
| Interfaces | Terminal · VS Code / JetBrains · Desktop app · Web | Desktop editor (VS Code fork) · CLI · Web (cloud agents) | Terminal (Codex CLI) · IDE extension · Web / ChatGPT · Desktop app · iOS |
| Open source | No | No | ✓ Codex CLI is open source (Apache-2.0); cloud service proprietary |
| Free tier | — No | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Starting price | from $20/mo | Free tier · from $20/mo | Free tier · from $20/mo |
| Plans | Pro: $20/mo ($17/mo billed annually) Max: From $100/mo Team: Per seat Enterprise: $20/seat/mo + usage at API rates API (pay-as-you-go): Per token | Hobby: Free Pro: $20/mo Pro+ / Ultra: Higher tiers Teams: $40/user/mo Enterprise: Custom | ChatGPT Free / Go: Included (limited) Plus: $20/mo Pro: $100, $200 or $500/mo Business / Enterprise: Per seat API key: Pay per token |
| Models | Anthropic Claude models (Opus, Sonnet, Haiku families) | Multiple frontier models plus Cursor's own Composer model; the lineup changes often — check the official site | OpenAI GPT models (current GPT-6 family in Codex) |
| Bring your own key | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Agent mode | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Autocomplete | — No | ✓ Yes | — No |
| Cloud / background agents | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| PR code review | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| MCP support | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Self-host option | — No | — No | — No |
| Best for | Developers who are comfortable in the terminal and want an agent that can own multi-step tasks end to end. | Developers who want AI woven into everyday editing, with an agent one keystroke away. | ChatGPT subscribers who want to delegate well-scoped tasks to background agents and review PRs. |
| Last verified | 2026-10-10 | 2026-10-10 | 2026-10-10 |
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Data from /tools.json, verified against official sites on 2026-10-11. Not sure where to start? Take the 60-second recommender.