Codex vs Claude Code

Short answer: pick Claude Code if you want the agent reviewers rate highest for big, multi-file changes it can carry out on its own, and you're happy with Claude models only. Pick Codex if you already pay for ChatGPT, want an open source CLI, want to send batches of tasks to the cloud, or care about token use. Both start at $20 a month. If your team is split between them, you don't have to choose: see the last section.

What changed in 2026

A lot of Codex vs Claude Code posts are from early 2026 and are now wrong in places:

• Codex moved into ChatGPT. Since July 2026 the Codex app is a mode inside the ChatGPT desktop app, and its docs moved to learn.chatgpt.com/docs.
• Claude Code reads AGENTS.md now, since v2.1.277, but only when the repo has no CLAUDE.md. If you have both, only CLAUDE.md loads unless it imports AGENTS.md with a line like @AGENTS.md (Claude Code docs).
• Claude subscriptions only work in Claude Code. Anthropic blocks third-party tools from using Claude Pro or Max logins (January 2026, tightened in April) (The Register). ChatGPT subscriptions, by contrast, can be used in third-party tools such as OpenCode.
• New plan names. Claude now has an Ultra plan at $200 a month. ChatGPT has Go at $8 and Pro at $100, $200 or $500.

Side by side

	Claude Code	Codex
Maker	Anthropic	OpenAI
Open source	No	CLI yes (Apache-2.0); cloud and app no
Surfaces	Terminal, VS Code, JetBrains, desktop app, web, mobile, Slack, GitHub Actions	CLI, IDE extension, Codex mode in ChatGPT desktop, Codex Cloud, ChatGPT mobile, GitHub, Slack, Linear
Models	Claude only (Opus, Sonnet, Haiku)	OpenAI models, unless you bring an API key
Price for individuals	Pro $20, Max $100, Ultra $200 a month	Free, Go $8, Plus $20, Pro $100 / $200 / $500 a month
Team plan	Team $25 a seat ($20 annual), premium seat $125 ($100 annual)	Business $25 a user ($20 annual), 2+ users
Parallel agents	Subagents, claude --worktree, background agents, cloud sessions, experimental agent teams	A git worktree per app thread, parallel cloud tasks, subagents
Instruction file	CLAUDE.md (AGENTS.md only if no CLAUDE.md)	AGENTS.md

Sources: Claude Code overview, Claude pricing, subagents, Codex repo, Codex pricing, Codex AGENTS.md guide.

Where Claude Code wins

• Large changes on its own. Reviewers consistently put it ahead for multi-file work it plans and finishes without much help (Morph).
• Reach. It runs almost everywhere a developer works: terminal, two IDE families, a desktop app, the web, Slack and CI.
• Team controls. Team and Enterprise plans add shared skills, plugins, hooks, MCP and an org-wide CLAUDE.md.
• It's what most people use. In the Stack Overflow 2026 survey, 66% of agent users used Claude Code, the highest of any agent.

Where Codex wins

• Price and tokens. There's a free tier and an $8 plan. In the same Morph benchmark, Claude Code used 6.2M tokens for a build that took Codex 1.5M.
• Open source CLI. You can read, fork and patch it.
• Background work. Reviewers like it for batches of tasks sent to the cloud while you do something else (alexcloudstar).
• Your subscription travels. A ChatGPT login also works in other tools. One catch: with only an API key you get the CLI and IDE, not Codex Cloud.
• AGENTS.md is native. Codex started the format.

Your team doesn't have to pick one

Most reviewers end up recommending a mix, and most teams already have one: some people on Claude Code, some on Codex. That's fine. Coagy lets each developer keep the agent they like, on their own Claude or ChatGPT subscription, on their own computer. A small connector mirrors their sessions into one team workspace, where everyone can see what every agent is doing, ask it questions and hand work off.

Keep one AGENTS.md as the source of truth, and add a CLAUDE.md that just says @AGENTS.md so Claude Code reads the same rules. The AGENTS.md guide has the exact setup, and running Claude Code, Codex and Cursor on one team shows the rest. Coagy is free for up to 4 developers.

Also compared: Claude Code vs Cursor and Codex vs Cursor.

Questions

Is Codex better than Claude Code?

It depends on the work. Reviewers rate Claude Code higher for large multi-file changes it does on its own, while Codex uses fewer tokens, has an open source CLI and is popular for batches of background cloud tasks. Many teams use both.

Which is cheaper, Codex or Claude Code?

Codex has a lower entry point: a free tier and ChatGPT Go at $8 a month. Both have a $20 plan (Claude Pro and ChatGPT Plus). At the top end Claude offers Max at $100 and Ultra at $200, and ChatGPT Pro comes at $100, $200 or $500 a month.

Does Claude Code read AGENTS.md?

Yes, since v2.1.277, but only when there is no CLAUDE.md in the project. If you have a CLAUDE.md, add a line with @AGENTS.md to it so Claude Code loads both.

Is Codex open source?

The Codex CLI is open source under Apache-2.0. Codex Cloud and the Codex mode in the ChatGPT desktop app are not. Claude Code is not open source.

Can Codex and Claude Code work on the same repository?

Yes. Give each agent its own git worktree and branch so they don't overwrite each other, and keep shared instructions in one AGENTS.md. Coagy does both and shows every developer's sessions in one team workspace.