OpenAI Codex review
OpenAI's coding agent in ChatGPT, your terminal and IDE
- OpenAI
- Free + paid plans
- Mac, Windows, Linux, Web, iPhone & iPad, Android
Does it deserve #8?
Is OpenAI Codex worth it?
For most people, yes. OpenAI Codex scores 8.7/10 and ranks #8 in Developer Tools. It's best for ChatGPT subscribers who want a capable coding agent at no extra cost. Skip it if you want your code kept out of training without changing any settings. Price: Included in every ChatGPT plan, even Free; Plus is $20 a month and Pro from $100.
The verdict
Codex is OpenAI's coding agent, and it now comes with every ChatGPT plan. Use it in the ChatGPT desktop app, the open-source Codex CLI, your IDE or in the cloud, where it can work on several tasks at once and review pull requests on GitHub. You can keep an eye on sessions from the ChatGPT phone app too. July's merge of the Codex app into ChatGPT confused plenty of people, and personal-plan tasks can train models unless you opt out.
- Codex inside the ChatGPT desktop app
- Open-source Codex CLI
- IDE extension
- Parallel cloud tasks
- GitHub code review
- Session control from your phone
Score breakdown
Overall = features 30% · design 20% · speed 20% · value 15% · privacy 15%. Why these weights?
What's new
- Oct 2026GPT-6.1 Terra arrived on Plus and higher plans, and GPT-5.5 was retired in favour of GPT-6.1 Sol
- Aug 2026The ChatGPT desktop app, with Codex built in, came to Linux as a preview
- Jul 2026The Codex app became the new ChatGPT desktop app, alongside Chat and ChatGPT Work
Privacy 7.0/10
On personal ChatGPT plans, Codex tasks can train OpenAI's models unless you turn off Improve the model for everyone. Business, Enterprise and Edu content isn't used for training by default.
What we like
- Included even with a free ChatGPT account
- Open-source CLI under the Apache 2.0 licence
- Runs on Mac, Windows and Linux
What could be better
- Free and Go plans are meant for light tasks only
- Merged ChatGPT desktop app drew complaints of confusion
- Personal-plan tasks can train models unless you opt out
ChatGPT subscribers who want a capable coding agent at no extra cost
you want your code kept out of training without changing any settings
Questions about OpenAI Codex
Is OpenAI Codex worth it in 2026?
For most people, yes. OpenAI Codex scores 8.7/10 and ranks #8 in Developer Tools. It's best for ChatGPT subscribers who want a capable coding agent at no extra cost. Skip it if you want your code kept out of training without changing any settings. Price: Included in every ChatGPT plan, even Free; Plus is $20 a month and Pro from $100.
Is Codex free?
Yes, Codex is included with ChatGPT Free and Go for quick, lightweight tasks. Plus ($20 a month) and Pro (from $100) give far more usage, and you can also pay per use with an API key.
Where is the Codex app now?
Since July 2026 Codex lives inside the ChatGPT desktop app for Mac and Windows, with a Linux preview. There's also the Codex CLI, IDE extensions and Codex Cloud.
Does OpenAI train on my code?
On personal plans, Codex tasks may be used for training unless you turn off Improve the model for everyone in Data Controls. Business, Enterprise and Edu are excluded by default.
What are the best alternatives to OpenAI Codex?
The closest alternatives are Claude Code, GitHub Copilot and Cursor. See all of them ranked on our OpenAI Codex alternatives page.
Where does OpenAI Codex rank?
OpenAI Codex ranks #8 of 13 in our Developer Tools ranking, with an overall score of 8.7 out of 10.