AI coding agent
Codex
Codex is OpenAI's coding agent across the CLI, IDE extension, desktop app, web, SDK, and cloud. Local sessions work directly in your repository with configurable sandbox and approval policies. Cloud tasks clone the repository into isolated OpenAI-managed environments, making Codex useful for parallel jobs that can run while you work elsewhere.
Best for
- Running several delegated coding tasks in parallel
- Developers who want both local sessions and isolated cloud tasks
- GitHub workflows that end in reviewable pull requests
- Teams already paying for ChatGPT or the OpenAI API
Not best for
- Developers committed to non-OpenAI model providers
- Cloud tasks that require unrestricted network access by default
- Organizations unwilling to connect source repositories to OpenAI
Quick facts
- Vendor
- OpenAI
- Category
- AI coding agent
- Platforms
- Terminal, Web, Cloud, macOS, Windows, VS Code, Desktop, iOS
- Integrations
- GitHub, Slack, MCP, VS Code, ChatGPT, OpenAI API
- Pricing
- Included with every ChatGPT plan, with limits that vary by plan: Free, Go at $8 monthly, Plus at $20, Pro from $100, and Business at $25 per user monthly or $20 billed annually. Enterprise and Edu are priced through sales. The CLI, IDE extension, and SDK can instead run on an API key at standard token rates; cloud tasks require ChatGPT sign-in.
In Depth: Codex
Key features
- CLI, IDE extension, desktop app, web client, and SDK
- Local workspace sandboxing with configurable approvals and network access
- Isolated cloud environments for asynchronous and parallel tasks
- GitHub pull requests, automatic code review, and Slack integration
- MCP support, reusable skills, plugins, and automations
- ChatGPT sign-in or API-key authentication for local work
Pricing and access
Included with every ChatGPT plan, with limits that vary by plan: Free, Go at $8 monthly, Plus at $20, Pro from $100, and Business at $25 per user monthly or $20 billed annually. Enterprise and Edu are priced through sales. The CLI, IDE extension, and SDK can instead run on an API key at standard token rates; cloud tasks require ChatGPT sign-in.
Plans and limits change often. Confirm current pricing on developers.openai.com/codex/ before you commit.
