Cursor vs Codex
Cursor and Codex answer different questions. Cursor asks where your AI should live and answers "in your editor", with Tab completions, inline edits and the widest model choice of the three tools. Codex asks where your work starts and answers "wherever you already are" — a desktop app, CLI, IDE extension or cloud, with native GitHub, Slack and Linear.
At a glance
| Feature | Cursor | Codex |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | AI-first code editor (VS Code fork) | Multi-surface coding agent (desktop app, CLI, IDE, cloud) |
| Primary interface | Agents Window plus a VS Code fork; also web, iOS, CLI and SDK | Desktop App, with CLI, IDE extension and Cloud as secondary surfaces |
| Tab completions | Best-in-class inline Tab completions | Good, via the IDE Extension |
| Agent capability | Agent mode edits multiple files; Agents Window runs local, worktree, cloud and SSH agents in parallel | Local, worktree and cloud task execution, with worktree threads for parallel work |
| Approval modes | Agent-level permissions with auto-review | Auto, Read-only and Full Access |
| Context window | Up to 1M tokens in Max Mode | Model- and surface-dependent; GPT-5.6 API: 1.05M |
| Models | Claude Fable 5, Opus 5 and Sonnet 5, Grok 4.5, Gemini 3.1 Pro, Cursor Composer 2.5, plus Auto model selection and BYOK | GPT-5.6 Sol, Terra and Luna, by plan and workload; BYOK via API key |
| MCP servers | Yes, configured in settings | Yes, via `~/.codex/config.toml`, shared across surfaces |
| Agent Skills | Yes, via `npx skills add <owner/repo>` | Yes, via `npx skills add <owner/repo>` |
| Headless / scripted | CLI, SDK and Cloud Agents | `codex exec "prompt"` |
Which gives more model choice?
Cursor, and not narrowly. It runs Claude Fable 5, Opus 5 and Sonnet 5, Grok 4.5, Gemini 3.1 Pro and Cursor Composer 2.5, with an Auto mode that picks for you. Codex runs GPT-5.6 Sol, Terra and Luna. Both accept your own API key.
How do they handle parallel work?
Cursor runs local, worktree, cloud and SSH agents from its Agents Window, across repositories and environments. Codex runs worktree threads and cloud tasks, with multiple projects in one window. Both isolate parallel edits; Cursor spans more environment types, Codex keeps more of it inside a single app.
The verdict
Choose Cursor if
- Your day is spent in an editor and you want the AI there too
- You want to choose the model per task, or let Auto choose
- You rely on the VS Code marketplace and keybindings
Choose Codex if
- Work reaches you through GitHub, Slack or Linear rather than a file tree
- You want PR review to happen natively in GitHub
- You want one agent that follows you from app to CLI to cloud
What they cost
Cursor
- Hobby
- Limited Agent and Tab usage
- Pro
- Includes $20 of third-party API usage plus first-party capacity
- Pro+
- Includes $70 of third-party API usage plus first-party capacity
- Ultra
- Includes $400 of third-party API usage plus first-party capacity
Teams: Teams Standard $40/user/month ($32 billed annually); Teams Premium $120/user/month ($96 annually); Enterprise is custom
Codex
- ChatGPT Plus
- Codex included; credits may extend usage after included limits
- ChatGPT Pro 5x
- Same Pro capabilities with five times Plus usage
- ChatGPT Pro 20x
- Highest individual allowance; twenty times Plus usage
Teams: ChatGPT Business seat $25/user/month ($20 billed annually); Enterprise is custom
Public US list prices before tax, from the snapshot date above. Regional prices, negotiated contracts, mobile-store billing and promotions can differ — check the vendor page before purchasing.
Frequently asked questions
Does Codex have Tab completions?
Yes, through the IDE Extension, though Cursor's inline Tab completions are the stronger of the two. Cursor also has Cmd+K inline edit, which Codex does not.
Which costs less for a small team?
A ChatGPT Business seat is $25/user/month ($20 billed annually) with baseline Codex access. Cursor Teams Standard is $40/user/month ($32 annually). Compare included usage as well as seat price — Cursor meters third-party API usage above the included allowance.
Can I use both?
Yes. They overlap less than they look: Cursor covers the editing surface, Codex covers the places work arrives from. Both support MCP servers and Agent Skills installed with npx skills add <owner/repo>, so shared tooling carries across.