Codex CLI vs Cursor
A detailed comparison to help you choose the right AI tool for your needs.
Feature Comparison
Feature
Codex CLI
Cursor
Ratings
Overall Rating
4.7
4.7
Coding
4.7
4.8
Writing
4.3
-
Reasoning
4.5
4.5
Speed
4.6
4.6
Value
4.8
4.7
Pricing
Monthly Price
$20
$20
Free Tier
Input (per 1M tokens)
$2.5
-
Output (per 1M tokens)
$10
-
Features
Context Window
128K
200K
Vision/Images
Audio
Video
Code Generation
AI Agents
Codex CLI
Pros
- Open source (Apache 2.0)
- Multimodal input support
- Local-first privacy
- Rich approvals workflow
- Included with ChatGPT subscription
Cons
- Newer tool with evolving features
- Less mature than Claude Code
Cursor
Pros
- Best IDE experience for AI coding
- Understands project context deeply
- Multi-file editing
- Tab completion is excellent
- Uses latest Claude/GPT models
Cons
- Limited to coding only
- Premium features require subscription
- Can be resource-intensive
Choose Codex CLI if you need:
Rapid prototyping, open-source flexibility, ChatGPT users
Choose Cursor if you need:
Daily coding, large projects, professional developers
Ready to get started?
Both tools offer free tiers or trials. Try them out and see which one works best for your workflow.