# Cursor vs Codex CLI

> Cursor is an editor with an agent built in, and its plans now bundle Grok. Codex CLI is OpenAI's terminal agent, open source under Apache-2.0, and it shares your ChatGPT plan with the Codex app, IDE extension and cloud.

- Page: https://digidle.com/compare/cursor-vs-codex-cli/
- All comparisons: https://digidle.com/compare/

## Side by side

### Cursor

- What it is: AI coding agent and VS Code-based editor with codebase-aware chat, autocomplete and agent mode.
- Category: AI Editors & Agents (https://digidle.com/category/ai-editors/)
- Tags: editor, agent
- Where It Runs: Its own VS Code-based editor, plus a CLI. Cloud agents start on Premium.
- Models: Plus runs Grok models only. Premium and up add third-party models, billed separately at API list price.
- Free Option: Free plan with limited agent and chat requests.
- Pricing: Plus $8/mo (Grok models only), Premium $30/mo with 4x the usage, Super $100/mo, Ultra $200/mo. Teams from $30 per user a month. Plans also include Grok and X features.
- Official site: https://cursor.com
- Listing: https://digidle.com/tools/cursor/ (Markdown: https://digidle.com/tools/cursor.md)
- Alternatives: https://digidle.com/alternatives/cursor/

### OpenAI Codex CLI

- What it is: OpenAI's open-source (Apache-2.0) coding agent that runs locally in your terminal: it reads your repo, edits files and runs commands, with codex exec for scripts and CI. Sign in with ChatGPT or use an API key.
- Category: AI Editors & Agents (https://digidle.com/category/ai-editors/)
- Tags: cli, agent, open-source
- Where It Runs: Terminal on macOS, Linux and Windows. The same plan covers the Codex IDE extension, desktop app and Codex cloud.
- Models: Sign in with ChatGPT, or use an API key, where model access follows your key.
- Free Option: The CLI is free to install. Using it starts with ChatGPT Plus, or an API key billed at API rates.
- Pricing: Included with ChatGPT Plus at $20/mo: CLI, IDE extension, web and iOS. Pro is $100, $200 or $500 a month. Business is $25 per user a month billed monthly. Or bring an API key and pay API rates.
- Official site: https://developers.openai.com/codex/cli
- Listing: https://digidle.com/tools/codex-cli/ (Markdown: https://digidle.com/tools/codex-cli.md)
- Alternatives: https://digidle.com/alternatives/codex-cli/

Pricing and plan details checked 2026-10-29 on the official pages: Cursor pricing (https://cursor.com/pricing), Codex pricing (https://developers.openai.com/codex/pricing), Codex CLI (https://developers.openai.com/codex/cli), openai/codex on GitHub (https://github.com/openai/codex). Plans change, so confirm before you buy.

## Which one to pick

- Pick Cursor if: You want chat, autocomplete and an agent inside one editor, and you're fine with Grok models or paying API rates for others.
- Pick Codex CLI if: You live in the terminal, already pay for ChatGPT, and want an open-source agent you can script with codex exec.

## On these best-of lists

- [AI coding agents](https://digidle.com/best/ai-coding-agents/)

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Source: Digidle Tools (https://digidle.com/). Full index: https://digidle.com/llms.txt