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Devin Desktop vs Codex CLI
Devin Desktop is the new name for Windsurf: Cognition's IDE, now built around a command center for local and cloud agents. Codex CLI is OpenAI's terminal agent, open source under Apache-2.0, on your ChatGPT plan or an API key.
Side by Side
| Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | OpenAI Codex CLI | |
|---|---|---|
| What It Is | AI-native IDE from Cognition, renamed from Windsurf (originally Codeium), with the Cascade agent for multi-file edits. | 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 | AI Editors & Agents |
| Where It Runs | Its own IDE, with Spaces and a board for every agent session. Windsurf for JetBrains is still available. | Terminal on macOS, Linux and Windows. The same plan covers the Codex IDE extension, desktop app and Codex cloud. |
| Models | Pro includes frontier models from OpenAI, Claude, Gemini and SpaceXAI, open-source models, and free use of Cognition's SWE-2. | Sign in with ChatGPT, or use an API key, where model access follows your key. |
| Free Option | A light agent quota, limited models, and unlimited Tab completions and inline edits. | The CLI is free to install. Using it starts with ChatGPT Plus, or an API key billed at API rates. |
| Cloud Agents | Pro and up include Devin Cloud, and a session can move between your machine and the cloud with the same context. | Codex cloud comes with your ChatGPT plan. codex exec runs non-interactive tasks in scripts and pipelines. |
| Tags | ||
| Pricing | Pro $20/mo with frontier models and Devin Cloud. Max $200/mo for much higher quotas. Teams $80/mo plus $40 per full seat. Extra usage bills at API 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. |
| Website | devin.ai | developers.openai.com |
| On Digidle |
Pricing and plan details checked October 29, 2026 on each vendor's official pages: Devin pricing, Devin Desktop, Codex pricing, Codex CLI, openai/codex on GitHub. Plans change, so confirm before you buy.
Which One to Pick
Pick Devin Desktop If
You want a full IDE with Tab completions, models from several labs, and one board to run and review many agents at once.
More on Devin DesktopPick Codex CLI If
You live in the terminal, already pay for ChatGPT, and want an open-source agent you can read, script and run in CI.
More on Codex CLIBuilt a tool in AI Editors & Agents? Get it featured at the top of its category for 30 days.
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