Codex CLI vs Cursor
Codex CLI is listed under CLI agents, Cursor under AI IDEs. Each name links to the product's own site.
 Codex CLI | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | CLI agents | AI IDEs |
| Pricing | Open source | Freemium |
| Public code | Yes | No |
| Tags | terminal, openai, open-source, sandbox | editor, agent, vs-code-fork, chat |
| Website | github.com | cursor.com |
What Codex CLI does
Open source coding agent from OpenAI that runs in your terminal. It reads and edits files in the chosen directory and runs commands. Approval modes control what it may do without asking.
What Cursor does
AI code editor built on a fork of VS Code. It has chat, inline edits and an agent mode that changes many files at once. It supports models from several providers and has a free tier.
Other options
See all CLI agents, or alternatives to Codex CLI and Cursor.