OpenAI Codex CLI

Verified

OpenAI's open-source agentic coding agent for the terminal

Coding Agents

7.9 /10

Open Source

Visit Website GitHub

Released

2025-04

Country

United States

API

N/A

Self-Host

Yes

GitHub Stars

18,000

Last Reviewed

2025-06

About OpenAI Codex CLI

Codex CLI is OpenAI's open-source, terminal-native coding agent. It reads and reasons about your local repository, edits files, runs commands, and completes multi-step engineering tasks with an agentic loop. Powered by the codex model family and running locally, it offers flexible autonomy modes (suggest, auto-edit, full-auto) and supports bring-your-own API key. It competes directly with Claude Code and Aider in the CLI coding-agent space.

Our Verdict

A strong open-source CLI coding agent — Codex CLI brings OpenAI models to your terminal with flexible autonomy, ideal for developers who want control over cost and model choice.

Features

Terminal-based coding

Multi-file editing

Codebase understanding

Command execution

Configurable autonomy modes

Bring your own API key

Detailed Ratings

Ease of Use

7.0

Value for Money

9.0

Features

8.0

Support

6.0

Performance

8.0

Overall Rating

7.9 /10

Pros & Cons

Pros

Open source
Multiple autonomy levels
Backed by OpenAI models
No per-seat license

Cons

CLI-only
Requires OpenAI API spend
Newer, less mature than rivals

Use Cases

Autonomous codingCodebase refactoringBug fixingFeature implementation

Who Is It For?

Developers who want an open-source, terminal-native coding agent powered by OpenAI models with full control over autonomy and cost

#cli#coding-agent#terminal#openai#open-source#agentic

Pricing Plans

Free (BYOK)

Free

Open-source CLI
Bring your own OpenAI API key
All autonomy modes
Local execution
Community support

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Codex CLI free?

Yes, Codex CLI is open source and free to use. You pay only for the underlying OpenAI API calls via your own API key.

Codex CLI vs Claude Code?

Both are terminal coding agents. Codex CLI is open-source and uses OpenAI models with configurable autonomy modes, while Claude Code uses Anthropic's Claude models and requires an Anthropic plan. Codex CLI gives more control over model cost.