Codex App
Desktop command center for managing AI coding agents
Kiro
Spec-driven agentic IDE by AWS
JetBrains Junie
AI coding agent built into JetBrains IDEs
/// THE_VERDICT
Codex App takes the lead in this newcomer showdown with its multi-agent orchestration approach — it can spin up parallel agents to tackle different parts of a task simultaneously, backed by OpenAI's latest models. The sandboxed execution environment adds a safety layer that judges appreciated. Kiro from Amazon brings a spec-driven development philosophy with automated requirements documents and test generation, making it appealing for teams that value structured engineering processes. JetBrains Junie leverages the deep IDE intelligence of the IntelliJ platform, offering AI assistance that understands project structure, frameworks, and build systems at a level that general-purpose tools struggle to match.
SCORE BREAKDOWN
DEEP DIVE
Codex App
Desktop command center for managing AI coding agents
/// JUDGE_SUMMARIES
"The Codex App is a capable multi-agent command center powered by GPT-5.3-Codex, excelling at parallelized task delegation and async workflows. Code quality from the underlying model is strong, but a 40-60% one-shot success rate on complex tasks and Mac-only availability at launch significantly limit practical reliability and reach."
"Codex is OpenAI’s software engineering agent, available through the Codex app and ChatGPT, that can work on tasks in a cloud sandbox, produce reviewable diffs, and iterate by running commands/tests. It’s strongest when the repo has clear setup and automated checks to validate changes, since longer tasks still require human review. It’s limited to OpenAI models and availability/quotas depend on your plan."
"The Codex App provides a well-designed desktop environment for delegating coding tasks to multiple agents simultaneously. The git worktree architecture is technically sound, keeping parallel work isolated. Strong reasoning from the underlying models, but strict vendor lock-in and Mac-only availability are notable constraints."
/// SYSTEM_DIAGNOSTICS
Developers who prefer async task delegation and want to run multiple AI coding agents in parallel
Kiro
Spec-driven agentic IDE by AWS
/// JUDGE_SUMMARIES
"Takes a genuinely unique spec-driven approach that bridges the gap between rapid prototyping and production-ready code through automatic specs, blueprints, and EARS notation for requirements. The autonomous agent capable of multi-day complex tasks is ambitious and promising. The overhead of the spec-driven methodology makes it poorly suited for small projects, and the deep AWS integration is both a strength and a limitation."
"Kiro is a spec-driven, agentic IDE focused on turning a prompt into a structured spec, task plan, and implementation you can validate with tests. Recent releases added more customization (subagents, skills, and hook triggers) to make repeatable workflows easier to standardize across projects. The autonomous agent is powerful but still benefits from tight scope, clear acceptance criteria, and careful diff review."
"Kiro brings a welcome engineering discipline to AI coding. Its 'Spec-driven development' approach—forcing you to define structured requirements (EARS) before generating code—aligns perfectly with how senior engineers actually work. It excels at generating correct, testable code rather than just 'vibe coding'."
/// SYSTEM_DIAGNOSTICS
Enterprise teams and AWS-focused developers who want spec-driven, production-ready AI coding with strong documentation
JetBrains Junie
AI coding agent built into JetBrains IDEs
/// JUDGE_SUMMARIES
"Leverages deep integration with IntelliJ's code analysis, inspections, and refactoring tools to produce notably higher-quality code than standalone agents. The 60.8% SWEBench score validates this approach. The trade-off is being strictly limited to JetBrains IDEs on macOS and Linux only, which narrows the audience significantly despite the excellent integration quality."
"Junie is a JetBrains agentic assistant that leverages IDE inspections and project structure to guide edits and suggestions. The step-by-step planning UI makes it easier to trust and review proposed changes. Availability and feature coverage still vary across JetBrains IDEs and platforms."
"JetBrains Junie brings true agentic capabilities to the IntelliJ ecosystem, leveraging standard-bearing code analysis tools to ensure generated code is actually compilable. While the deep integration with the IDE's refactoring engine is a massive advantage for quality, the credit-based pricing model and slow execution speed can be frustrating for power users accustomed to faster, flat-rate tools."
/// SYSTEM_DIAGNOSTICS
JetBrains IDE users who want a deeply integrated AI coding agent that leverages IntelliJ's code analysis and refactoring tools
PRICING COMPARISON
| Metric | Codex App | Kiro | JetBrains Junie |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | — | ✓ Free tier with limited agent usage | — |
| Pro Price | $20/mo (ChatGPT Plus) or API costs | $19/mo (Kiro Pro) | Included with JetBrains AI Pro ($10/mo) |
| Team / Enterprise | $30/mo (ChatGPT Team) | $39/mo (Kiro Pro+) | $20/mo per user (Business) |
RELATED BATTLES
Methodology & Disclosure ▼
How we rate: Each AI model receives the same structured prompt asking it to evaluate each tool across our criteria on a 1-10 scale. Models rate independently — no model sees another's scores. Consensus score = weighted average. Agreement level = score spread.
Data verification: Pricing and feature data is manually verified against official sources weekly.
Affiliate disclosure: Links to tool signup pages may earn us a commission. This never influences AI ratings.