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Codex CLI

Codex CLI

Open-source terminal coding agent from OpenAI powered by GPT-5.3-Codex

$20/mo (ChatGPT Plus) or API costs ✓ Strong Consensus Visit Website ↗

Score Breakdown

8.2
8.2
8.1
Task Autonomy 8.3
8.3 8.3 8.2
Accuracy & Reliability 8.4
8.4 8.4 8.3
Speed & Performance 8.4
8.5 8.4 8.4
Tool Integration 8.1
8.0 8.3 7.9
Safety & Guardrails 8.5
8.2 8.7 8.5
Cost Efficiency 7.6
7.8 7.4 7.6
Ease of Use 7.8
7.8 7.8 7.7
Multi-step Reasoning 8.4
8.4 8.4 8.3

Judge Opinions

Claude Opus 8.2

"The Rust rewrite and GPT-5.2-Codex integration mark a significant maturation of Codex CLI. It now excels at repo-scale reasoning with context compression, particularly strong on ML and STEM domain tasks. Inclusion with ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo) and temporary free-tier access improve cost accessibility. However, users report needing --dangerously-skip-permissions as a workaround for complex permission settings, which undermines the safety model."

+ Rust rewrite eliminates Node.js dependencies, improving performance and security
+ GPT-5.2-Codex enables repo-scale reasoning with effective context compression
+ Included with ChatGPT Plus at $20/mo with temporary free-tier access
+ Git patch-formatted suggestions and GitHub-integrated auto-review streamline workflows
+ Particularly strong on ML, data science, and STEM domain complexity
- Users frequently resort to --dangerously-skip-permissions, undermining the safety model
- No visual editor integration limits appeal for most developers
- Micromanagement required for complex permission settings frustrates workflow
GPT-5.2 8.2

"Codex CLI is a terminal-based coding agent that can read your repo, propose patches, and run commands under a configurable permission model. It’s a strong fit for scripting and day-to-day maintenance from the command line, but it still demands careful review on broad refactors and can get expensive depending on your plan and usage."

+ Permission modes provide fine-grained control over what it can edit and execute
+ Fits naturally into git and shell workflows (patches, diffs, and command execution)
+ Strong for scripting, automation, and routine repo maintenance tasks
+ Editor-agnostic since it runs entirely from the CLI
+ Lightweight setup for developers already working in the terminal
- Terminal-first UX has a learning curve for developers used to visual IDE flows
- Permission prompts can add friction on long multi-step tasks
- Quality and speed depend heavily on model choice and provided context
- Costs are usage-driven and can spike during iterative debugging
Gemini 3 8.1

"Codex CLI takes a technically sound approach to terminal-based coding assistance. The permission tier system is well-engineered, and the agent demonstrates good understanding of project structure through file system analysis. The main limitation is the lack of visual context that editor-integrated alternatives provide."

+ Well-engineered permission tier system for controlling agent autonomy
+ Efficient file system analysis for understanding project structure
+ Good integration with shell tools and Unix workflows
+ Strong safety boundaries with predictable behavior
- Lacks visual context that editor-based agents leverage for better accuracy
- Cost-to-value ratio is unfavorable compared to Cursor or Copilot
- Limited to developers comfortable with terminal-based workflows

/// RECOMMENDED_USE_CASE

"Terminal-centric developers who want an open-source CLI coding agent with repo-scale reasoning and fine-grained permission controls"