Modelpeers
OpenAI Codex charactervsCursor character

OpenAI Codex vs Cursor: Which coding agent should you use?

Facts checked Oct 22, 2026. Every number links to its source.

Summary

Derived from sourced facts, not from builder opinions
  • On the official Terminal-Bench 4.0 board, Codex scored 58.18% with GPT-6 Astra or GPT-6.1 Sol at max effort. Cursor has no entry, so there is no like-for-like test.
  • Codex comes with ChatGPT plans: Free, Go $8, Plus $20 and Pro from $100. Cursor has Free, Plus $8 (Grok models only), Premium $30, Super $100 and Ultra $200.
  • Cursor bills Claude, Gemini and OpenAI models at API list price outside the plan, and its docs list no GPT-6 models.
  • OpenAI proposed ending Cursor's access to its models on November 12, 2026.

Choose OpenAI Codex if

  • You want GPT-6 Astra and GPT-6.1 Sol with usage included in a plan.
  • You want published usage estimates per model.
  • You already pay for ChatGPT.
  • You want to keep OpenAI models, which Cursor may lose on November 12, 2026.

Choose Cursor if

  • You want one editor with Claude, Gemini, Grok and Composer models.
  • You use Grok models heavily. They are included in Cursor's plan pool.
  • You are fine paying API list price for third-party models.
OpenAI Codex
Cursor

Follow both to get an email when either one changes its price, limits or behavior.

Best by task

Access to GPT-6 models

OpenAI Codex

Codex runs GPT-6 Astra, GPT-6.1 Sol and GPT-6 Luna. Cursor's model list has no GPT-6 model.

Choice of model makers

Cursor

Cursor lists Claude, Gemini, Muse, GPT-5.6, Grok and Composer models. Codex runs OpenAI models only.

Cheapest paid plan

Tied

Both start at $8: ChatGPT Go (GPT-6 Luna in the desktop app) and Cursor Plus (Grok models only).

Plans

OpenAI Codex plans

Free
Free

GPT-6 Luna in the desktop app, rolling out

Go
$8/month

GPT-6 Luna in the desktop app, rolling out

Plus
$20/month

Web, CLI, IDE and iOS · GPT-6.1 Sol and GPT-6 Luna

Pro
$100/month

Plans at $100, $200 or $500 · no five-hour limit

Business
$25/month

Per user monthly · $20 billed annually

Cursor plans

Free
Free

Limited usage

Plus
$8/month

Grok models only

Premium
$30/month

4x Plus usage · third-party models at API list price

Super
$100/month

15x Plus usage

Ultra
$200/month

50x Plus usage

Teams
$30/month

From $30 per user

Subscription agents are priced per seat with usage limits, so this compares plans rather than dividing a subscription by a guessed number of tasks.

Side by side

OpenAI CodexCursor
MakerOpenAI
Anysphere, a SpaceX company since 2026-08-14
PlansFree $0 and Go $8 (GPT-6 Luna in desktop app, rolling out) · Plus $20 · Pro $100, $200 or $500 · Business $20/user annual or $25 monthly · Enterprise and Edu by sales · API key pay-as-you-go
Free $0 · Plus $8 (Grok models only) · Premium $30 (4x Plus) · Super $100 (15x) · Ultra $200 (50x) · Teams from $30/user · Enterprise custom. Plans are X subscriptions with a weekly pool shared with Grok
Usage limitsPlus and Standard Business local messages per 5 hours: GPT-6 Astra 5-45, GPT-6.1 Sol 15-160, GPT-6 Sol 15-150, GPT-6 Luna 350-3,000 · Pro has no 5-hour limit · weekly limits may apply
Shared Cursor and Grok usage pool that refreshes weekly · top-offs available
Fast modesFast mode uses included limits at 2.5x · Ultrafast for Astra and 6.1 Sol at 8x
Not published
Recent model retirementGPT-5.5 retired from Codex with ChatGPT sign-in on 2026-10-14
Not published
PlatformsWeb, CLI, IDE extension, iOS, desktop app · API key mode for CLI, SDK and IDE without cloud features
Desktop editor, CLI, cloud agents, mobile, Bugbot code review
Quality tracking (MarginLab)Codex with GPT-6 Sol/high: 54% latest day, 59% 7-day, 79% 30-day · 1-day and 7-day drops flagged but detection paused (last updated 2026-09-29)
Not published
Third-party modelsNot publishedThird-party models (Claude, Gemini, OpenAI) are not included in plan usage and are billed at API list price
ModelsNot publishedDocs list Claude Sonnet 5.5, Opus 5.5, Fable 5.1, Haiku 5.5, Gemini 4 Argon, Gemini 3.1 Pro, Gemini 3.8 Flash, Muse Wonder, GPT-5.6 Sol/Terra/Luna, Grok 4.5 to 4.7, Composer 2.5 · no GPT-6 models
OpenAI model accessNot publishedOpenAI proposed ending Cursor's access to its models on 2026-11-12

Scores appear side by side only when both were published for the same test. Settings differ between sources, so small gaps can reverse under another harness.

Updates

OpenAI Codex

12 recorded incidents in the last 90 days.

Cursor

Plan change

The X Subscription replaces separate Grok, Cursor and X Premium plans

SpaceXSI introduced The X Subscription, one plan covering Grok, Grok Bot, Cursor and X Premium with a weekly shared pool of Grok model usage. On Premium and above, third-party models in Cursor are billed separately at API list prices. Current Cursor plans keep included third-party usage until the user switches.

Who is affected:
New Cursor, SuperGrok and X Premium subscribers, and anyone who uses Claude, GPT or Gemini models inside Cursor.
Action needed:
If you rely on third-party models in Cursor, check the cost before switching plans and set a spending cap.

Retiring

OpenAI plans to end Cursor's access to its models on November 12, 2026

After SpaceX's acquisition of Cursor, OpenAI announced it is winding down its contract supplying models to Cursor with a proposed November 12 cutoff. Cursor's CEO said OpenAI models serve about 5% of Cursor traffic. Cursor's model docs list no GPT-6 models. The Hacker News thread drew 852 points and 544 comments.

Takes effect Nov 12, 2026 · in 11 days

Who is affected:
Cursor users who rely on OpenAI models.
Action needed:
Move Cursor workflows off OpenAI models before November 12, 2026, or use Codex or another tool for them.

Plan change

Cursor completes its acquisition by SpaceX

Cursor announced it has been acquired by SpaceX, completing a process announced in April 2026 (Hacker News: 823 points and 989 comments in April. 107 points and 130 comments on August 14). Cursor's pricing page now sells plans through X Subscription Corp with a shared Cursor and Grok usage pool, and third-party models billed at API list price.

Who is affected:
Cursor subscribers and teams evaluating Cursor.
Action needed:
Review the new plan structure. third-party models are no longer included in plan allowances.

Switching checklist

  1. Install Codex with curl -fsSL https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.sh | sh on macOS or Linux, or npm install -g @openai/codex, then run codex and sign in with ChatGPT.
  2. Turn your .cursor/rules into AGENTS.md. Codex reads AGENTS.md from the repository root down to the folder you work in, and /init writes a starting file.
  3. If your instructions live in another file, list it in project_doc_fallback_filenames in ~/.codex/config.toml.
  4. Rewrite each server from Cursor's mcp.json as an [mcp_servers.name] table in ~/.codex/config.toml, or add it with codex mcp add.
  5. Check the default permissions: Codex can read, edit and run commands in the workspace, and asks before editing outside it or using the network.
  6. Check the limits for your plan: on Plus, about 15-160 local messages per 5 hours with GPT-6.1 Sol and 5-45 with GPT-6 Astra.
  7. Run one real task in your own repository with both tools and compare the diffs before moving a team.

FAQ

Is Codex better than Cursor?

Codex scored 58.18% on Terminal-Bench 4.0. Cursor has no result on that board, so there is no direct benchmark comparison.

How much do Codex and Cursor cost?

Codex is included in ChatGPT Free, Go $8, Plus $20 and Pro from $100. Cursor costs Free, Plus $8, Premium $30, Super $100 or Ultra $200.

Can I use OpenAI models in Cursor?

Cursor lists GPT-5.6 models at API list price, but no GPT-6 models. OpenAI proposed ending Cursor's access on November 12, 2026.

What are the Codex usage limits?

On Plus, about 15-160 local messages per 5 hours with GPT-6.1 Sol and 5-45 with GPT-6 Astra. ChatGPT Work shares the same allowance. Pro has no five-hour limit.

Does Codex read Cursor rules?

No. Codex reads AGENTS.md, and other file names only if you list them in project_doc_fallback_filenames. Cursor reads AGENTS.md too.

Who owns Cursor?

SpaceX. Anysphere, Cursor's maker, became a SpaceX company on August 14, 2026.

Can I use Claude models in Codex?

No. Codex uses OpenAI models only.

Related comparisons

OpenAI Codex vs Claude CodeCursor vs Claude CodeCursor vs GitHub CopilotOpenAI Codex vs GitHub CopilotCursor vs Google AntigravityOpenAI Codex pageCursor page

Sources and method

Prices, specs and limits come from each maker's own pages. Benchmark scores come from independent benchmark publishers and the makers' announcements, with the setting each was measured in. Changes come from changelogs, deprecation pages and status pages. The summary is written from these facts only.