Codex CLI
OpenAI’s lightweight coding agent for your terminal.
- Stars
- 129.3K
- Forks
- 20.3K
- Open issues
- 22.7K
- Last commit
- 2026-10-15
Live from the GitHub API · updated 2026-10-15
What is Codex CLI?
Codex CLI is OpenAI’s open-source terminal agent. It reads your repo, proposes and applies changes and runs commands in a sandbox, with approval modes from suggest-only to full auto.
Key features
- Sandboxed command execution
- Approval modes
- Sign in with ChatGPT or an API key
System requirements
- Platforms
- macOS · Linux · Windows
- Notes
- Node.js 22+ for npm installs.
How to install Codex CLI
Summarized from the project’s README. Projects change quickly — check the GitHub page for the latest instructions.
npm
- 1Install and run.
npm install -g @openai/codex codex
Strengths
- Strong sandboxing
- Works with ChatGPT plans
Limitations
- Optimized for OpenAI models
Codex CLI alternatives compared
| Software | Stars | License | Platforms | VRAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Codex CLI OpenAI’s lightweight coding agent for your terminal. | 129.3K | Apache-2.0 | — | |
| Gemini CLI Google’s open-source AI agent for the terminal. | 107.4K | Apache-2.0 | — | |
| Aider AI pair programming in your terminal, with automatic git commits. | 49.6K | Apache-2.0 | — | |
| opencode Open-source AI coding agent built for the terminal. | 213.6K | MIT | — | |
| Continue Open-source AI code assistant for VS Code and JetBrains. | 36.2K | Apache-2.0 | — | |
| Cline Autonomous coding agent inside VS Code that asks before it acts. | 70.3K | Apache-2.0 | — |
FAQ
Is Codex CLI free?
Yes — Codex CLI is open-source software released under the Apache-2.0 license. Check the license (and any model weight licenses) before commercial use.
Does Codex CLI run on Windows, Mac and Linux?
Codex CLI supports: macOS, Linux, Windows.
How do I install Codex CLI?
1. Install and run.
What are the best Codex CLI alternatives?
Popular alternatives include Gemini CLI, Aider, opencode, Continue. See the comparison table on this page.