Cursor vs Claude Code vs Codex
Prices checked on official pricing pages Oct 13, 2026.
| Cursor | Claude Code | Codex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free; Plus $8, Premium $30, Super $100, Ultra $200/mo (plans just changed, check site) | Included in Claude Pro $20/mo ($17/mo yearly); Max from $100/mo | Included in ChatGPT Free (limited); Plus $20/mo; Pro from $100/mo |
| Free option | Cursor Free / GitHub Copilot Free | Gemini CLI / Aider (open source) | Claude Code / Gemini CLI / Cursor Free |
| Interface | Editor (VS Code fork) | Terminal / desktop app | App, CLI, IDE extension, cloud |
| Models | Multi-model (Claude, GPT, Gemini, etc.) | Anthropic only | OpenAI only |
| Best for | Daily IDE coding + flexibility | Deep multi-file refactors & planning | Background agents, PR review, ChatGPT tie-in |
| Try Cursor | Try Claude Code | Try Codex |
Verdict
Daily driver in an IDE with model choice: Cursor. Complex repo work and planning in a terminal-first flow: Claude Code. Already on ChatGPT and want cloud/background agents or PR review: Codex.
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