Codex CLI

OpenAI's lightweight coding agent that runs locally in your terminal, written in Rust, usable with a ChatGPT plan or an API key.

133k stars, 20.9k forks Rust On GitHub since April 2025

View on GitHub How to run it

What is Codex CLI?

Codex CLI is a terminal agent from OpenAI that reads your repository, edits files and runs commands on your computer. You sign in with a ChatGPT account to use it as part of your plan, or configure an API key. The same agent is available inside editors such as VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf and as a desktop app, while Codex Web is OpenAI's separate cloud agent. Installers are offered for macOS, Linux and Windows.

Good fit if

  • You already pay for ChatGPT and want a coding agent included in that plan.
  • You want an official agent tuned for OpenAI's coding models.

Look elsewhere if

Before you adopt it

Codex CLI is Apache-2.0, and OpenAI requires a signed contributor license agreement for outside code. The agent is free, but the models it calls are paid through ChatGPT or the OpenAI API.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 30 October 2026. Report a correction

Codex CLI health: is it still maintained?

71 of 100, actively developed

  • Activity
    4,120 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 31 October 2026.
    30 / 30
  • Contributors
    GitHub did not report the authors of recent commits, so this part gets a neutral score.
    10 / 20
  • Releases
    3 releases in the last 12 months; the latest, rust-v0.166.0, on 29 October 2026.
    15 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Too few recent issues from outside the team to measure, so this part gets a neutral score.
    10 / 20
  • Security practices
    OpenSSF Scorecard 6 of 10.
    6 / 10

Read from GitHub on 1 November 2026. How the score works

Codex CLI license: is it open source?

Codex CLI uses Apache-2.0, an open-source license approved by the OSI. Contributors sign a contributor license agreement, which lets the owner relicense their work later.

  1. April 2025First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayApache-2.0. A contributor license agreement is required.

How to run Codex CLI yourself

Docker
Dockerfile or compose file in the repository
Compose file
None in the repository
Setup effort
Not rated: no compose file to judge from
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
Builds for macOS, Windows, including ARM in GitHub releases
Interface languages
English only

Install instructions: the README on GitHub.

Alternatives to Codex CLI

  • Qwen CodeAn open-source AI coding agent that lives in your terminal. 80 health · Apache-2.0 · 28.9k stars
  • CodewhaleOpen-source agent for the terminal written in Rust. Use any provider or model. Issues & PRs always welcome 82 health · MIT · 41.2k stars
  • Open InterpreterA coding agent for open models like Kimi K3 and GLM 5.3 81 health · Apache-2.0 · 68.8k stars
  • OpenCodeThe open source coding agent. 78 health · MIT · 224k stars
  • ClineAutonomous coding agent as an SDK, IDE extension, or CLI assistant. 78 health · Apache-2.0 · 71.1k stars

All 27 projects in AI coding agents

Questions about Codex CLI

Is Codex CLI open source?

Yes. Codex CLI is published under Apache-2.0, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is Codex CLI still maintained?

Its health score is 71 of 100 (actively developed). It had 4,120 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 31 October 2026, and its latest release came out on 29 October 2026.

How do I run Codex CLI?

You can run it with Docker, as an app for macOS, Windows, including ARM. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What are the alternatives to Codex CLI?

Close alternatives in the AI coding agents category include Qwen Code, Codewhale, Open Interpreter.