Amp vs OpenAI Codex
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
AI tool · Freemium
An agentic coding tool from Sourcegraph for the terminal and editors, built to use frontier models without token limits.
AI tool · Paid
OpenAI's coding agent that works in the cloud, a CLI and IDE extensions to write features, fix bugs and open pull requests.
Our verdict
Amp and OpenAI Codex are both AI coding agents that can write and change code for you, but they differ in where the work runs and how you pay. Amp, from Sourcegraph, is a freemium terminal and editor tool built for heavy agentic coding and sharing agent threads with a team, with usage-based costs that can climb on long tasks. OpenAI Codex is a paid agent that runs tasks in the cloud, in parallel, and opens pull requests on GitHub, and it suits people who want to hand off well-scoped jobs and already use ChatGPT.
Pick Amp if you want a terminal or editor agent for heavy, long coding sessions and your team wants to share agent threads, and you can accept usage-based costs.
Pick OpenAI Codex if you want to delegate well-scoped tasks to a cloud agent that opens GitHub pull requests, especially if you already subscribe to ChatGPT.
| Key difference | Amp | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Terminal (CLI) and editor extensions, including VS Code | Cloud tasks plus CLI and IDE extensions, on web, macOS and Linux |
| Pricing | Freemium with usage-based costs that can be high on long tasks | Paid product; no usage-based model is listed in our notes |
| Team features | Shared agent threads and subagents | Parallel cloud runs and GitHub pull request reviews |
| Best at | Heavy agentic coding with frontier models | Delegating well-scoped tasks to a cloud agent |
| Open source | Not listed in our notes | Open-source CLI |
Written with AI from both products' catalogue entries · updated 2026-10-29
Who each one is for
Choose Amp if you need…
- Heavy agentic coding
- Teams sharing agent threads
Choose OpenAI Codex if you need…
- Delegating tasks to a cloud agent
- ChatGPT subscribers who code
Side-by-side
| Amp | OpenAI Codex | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Coding · Coding agents | Coding · Coding agents |
| Price | Freemium | Paid |
| Platforms | CLI, VS Code | Web, CLI, VS Code, macOS, Linux |
| Works with | VS Code, GitHub | GitHub, VS Code |
| Hands-on tested by us | Not yet | Not yet |
| Last checked | 2026-10-29 | 2026-10-29 |
What each one is
Amp
An agentic coding tool from Sourcegraph for the terminal and editors, built to use frontier models without token limits. Capable and opinionated. Usage-based costs can be high on long tasks.
OpenAI Codex
OpenAI's coding agent that works in the cloud, a CLI and IDE extensions to write features, fix bugs and open pull requests. Strong for well-scoped tasks. Review every pull request it opens; large refactors still need guidance.
Best for
Amp
- Heavy agentic coding
- Teams sharing agent threads
OpenAI Codex
- Delegating tasks to a cloud agent
- ChatGPT subscribers who code
Strengths
Amp
- CLI and editor extension
- Shared threads
- Subagents
- Usage-based pricing
OpenAI Codex
- Cloud tasks with parallel runs
- Open-source CLI
- IDE extension
- GitHub pull requests and reviews
Frequently asked questions
Should I use Amp or OpenAI Codex?
Amp and OpenAI Codex are both AI coding agents that can write and change code for you, but they differ in where the work runs and how you pay. Amp, from Sourcegraph, is a freemium terminal and editor tool built for heavy agentic coding and sharing agent threads with a team, with usage-based costs that can climb on long tasks. OpenAI Codex is a paid agent that runs tasks in the cloud, in parallel, and opens pull requests on GitHub, and it suits people who want to hand off well-scoped jobs and already use ChatGPT. Pick Amp if you want a terminal or editor agent for heavy, long coding sessions and your team wants to share agent threads, and you can accept usage-based costs. Pick OpenAI Codex if you want to delegate well-scoped tasks to a cloud agent that opens GitHub pull requests, especially if you already subscribe to ChatGPT.
What is the difference between Amp and OpenAI Codex?
Amp: An agentic coding tool from Sourcegraph for the terminal and editors, built to use frontier models without token limits. OpenAI Codex: OpenAI's coding agent that works in the cloud, a CLI and IDE extensions to write features, fix bugs and open pull requests. Amp suits heavy agentic coding, while OpenAI Codex suits delegating tasks to a cloud agent.
Are Amp and OpenAI Codex free?
Amp: Freemium. OpenAI Codex: Paid.
What are other alternatives to Amp and OpenAI Codex?
Other options people compare them with include Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Aider, Cline, Devin.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.