Claude Code vs OpenAI Codex vs Cline
Claude Code is the strongest pick for delegating multi-step tasks if you use Claude; OpenAI Codex is included in ChatGPT plans, including Free; Cline is the open-source option that works with any model provider, including local ones.
The verdict
You pay for Claude Pro or Max
You pay for ChatGPT
You want open source and any model
→ Cline
Side by side
| Attribute | Claude Code | OpenAI Codex | Cline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Terminal, IDEs, web | CLI, IDE extension, cloud | VS Code and CLI |
| How you pay | Claude subscription or API | ChatGPT plan or API key | Your model provider, at cost |
| Starting paid price | $20/mo | $8/mo | Check site |
| Free tier | No | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes (Apache-2.0) | Yes (Apache-2.0) |
| Pricing verified | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 15, 2026 |
| Our take | A terminal-first coding agent that's strong at multi-file, multi-step work, available with Claude subscriptions or API billing. Best if you're comfortable in a terminal and want to delegate whole tasks. | OpenAI's coding agent as a CLI, IDE extension and cloud agent, included with ChatGPT plans. The obvious pick if you already pay for ChatGPT. | The best open-source coding agent for VS Code and the CLI: bring your own model keys and pay inference at cost. Ideal when you want control over which model you use and what you pay. |
| Links | Visit Claude Code ↗ | Visit OpenAI Codex ↗ | Visit Cline ↗ |
Prices from each vendor's official pricing page. Check site means we couldn't verify a price — we never guess.