G
GAI coding assistant and agents for editors, terminal, desktop and GitHub
Free, from $10/mo
OpenAI Codex vs Windsurf
Pricing, features, platforms and who each one suits — side by side.
O
Choose OpenAI Codex if…
- you want the lower entry price ($8/mo vs $20/mo)
- you work on Web, iOS, Slack
- you're in its core audience: software developers, engineering teams
W
Choose Windsurf if…
- you work on macOS, JetBrains
- you're in its core audience: software engineers, engineering teams
Side by side
Feature OpenAI Codex Windsurf
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starting price$8/mo$20/mo
Free plan
Free trial
API
Open source
Security and complianceSOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA—
Updates, last 90 days5—
Agent mode
Tab completion—
CLI / terminal—
Cloud agents
AI PR review
PlatformsWeb, iOS, API, SlackmacOS, JetBrains
CategoryCode AssistantsCode Assistants
CompanyOpenAI OpCo, LLCCognition AI, Inc.
Based inUnited States—
Founded——
Part of——
Key features
O OpenAI Codex
- Desktop app for local coding chats
- Command-line interface (CLI)
- IDE extension
- Cloud tasks through Codex on the web
- Automatic GitHub code review
- Slack integration
- SDK for scriptable workflows
- Works with an API key and pay-per-use billing
W Windsurf
- Agent command center with Spaces and Kanban view
- Manage third-party agents via Agent Client Protocol
- Handoff sessions between local machine and Devin Cloud
- Subagent coordination with separate PRs per task
- Fast Context codebase search
- Built-in Devin Review for diffs
- Fusion pairing of lead and sidekick models
- Supercomplete tab predictions
Plans and prices
From each vendor's site. Prices change — confirm before buying.
OpenAI Codex
Free$0/month
Go$8/month
Plus$20/month
ProFrom $100/month
Business$20/user/month billed annually; $25 billed monthly
Enterprise & EduContact sales
API KeyPay per usage
Windsurf
Free$0
Pro$20 per month
Max$200 per month
Teams$80/mo + $40/mo per full seat
EnterpriseCustom
Strengths and limitations
OpenAI Codex
- Free plan includes basic Codex use in the desktop app
- Available in the desktop app, CLI, IDE, web, iOS and SDK
- Enterprise controls such as SCIM, RBAC, EKM and data residency
- API key option for pay-per-use billing
- Free and Go plans have no published usage numbers
- Plus usage limits are given only as estimated ranges
- API key use doesn't include cloud features such as code review or Slack
Windsurf
- Free plan includes unlimited Tab completions and inline edits
- Supports models from OpenAI, Claude, Gemini and open-source models
- Integrations with Slack, Linear, Jira, Sentry, Figma and more
- Existing Windsurf settings and plans carry over automatically
- Desktop download listed only for macOS on the page
- Free plan has a light quota and limited model access
- Usage beyond quota is charged at API pricing
- Concurrent sessions capped at 10 on Pro and Max
More comparisons
Other options to consider
GG
Free, from $10/mo
G
AI coding assistant and agents for editors, terminal, desktop and GitHub
Code AssistantsFree plan
C
CC
Free, from $8/mo
D
DAutonomous AI software engineer that writes, tests and reviews code to merge-ready PRs
Free, from $20/mo
D
Free, from $20/mo
D
Autonomous AI software engineer that writes, tests and reviews code to merge-ready PRs
Code AssistantsFree plan
J
JRun and review AI coding agents across projects in JetBrains IDEs, web and CLI
Free, from $10/mo
J
Free, from $10/mo
J
Run and review AI coding agents across projects in JetBrains IDEs, web and CLI
Code AssistantsFree plan
K
KK
Free, from $20/mo
K
Spec-driven agentic coding IDE and CLI for developers and engineering teams
Code AssistantsFree plan
A
AAI coding assistant for AWS developers in the IDE, CLI and AWS Console
Free, from $19/mo
A
Free, from $19/mo
A
AI coding assistant for AWS developers in the IDE, CLI and AWS Console
Code AssistantsFree plan
Built from each vendor's public website; we haven't tested them hands-on. Editorial policy