Windsurf vs OpenAI Codex
Short answer: Windsurf is in AI IDEs; OpenAI Codex is in CLI coding agents, so they solve different parts of the job. OpenAI Codex has the lower entry price ($8/month vs $20/month for Windsurf). Both Windsurf and OpenAI Codex have a free plan.
| Windsurf | OpenAI Codex | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | AI IDEs | CLI coding agents |
| Vendor | Cognition | OpenAI |
| Status | Renamed: Renamed Devin Desktop on 2026-06-02 (devin.ai/blog/windsurf-is-now-devin-desktop); windsurf.com redirects to devin.ai/desktop | Active |
| Free plan | Yes (Light agent quota, unlimited inline edits and Tab completions.) | Yes (Codex is included in ChatGPT Free (quick coding tasks).) |
| Paid plans from | $20/mo | $8/mo |
| Plans | Free: Free · Pro: $20 · Max: $200 · Teams: $80 · Enterprise: — | Free: Free · Go: $8 · Plus: $20 · Pro: $100 · Business: $25 · Enterprise & Edu: — |
| Open source | Not verified yet | Not verified yet |
| Editors named on vendor page | — | terminal/CLI |
| Features named on vendor page | code review, code completion, background/cloud agents, Figma, refactoring, SSO/SAML | MCP, self-hosting, code review, code completion, security scanning, background/cloud agents, SSO/SAML |
| Model families named | Claude, OpenAI GPT, Gemini, Grok, open-weight models | Claude, OpenAI GPT |
| Checked | Oct 26, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 |
“Named on vendor page” means the phrase appears on the vendor's own page we captured; it is not a hands-on test. Unknown values are left blank rather than guessed.
FAQ
Is Windsurf cheaper than OpenAI Codex?
OpenAI Codex has the lower entry price ($8/month vs $20/month for Windsurf). Prices are from each vendor's pricing page.
Do Windsurf and OpenAI Codex have free plans?
Both Windsurf and OpenAI Codex have a free plan.
What is the difference between Windsurf and OpenAI Codex?
Windsurf is in AI IDEs; OpenAI Codex is in CLI coding agents, so they solve different parts of the job. Windsurf is made by Cognition; OpenAI Codex is made by OpenAI. See the table for plans, editors and features each vendor names.
Sources
- https://devin.ai/pricing
- https://devin.ai/blog/windsurf-is-now-devin-desktop
- https://developers.openai.com/codex/pricing