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Codex CLI vs Cursor: catalog facts
Codex CLI	Cursor
Freemium The CLI itself is free and open source, but using it requires a paid or quota-limited…	Freemium A free tier is available, with paid plans for more model usage.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	macOS, Command line
Open source terminal client under the Apache license Integrates into existing workflows via CLI and IDE plugins	Familiar VS Code base and editing model Agents that work across multiple files
Requires an OpenAI account or API access to function Usage limits depend on the access route chosen	AI features depend on hosted models Heavier use requires a paid plan
Downloadable app	Downloadable app, Hosted service
Open source	Closed source
License: Apache-2.0	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.