OpenAI's revived Codex is a different shape than its peers — browser-based, PR-first, async-by-default. Useful for parallel work on a known scope; less mature than the editor-native options for moment-to-moment coding. Worth watching as the async-agent category matures.
Codex (2026) is OpenAI’s revived coding agent — different shape from its 2021 predecessor and different shape from Cursor or Claude Code. It runs in the browser, you point it at a repo, and it opens pull requests.
What you actually get
A web UI where you describe a task. Codex spins up an environment, makes the changes, and opens a PR for your review. The async, PR-first flow is the differentiator — you can run several Codex tasks in parallel while you do other work.
Where it falls short
Less polished than its peers, still in beta. The async pattern fights the rapid-iteration loop of editor-native tools — there’s no replacement for fast inline edits when you’re exploring. Watch this category as it matures.