Comparison · under IB-CODE-2026.2
OpenAI Codex CLI vs Windsurf
| OpenAI Codex CLI | Windsurf | |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | OpenAI | Cognition (formerly Codeium) |
| Pricing | Included in ChatGPT Pro $200/mo; or raw API at GPT-5.5 rates | Free 25 credits/mo; Pro $15/mo (500 credits); Teams $30/user/mo |
| Default model | GPT-5.5 (GPT-5.5-mini available for cost-sensitive runs) | SWE-1.5 (Cognition proprietary, trained with Devin's engineering stack); Claude/GPT switchable |
| CLI surface | ✓ | — |
| Eval status | queued | out of scope |
Comparison pending — neither side evaluated yet
Both OpenAI Codex CLI and Windsurf are currently unevaluated under IB-CODE-2026.2. This page will update as evaluations land.
Want this comparison sooner? Vendors can commission an evaluation to bump their tool up the queue (with full editorial independence on the verdict). Readers can email hello@indiebench.dev to vote for which comparison ships next.
About each tool
OpenAI Codex CLI
The Codex name has a long history — the original 2021 Codex API (code-davinci-002) was deprecated in March 2023. The current Codex CLI is a complete re-architecture: GPT-5.5 backed, with Goal Mode for multi-hour autonomous runs, native subagents, MCP server support, plugin marketplace, browser verif…
Windsurf
Windsurf is the agentic IDE acquired by Cognition (the Devin team) in late 2025. The Cascade multi-step engine is genuinely strong — but it is IDE-only, with no standalone CLI or SDK as of May 2026. This puts Windsurf out of scope for IB-CODE-2026.2 (autonomous CLI/API evaluation). When the upcoming…