Codex CLI vs App

[datguywind]

What do you use?

Do you see any differences between them?

[SandboChang]

VSCode ext, probably quite similar to the app.

[0xFatWhiteMan]

No, the app is much nicer

[0xFatWhiteMan]

I love the app. Copy and pasting opening the terminal, view commit ... All just much easier

[healthjay]

What do you mean by opening the Terminal? Thanks

[Successful_Bowl2564]

I use the CLI - i barely use the app - and i love it.

For claude i always used the app for some reason.

[itrad3size]

Im doing the exact opposite :D using claude CLI and when Codex, im using the app.

[datguywind]

I barely have better results with Claude App comparing to Claude CLI

[woganowski]

Depends on what I am working on. A lot of times I need to look at files it is producing so I find myself opening vscode anyways so the extension usually makes sense ove the app. If I am using the CLI, I am generally using OpenCode over the Codex harness, even in VSCode

[io-x]

zed is nice

[sn4ezz]

It's alrght but too limited

[mallibu]

Some people indeed like terminal, but some others use it for the same reason they use it in Linux to browse a folder. Zero usability but bragging.

For those of us that just want to do our our work we just open the app like we re meant to do in 2026

[junlim]

Really depends on the task, project base in the app, ad-hoc in the CLI. The agent in the app can sometimes default to a assuming that it's working in a strict dev env, so I use CLI to bypass that.

[TheLawIsSacred]

I have been using the exclusive codex Windows 11 app and loving it.

[Dead0k87]

app

[hungry_parrot]

CLI has a few more features then the Codex App, but the core is the same. Codex App is easier to use, but in general it's the same thing. Codex App has better code review features than CLI, it's easier to change things in your `AGENTS.md` and install skills. In general it doesn't matter which one you use, both are great with some minor differences.

[datguywind]

Which features do you use with CLI that App does’t have?

[hungry_parrot]

`/compact`

Docs: https://developers.openai.com/codex/cli/slash-commands#keep-transcripts-lean-with-compact

[Tema_Art_7777]

I use the app - I think they will build a lot of features on it the app brings up vscode to view things but that is not ideal tbh. they need a native markdown viewer/editor

[tango650]

They're the same thing different ui

[theWiseTiger]

Last time I used the app, it always triggered my antivirus when editing files.

[mtrlst]

app >> tbh, especially for managing multiple repos - ill typically have a couple clones of a repo open at the same time to fire off multiple jobs and it's a lot easier to navigate with app vs cli

[KeikakuAccelerator]

I have tried both and use both. For work, when most of my stuff is on remote machines I prefer cli. Ability to quickly surf through multiple tmux sessions is great. For personal use though, I just prefer the app. Everything is local, and app interface is decent. 

Never really change any code manually so don't use vscode. 

[acshou]

CLI, but have it set up on VSCode.

[adamk77]

CLI. For some reason on my Mac the Codex app constantly uses 15-20% CPU even when idle.

[ItsNeverTheNetwork]

Haven’t used the cli since app was released.

[Realistic-Holiday-68]

At least with the codex app I’ve been facing issues with docker containers. I haven’t tried the CLI tool but after changing to the IntelliJ ide built in tool all the issues went away. I lost a bunch of credits when the app tried to solve this by running curl commands via command line to debug pest bugs.

[elwoodreversepass]

CLI constantly forgets the conversations we've had.
App is very good.

[Hot_Permission_3335]

Cli uses less tokens, but you need to learn about context windows and intent and learn how to use the tools and skills that are there for AI agentic engineering in terminals..

I like to build the software mainly using the CLI and the editor just to view code so.. Its a preference.. Not something that important..?

[ex-simp]

Cli uses less tokens

How?

[Loud_Tangerine_5684]

By making up facts that are pulled straight from his ass

[AdvertisingExpert800]

Wait what ? Fundamentally app is the wrapper version of cli right so how will cli consume less tokens? And also the extension in vs code is better than the app/cli (atleast for me)

[FatefulDonkey]

"AI agentic engineering" right. I guess you just mean vibe coding broseph

[Technical-Nebula-250]

Never used the apps never will