# Codex CLI GUI: desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux

URL: https://agentvera.dev/en/blog/codex-cli-gui/ · Published: 2026-11-03

Codex CLI GUIs in 2026: the ChatGPT desktop app, the Codex IDE extension, Tesseract, Nimbalyst, Orca, Zed and AgentVera, by platform, agents and price.

**In short:**

- OpenAI’s own Codex GUI is the ChatGPT desktop app on macOS and Windows, with Linux in preview; Codex is included in ChatGPT plans, Free included.
- The Codex IDE extension runs in VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf; Tesseract, Nimbalyst, Orca, Canopy and Zed also run Codex on Windows, macOS and Linux.
- AgentVera, which we make, runs Codex next to 17 other CLI agents with their own logins, with worktrees, an MCP manager and Codex account chains at the usage limit (Pro).

**Short answer:** yes, Codex has an official GUI. OpenAI’s **ChatGPT desktop app** (often called the Codex app) runs Codex chats in parallel on **macOS** and **Windows**, with **Linux** in preview, and Codex is included in every ChatGPT plan, the free one too. If you work in an editor, the **Codex IDE extension** runs in VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf. If you want a free third-party window that also runs other agents, **Tesseract**, **Nimbalyst**, **Orca**, **Canopy** and **Zed** run Codex on Windows, macOS and Linux, and **Conductor** does on the Mac. AgentVera runs Codex next to 17 other CLI agents, each with its own login.

One disclosure before the list: we make AgentVera, one of the apps below. We are not affiliated with OpenAI. I’ll say plainly where the others fit better, and for many Codex-only users that is OpenAI’s own app.

## Which Codex GUIs exist?

Platforms, agents and prices below were checked on each tool’s own site, docs or repository on 3 November 2026.

| Tool | Windows | macOS | Linux | Agents | Price |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ChatGPT desktop app, Codex (OpenAI) | Yes (Microsoft Store; native or WSL2) | Yes | Preview (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch) | Codex, plus ChatGPT chat | In ChatGPT plans, Free included |
| Codex IDE extension (OpenAI) | Where the editor runs | Where the editor runs | Where the editor runs | Codex in VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf | Your Codex access (ChatGPT plan or API key) |
| Tesseract | Yes | Yes | Yes | Codex and 13 more, including Claude Code and Gemini CLI | Free |
| Nimbalyst | Yes | Yes | Yes | Claude Code, Codex; OpenCode and Copilot in alpha | App free (MIT) |
| Orca | Yes | Yes | Yes | Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Copilot, OpenCode and any other CLI | Free (MIT) |
| Canopy | Yes | Yes (Apple Silicon) | Yes | Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, OpenCode | Free, source-available |
| Zed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Zed’s agent; Codex, Claude Agent, Gemini CLI and others over ACP | Personal free; Pro $10/month (GPL-3.0) |
| AgentVera | Yes | Yes | Yes | Codex, Claude Code and 16 more CLIs | Free plan; paid Pro and Team |
| Conductor | No | Yes | No | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode | Free; Pro $50/month |
| Claude Squad | Through WSL | Yes | Yes | Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Aider, OpenCode, Amp | Free (AGPL-3.0); terminal UI |

Codex also runs in the cloud from ChatGPT, and the IDE extension can hand a longer task to it. That is a hosted agent rather than a window for the CLI on your machine, so it is left out of the table.

## Which one fits?

### Codex only: OpenAI’s own app

The **ChatGPT desktop app** is the natural start if Codex is your only agent. You run several Codex chats at once, each optionally in its own git worktree, with Handoff to move a chat between the worktree and your checkout, an integrated terminal, a built-in browser, code review for pull requests and scheduled tasks. On Windows it comes from the Microsoft Store and runs the agent natively in PowerShell with the Windows sandbox, or in WSL2. You sign in with your ChatGPT account. Our [Codex app comparison](/en/alternatives/codex-app/ "Codex app vs AgentVera") goes into more detail.

### Inside your editor

The **Codex IDE extension** brings Codex into VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf and VS Code Insiders, with your open file or selection as context and edits you review in place; JetBrains IDEs and Xcode have their own integrations. **Zed** runs Codex as an external agent over the Agent Client Protocol, with optional worktrees per thread.

### Codex next to other agents, for free

**Tesseract** runs Codex beside an editor, a terminal and a live preview; you sign in with ChatGPT or an API key. **Nimbalyst** puts docs and visual editors next to Claude Code and Codex. **Orca** runs any CLI agent with worktrees and SSH, and **Canopy** has a worktree sidebar with a browser tab per worktree. On a Mac, **Conductor** is another option, and **Claude Squad** is a tmux-based terminal UI.

### Many agents, account limits or a team

That is where AgentVera fits.

## Where AgentVera fits

AgentVera is a desktop app that runs terminal coding agents side by side, each in its own real terminal, so Codex looks and behaves the way it does in your terminal. What it adds around Codex:

- **18 CLI agents with your own logins.** Codex, Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Copilot, Cursor, opencode, Qwen Code and others, each with [its own page](/en/agents/ "Agents in AgentVera"). Codex uses your ChatGPT sign-in; no API key from us.
- **Windows, Linux and macOS.** A native Windows installer that starts the script behind `codex.cmd` directly, so prompts and JSON settings arrive intact; an AppImage and a `.deb` on Linux; a Mac build.
- **Git worktrees.** Create one from the [Git panel](/en/features/git-and-github/ "Git and GitHub in AgentVera") and start Codex in it, so two agents never edit the same checkout.
- **Account chains at the usage limit (Pro).** Put several Codex accounts in a chain, each with its own `CODEX_HOME`. When one runs low, the agent moves to the next and the conversation carries on. Claude Code accounts get chains too. See [account switching](/en/features/account-switching/ "Account switching").
- **An MCP manager.** Add MCP servers once, from a catalog of 23 ready servers or your own, and they go to Codex and every other CLI agent that takes MCP, instead of editing `config.toml` by hand. See the [MCP manager](/en/features/mcp-manager/ "MCP manager").
- **A free plan.** The grid, worktrees and all agents are free; [Pro and Team](/en/pricing/ "Pricing") add features such as account chains and a team kanban.

Where it fits less well: if Codex is your only agent and you want ChatGPT, Codex, code review and the mobile app in one place, OpenAI’s app does that. AgentVera is closed source.

## Wrapping up

For Codex alone, OpenAI’s ChatGPT desktop app is the official GUI on Windows and macOS, with Linux in preview, and the IDE extension covers VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf. Tesseract, Nimbalyst, Orca, Canopy and Zed are free ways to run Codex next to other agents. If you want Codex, Claude Code and Gemini CLI in one grid with your own logins, worktrees and account chains, [download AgentVera](/en/download/ "Download AgentVera") for Windows, Linux or macOS.

Related reading: [Codex vs Gemini CLI](/en/blog/codex-vs-gemini-cli/ "Codex vs Gemini CLI"), the same question for Google’s agent in [Gemini CLI GUI](/en/blog/gemini-cli-gui/ "Gemini CLI GUI"), [how to use Gemini CLI](/en/blog/how-to-use-gemini-cli/ "How to use Gemini CLI"), and [Claude Code GUI for Windows and Linux](/en/blog/claude-code-gui-windows-linux/ "Claude Code GUI for Windows and Linux").

## Frequently asked questions

**Is there an official Codex GUI?** Yes. OpenAI’s docs call it the ChatGPT desktop app: you pick ChatGPT or Codex inside it, and the Codex CLI opens it with codex app. It runs Codex chats in parallel, optionally in git worktrees, with a terminal, a browser, code review and scheduled tasks. There is also a Codex extension for VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf.

**Is the Codex desktop app free?** Codex is included in every ChatGPT plan, from Free and Go ($8/month) to Plus, Pro, Business, Edu and Enterprise, with usage limits that grow with the plan. It can also run on an OpenAI API key at API rates.

**Does the Codex app run on Windows and Linux?** On Windows, yes: install it from the Microsoft Store; the agent runs natively in PowerShell with the Windows sandbox, or in WSL2 if you switch it in Settings. On Linux it is in preview for Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora and Arch. Tesseract, Nimbalyst, Orca, Canopy, Zed and AgentVera also run Codex on Linux.

**Can I use the ChatGPT desktop app and AgentVera together?** Yes. AgentVera starts the same Codex CLI with your ChatGPT sign-in, and both work on plain git branches and worktrees in the same repository, with the same AGENTS.md instructions.

**Do I need an API key for Codex in AgentVera?** No. AgentVera uses Codex’s own login, so a ChatGPT plan works as it is. Every extra Codex account you add gets its own CODEX_HOME folder and signs in there.

**Is AgentVera open source or made by OpenAI?** Neither. AgentVera is a closed-source desktop app from an independent company, not affiliated with OpenAI. It has a free plan with the grid, worktrees and all agents; Pro and Team are paid.

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**About AgentVera.** AgentVera is a desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux, built by Solviera Teknoloji. It runs 18 AI coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Copilot, Cursor, Antigravity, opencode, Hermes, Qwen Code, Kimi Code, Kiro, Amp, Droid, Goose, Vibe, Crush, Aider, Cline) side by side, per project, in real terminals with the user's own CLI installs and logins. The free plan has unlimited agents. Download: https://agentvera.dev/en/download/ · Pricing: https://agentvera.dev/en/pricing/