Head-to-head · profiles checked Oct 1, 2026
Pick Codex if you already pay for ChatGPT and want an agent in the terminal, editor, desktop app and cloud. Pick Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) if you want a full AI-first IDE. Codex starts free, with Go at $8/month and Plus at $20/month.
Devin Desktop starts free, with Pro at $20/month and Max at $200/month. Neither profile states training or retention terms.
We based this comparison on our OpenAI Codex profile verified 2026-09-29 and our Devin Desktop profile verified 2026-10-01, both built from official vendor pages; it uses no third-party benchmarks and no vendor paid for placement.
Codex is the better-documented fit if you already pay for ChatGPT: it ships as a CLI, IDE extension, desktop app, web and iOS agent, with an API-key route for CI. Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) is a full desktop IDE with an Agent Command Center, unlimited tab completions on every plan and a $20/month Pro plan. Codex lists no privacy or training terms and Devin Desktop states none either, so neither is verified for sensitive code. Pick Codex to add an agent to tools you already use; pick Devin Desktop to switch to an AI-first editor.
Based on our OpenAI Codex profile verified 2026-09-29 and our Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) profile verified 2026-10-01; privacy pages for both could not be read, and no benchmark was run.
Our own captures of each vendor's public pages. Click a frame for the full-size image.
If you only want the answer, this is the table. Everything below is the evidence from the two documented profiles.
| You want to | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Try an AI coding agent for free | Either | Both have a free plan; Codex Free lists the desktop app only and Devin Desktop Free has a light agent quota |
| Add an agent to VS Code or Cursor | OpenAI Codex | Codex lists an IDE extension for VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf |
| Work in one full IDE with debugging | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Devin Desktop includes autocomplete, debugging and syntax highlighting |
| Get inline tab completions | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Devin Desktop lists unlimited tab completions and inline edits on all plans; Codex lists none |
| Run tasks in the cloud without your machine | Either | Codex runs a cloud agent on web and iOS; Devin Desktop paid plans include Devin Cloud agents |
| Start or check work from a phone | OpenAI Codex | Codex on the web and iOS is listed for Plus; Devin Desktop is desktop only |
| Run a coding agent in CI | OpenAI Codex | Codex has an API-key option listed for CI and automation |
| Manage several agents in one view | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Devin Desktop's Agent Command Center uses Spaces and Kanban boards |
| Work from the terminal | Either | Codex has an open-source CLI; Devin Desktop lists a CLI too |
| Give a team shared billing and an admin dashboard | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Devin Desktop Teams lists centralized billing and an admin dashboard with analytics; Codex Business lists workspace admin features |
| Plan | Tool | Price | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Codex Free | OpenAI Codex | $0 | Desktop app only listed; usage limits apply |
| Codex Go | OpenAI Codex | $8/mo | Desktop app only listed; usage limits apply |
| Codex Plus | OpenAI Codex | $20/mo | Local messages and cloud chats share one allowance per five-hour period; weekly limits may apply |
| Codex Pro | OpenAI Codex | $100, $200 or $500/mo (tier mapping not confirmed) | Higher usage than Plus; no five-hour limit currently, weekly limits may apply |
| Codex Business | OpenAI Codex | $25/user/mo ($20 annual) | Same per-seat five-hour estimates as Plus; extra credits can be bought |
| Codex API key | OpenAI Codex | Pay per API token | No GitHub code review or Slack |
| Codex Enterprise/Edu | OpenAI Codex | Contact sales | Not stated |
| Devin Desktop Free | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | $0 | Light agent quota, daily and weekly; limited models; up to 10 concurrent sessions |
| Devin Desktop Pro | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | $20/mo | Increased quotas; full model availability; up to 10 concurrent sessions |
| Devin Desktop Max | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | $200/mo | Significantly higher quotas than Pro; unlimited concurrent sessions |
| Devin Desktop Teams | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | $80 team base + $40 per full dev seat | Up to 200 users; unlimited concurrent sessions |
| Devin Desktop Enterprise | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Custom (contact sales) | Custom quotas; dedicated deployment option |
USD as published on each vendor's pricing page, checked Oct 1, 2026. OpenAI Codex pricing in full · Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) pricing in full
| OpenAI Codex | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | |
|---|---|---|
| Messages / rate limits | Plus: local messages and cloud chats share one allowance per five-hour period, weekly limits may apply | Free: light quota resetting daily and weekly; Pro: increased quotas; Max: significantly higher |
| Context / file size | Context window not stated | Not stated |
| Seats / team | Business per user; extra credits can be bought | Teams up to 200 users; Enterprise unlimited users with custom terms |
| Feature | OpenAI Codex | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) |
|---|---|---|
| IDE extension | Yes (VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf) | Not stated; it is itself an IDE, with a JetBrains plugin |
| Full IDE | No (extension for other editors) | Yes |
| Desktop app | Yes | Yes (macOS, Windows, Linux) |
| Cloud agents | Yes (web and iOS on Plus) | Yes (Devin Cloud on paid plans) |
| Tab completions | Not stated | Yes (unlimited) |
| Command line | Yes (open-source CLI) | Yes (CLI available) |
| API | API-key option for CI | Not stated |
| Mobile apps | Yes (iOS on Plus) | No (desktop only) |
| OpenAI Codex | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | |
|---|---|---|
| Training on your data | Not stated | Not stated |
| Retention | Not stated | Not stated |
| Business controls | Workspace admin features on Business | Centralized admin controls (Teams, Enterprise); SAML/OIDC SSO (Enterprise) |
Taken from each vendor's published policy pages at the time of our check. Policies change; the source links are at the bottom.
OpenAI's coding agent for the CLI, IDE extension, desktop app, web and iOS, included in ChatGPT plans or billed by API.
Free stops at: Desktop app only listed, Usage limits apply
Verified developers.openai.com (opens OpenAI Codex website in a new tab)
Free · paid from $8/mo US · checked Sep 29
AI coding IDE, formerly Windsurf, now Devin Desktop: manage local and cloud coding agents inside a full IDE.
Free stops at: Light quota for agent usage, resets daily and weekly, Limited model availability
Verified windsurf.com (opens Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) website in a new tab)
Free · paid from $20/mo US · checked Sep 29
Our profile lists Devin Desktop as formerly Windsurf, and says plans and settings migrate from Windsurf automatically. We use the Devin Desktop name for plans and prices because that is what the pricing page shows.
Both have a free plan. A Free ChatGPT plan includes Codex with the desktop app listed and usage limits. Devin Desktop Free has a light agent quota, limited models and unlimited tab completions and inline edits.
Codex lists an IDE extension for VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf, so it can run next to your open files in an editor you may already use. We have not verified how the extension behaves in Devin Desktop.
Codex Business is $25 per user per month billed monthly ($20 billed annually). Devin Desktop Teams is $80 team base plus $40 per full dev seat, billed monthly. Both have contact-sales Enterprise plans.
Only official vendor pages. No third-party benchmarks, forum threads or press were used. How we review.
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