Claude Code vs Codex
Updated : the last week a score, rank or safety result on this page changed.
- Maintenance 30%7774
- Adoption 30%8274
- Docs 20%2010
- Community 20%, not measured yet––
Claude Code scores 7 points higher. Claude Code leads on maintenance and adoption and docs.
What this does not tell you
Scores are percentiles of public GitHub signals. Nobody here tested these tools hands-on, so the higher score is not a verdict on which suits your project. Yellow marks the higher value.
Which one fits you
From measured data and licences, not from testing.
Pick Claude Code if
- Recent activity and releases matter most to you (maintenance 77).
- You want the more widely adopted option (adoption 82).
- You want the higher README docs score (docs 20 vs 10).
Pick Codex if
- You need a permissive open-source licence (Apache-2.0).
Safety side by side
Automated scan, 2 Nov 2026. Not a manual audit.
- No dependencies scannedClaude CodeCode checks clean, no lockfile to check
- CautionCodex4 critical-severity known vulnerabilities in runtime dependencies (OSV)
Why different labels?
A label partly reflects how much of each tool is visible and scannable, not only how risky it is. A tool without a lockfile cannot get a dependency check.
- Claude Code: code and instruction-file checks found nothing, but there is no runtime lockfile or manifest, so dependencies were not checked
- Codex: 4 critical-severity known vulnerabilities in runtime dependencies (OSV)
Repo facts
Yellow = the higher value, where higher is better.
| Fact | Claude Code | Codex |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 65 | 58 |
| Stars | 154,199 | 132,785 |
| Last push | 1 Nov | 1 Nov |
| Releases, 90 days | 10+ | 10+ |
| Licence | Proprietary (Anthropic Commercial Terms) | Apache-2.0 |
| Open source | Proprietary | Open source |
| Language | TypeScript | Rust |
| Type | AI tool | AI tool |
| Runs locally | yes | yes |
| Hosted option | mentioned | mentioned |
“Runs locally” and “Hosted option” are read from each README automatically (or from the official docs where noted); “unknown” means no evidence was found, not that it is absent.
Questions about Claude Code vs Codex
Answers use this week's StackGrade data.
Claude Code or Codex: which scores higher on StackGrade?
Claude Code scores 7 points higher in Week 45: Claude Code 65, Codex 58 out of 100. The score combines maintenance, adoption and docs (percentiles of public GitHub signals): Claude Code 77, 82 and 20; Codex 74, 74 and 10. Community (20% weight) is not measured yet. It is not a hands-on test, so a higher score does not say which tool suits your project.
Is Claude Code or Codex safer to use?
Safety labels from the automated scan of 2 Nov 2026: Claude Code: No dependencies scanned, code checks clean, no lockfile to check; Codex: Caution, 4 critical-severity known vulnerabilities in runtime dependencies (OSV). “No dependencies scanned” means the code checks were clean but there is no lockfile, so dependencies could not be checked; it is not a clean bill. It is an automated scan, not a manual audit.
Which is more widely used, Claude Code or Codex?
By GitHub stars: Claude Code 154,199, Codex 132,785. Adoption score (percentile among all 52 tracked tools): Claude Code 82, Codex 74. Stars are one public signal and do not measure real-world use.
Which licences do Claude Code and Codex use?
Claude Code: Proprietary (Anthropic Commercial Terms); Codex: Apache-2.0. Read each licence text before commercial use.
Should I pick Claude Code or Codex?
Pick Claude Code if recent activity and releases matter most to you (maintenance 77); you want the more widely adopted option (adoption 82); you want the higher README docs score (docs 20 vs 10). Pick Codex if you need a permissive open-source licence (Apache-2.0). This comes from measured public data and licences only, not from hands-on testing.
Full comparison table, every criterion
| Claude Codeanthropics/claude-code | Codexopenai/codex | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 65 | 58 |
| Rank | #11 overall · #4 in use case | #16 overall · #6 in use case |
| Maintenance (30%) | 77 | 74 |
| Adoption (30%) | 82 | 74 |
| Docs (20%) | 20 | 10 |
| Community (20%) | not measured | not measured |
| Safety | No dependencies scanned | Caution
|
| License | Proprietary (Anthropic Commercial Terms) | Apache-2.0 |
| Open source | Proprietary | Open source |
| Language | TypeScript | Rust |
| Stars | 154,199 | 132,785 |
| Last push | ||
| Type | AI tool | AI tool |
| Runs locally | yes (README: "npm install -g") | yes (README: "brew install") |
| Hosted option | mentioned (official docs: code.claude.com/docs/en/claude-code-on-the-web) | mentioned (official docs: developers.openai.com/codex/cloud) |
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