Ask HN: Is Codex really on Par with Claude Code?
5 pointsby shivang26077 hours ago5 comments
  • antoineMoPa2 hours ago
    Claude has become pretty slow and in the last couple of weeks, so I switched to codex. Codex code can be quite sloppy, so it's worth doing multiple review passes.
    • shivang26072 hours ago
      Actually I use LLM mostly for the code quality and not for the architectural/logical or design decisions.

      I am using claude solely because it's best in terms of Code quality and UI.

      According to you do you think codex has surpassed or at least came on par with the claude in terms of code quality and UI ?

      How good is codex in terms of code context ?

      • antoineMoPaan hour ago
        I think in terms of UI, codex has become superior probably due to its sandbox concept. It can complete tasks reliably without intervention whereas claude would have stalled asking permissions (unless you run it in --dangerously-skip-permissions, which I won't do). I don't know about you, but sitting in front of my laptop just to continuously press enter is depressing, I'd rather do other tasks in the meantime, which is exactly what I can do with codex.

        So combined with the issues claude has been experiencing in the last couple of weeks (see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47660925) - codex has become a better option. Claude has been unable to complete simple tasks and got lost in 5+ minutes of exploration too many times and I just called quits.

  • vampiregrey4 hours ago
    I've been using Claude Code as my primary agent orchestration tool for a few weeks now. Running cron-style loops for browser automation through a remote Playwright instance. Haven't tried Codex at this depth yet, but from what I've seen it's more focused on code generation while Claude Code is more of a general-purpose agent runtime. The things that make Claude Code powerful for me are the persistent session with tool access, the ability to run background tasks on schedules, and the hook/skill system for customization. If Codex matches that plus adds better async execution (Claude Code's scheduled tasks die when the session ends), it could be compelling. But for now Claude Code handles my use case better than anything else I've tried.
    • shivang26072 hours ago
      I mostly use claude code for coding purposes. According to my experience, claude code is unbeatable in terms of coding and UI. But I feel like chat gpt is better for architectural decisions. But I haven't tried codex, BUT I am listening a lot now that its limits are far better than claude code and that it is good in terms of value for money.
  • d-lo4 hours ago
    I’ve mostly switched to Codex (GPT-5.4 high) over Claude Code (Opus 4.6) in the last few weeks. I think my style of workflow and prompting seems to generate a bit better results with it. I have a thin CLI based issue tracker and an associated skill that I use instead of markdown files and Codex does a better job of interacting with it and updating existing tasks over time whereas Claude Code tends to create duplicate tasks with slight changes. I find the code quality of both to be pretty on par with some style differences; Claude has been leaving very verbose comments as of late

    I do slightly prefer the Codex app over the Claude Code TUI and Visual Studio Code integrations.

    • shivang26072 hours ago
      That is really helpful for me. From your experience it appears like codex is better value for money as a developer who can write proper prompts and not just expect AI to vibe code everything.

      Though I think gpt was better in terms of architectural decisions earlier as well, and claude was better interms of coding and UI. Do you think with codex gpt has beaten claude or on par with claude in terms of UI and clean code quality?

  • frigg5 hours ago
    Yes, even better sometimes.
    • shivang26072 hours ago
      In terms of Code quality and UI too ?
  • kypro5 hours ago
    GPT-5.4 Pro is very good, at the very least comparable with Opus 4.6.

    Some people on my team have switched to Codex in the last month citing that it's currently slightly better.

    If you have a good workflow with CC I wouldn't switch, but if you're deciding whether to use one or the other, maybe give Codex a shot.

    • shivang26072 hours ago
      Actually I am currently using claude code mainly for the UI purpose. I consider myself good developer and all the design and architectural decisions are taken by me. I use claude mostly for the code quality it gives. Do you think codex has surpassed claude in terms of UI and code quality ?