OpenAI's Codex app is now available on macOS – and it’s free for some ChatGPT users for a limited time

OpenAI wants more people to code with Codex, so it’s rolling out an app for macOS and making the AI coding tool available to free users for a limited time.

The Codex app for macOS lets coders run multiple AI agents at once and work with agents over long-running tasks, the company explained in a blog post.

OpenAI first unveiled Codex in April 2025, updating it with new features in September and unveiling a fresh model just weeks ago.

The release comes amid competition from rival AI developers, in particular GitHub Copilot, Anthropic Claude Code, and Google's recently released free coding agent Jules.

"The Codex app changes how software gets built and who can build it — from pairing with a single coding agent on targeted edits to supervising coordinated teams of agents across the full lifecycle of designing, building, shipping, and maintaining software," the company noted.

OpenAI said its models were now able to manage complex, long-running tasks, meaning developers are now searching for ways to organise those AI efforts.

"The core challenge has shifted from what agents can do to how people can direct, supervise, and collaborate with them at scale — existing IDEs and terminal-based tools are not built to support this way of working," OpenAI added.

What users can expect with Codex

Codex is designed to act as a “command center for agents”, according to OpenAI, helping streamline multi-tasking across different projects and allowing users to review agents’ work.

"It also includes built-in support for worktrees, so multiple agents can work on the same repo without conflicts," OpenAI explained.

"Each agent works on an isolated copy of your code, allowing you to explore different paths without needing to track how they impact your codebase. As an agent works, you can check out changes locally or let it continue making progress without touching your local git state."

Introducing the Codex app - YouTube

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The company stressed that the system was built with security in mind, with agents only allowed to edit files in the designated folder or branch, and asking for permission to run commands that require elevated permissions.

OpenAI said Codex will generally be available via higher-end, paid-for subscriptions, including ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu.

However, for a limited time it will also offer Codex via ChatGPT Free and Go in order to "show more people what's now possible".

OpenAI added that it would double rate limits on paid-for plans for a limited time too.

Beyond coding

The Codex app can do more than manage code generation, according to OpenAI. Using its previously announced "skills" the tool can gather information, solve problems, write and more, all controlled via the new app.

OpenAI said it had developed hundreds of skills to help development teams, ranging from triaging bugs to deploying to the cloud and creating documents.

"You can explicitly ask Codex to use specific skills, or let it automatically use them based on the task at hand," OpenAI noted.

For example, OpenAI said it used Codex to develop a racing game. Beyond code development and testing – which it did by playing the game – they also used an image generation skill and a web game development skill.

The game was created using one single – but complex and detailed – prompt, with a selection of follow-up prompts to finish the work.

These skills can be automated and scheduled, in particular to run repetitive tasks such as triaging daily issues, checking for bugs and more.

Pick a personality

After the release of GPT-5, OpenAI had to walk back changes to the "personality" of its chatbot – and it clearly heard that feedback.

For Codex, developers will be able to choose a "personality" they prefer to work with on a daily basis.

However, there's only two to start: a blunt, terse and pragmatic style, or a "more conversational, empathetic one".

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