Claude Code vs Codex for MCP servers
Claude Code and Codex differ in 8 of 10 facts: publisher, kind, runs on, price, licence, connects to, server config, servers that work in it.
| Fact | Claude Code | Codex |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher | Anthropic | OpenAI |
| Kind | Terminal, Editor extension, Desktop app, Web app | Terminal, Editor extension, Desktop app |
| Runs on | macOS, Windows, Linux, Web | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Price | Paid | Free plan |
| Licence | Not stated | Apache-2.0 |
| Connects to | Local (stdio), Remote (HTTP), Remote (SSE) | Local (stdio), Remote (HTTP) |
| Headers for remote servers | Yes | Yes |
| Server config | Set up in the app | ~/.codex/config.toml |
| Servers that work in it | 123,011 | 119,253 |
| What we checked | Matches the official docs | Matches the official docs |
| Add a server | In Claude Code | In Codex |
From each client's own documentation and site, as linked on its page. The server counts are today's install configs that work in each.