How popular isOpenAI Codex?
In September 2026, people searched for OpenAI Codex by name about 992,000 times worldwide, a 157.2% increase from the previous year. These searches made up 13.7% of all global AI coding agent searches, placing OpenAI Codex third out of seven agents. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about AI coding agents, OpenAI Codex appeared in all answers and was the third most recommended of the seven.
OpenAI Codex is the third most searched of 7 competitors and the third most recommended in AI answers.
Claude CodeShare of searches 43.3%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
ReplitShare of searches 21.1%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
OpenAI CodexShare of searches 13.7%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
CursorShare of searches 8.5%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
GitHub CopilotShare of searches 8.1%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
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Top AI coding agents in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, OpenAI Codex appeared in all five answers. OpenAI Codex is the third most recommended of the seven.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Claude Code1st
- Cursor2nd
- OpenAI Codex3rd
- GitHub Copilot4th
- Replit5th
Devin5th
Windsurf–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Claude Code5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- OpenAI Codex5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Cursor5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- GitHub Copilot4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Replit1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Devin1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Windsurf0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about AI coding agents
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which AI coding agent should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best AI coding agents?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best AI coding agent for code written and edited?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ai coding agent”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“agentic coding tool”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Which AI coding agents compete with OpenAI Codex?
Share of searches by month for Claude Code, Replit, OpenAI Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Devin. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Claude Code | Replit | OpenAI Codex | Cursor | GitHub Copilot | Devin | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 25.3% | 25.6% | 8% | 18% | 17.3% | 2.7% | 3.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 28.4% | 23.2% | 6.6% | 19.7% | 15.8% | 2.8% | 3.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 31.7% | 27% | 5.4% | 15.7% | 14.8% | 2.7% | 2.7% |
| Jan 2026 | 51.2% | 20.1% | 4.2% | 11.8% | 9.4% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Feb 2026 | 50.5% | 16.3% | 11.5% | 9.6% | 9.2% | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| Mar 2026 | 56.8% | 14.8% | 7% | 8.7% | 10% | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 55.1% | 14.3% | 8% | 8.2% | 11.6% | 1.6% | 1.2% |
| May 2026 | 48.8% | 15.7% | 14.5% | 7.7% | 10.2% | 1.9% | 1.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 49.2% | 15.7% | 11% | 10.9% | 9.1% | 2.5% | 1.6% |
| Jul 2026 | 46.6% | 18.4% | 14.7% | 9.1% | 7.1% | 2.9% | 1.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 43.4% | 21% | 13.2% | 10.2% | 7.9% | 3.3% | 1.1% |
| Sep 2026 | 43.3% | 21.1% | 13.7% | 8.5% | 8.1% | 4% | 1.2% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 43.3% | 3.1M | -0.96% | -0.1 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 21.1% | 1.5M | 0% | +0.2 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 13.7% | 992K | +3.3% | +0.5 points | |
| 4, held 4th | 8.5% | 616K | -16.8% | -1.6 points | |
| 5, held 5th | 8.1% | 583K | +1.4% | +0.2 points | |
| 6, held 6th | 4% | 292K | +22% | +0.8 points | |
| 7, held 7th | 1.2% | 87.4K | +6.5% | +0.1 points |
43.3%
Held 1st. 3.1M estimated branded searches, -0.96% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.
2.
Replit21.1%
Held 2nd. 1.5M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.
13.7%
Held 3rd. 992K estimated branded searches, +3.3% vs prior month. Share +0.5 points.
4.
Cursor8.5%
Held 4th. 616K estimated branded searches, -16.8% vs prior month. Share -1.6 points.
8.1%
Held 5th. 583K estimated branded searches, +1.4% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.
6.
Devin4%
Held 6th. 292K estimated branded searches, +22% vs prior month. Share +0.8 points.
7.
Windsurf1.2%
Held 7th. 87.4K estimated branded searches, +6.5% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
Compare popularity between OpenAI Codex and its closest rivals
Every comparison with OpenAI Codex
10 comparisons
How has branded search demand for OpenAI Codex changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
4 findings
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for OpenAI Codex worldwide rose from 386K to 992K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OpenAI Codex’s share of searches among AI coding agents worldwide increased from 8% to 13.7%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OpenAI Codex’s share of searches among AI coding agents worldwide peaked at 14.7% in July 2026 and was lowest at 4.2% in January 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OpenAI Codex rose from 5th to 3rd among AI coding agents worldwide.
How did search popularity change for AI coding agents worldwide in September 2026?
6 changes
In September 2026, Devin gained share of searches among AI coding agents worldwide, from 3.3% to 4%.
In September 2026, OpenAI Codex gained share of searches among AI coding agents worldwide, from 13.2% to 13.7%.
In September 2026, Cursor lost share of searches among AI coding agents worldwide, from 10.2% to 8.5%.
Replit’s share of searches among AI coding agents worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 15.7% to 21.1% in September 2026.
Claude Code’s share of searches among AI coding agents worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 49.2% to 43.3% in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Windsurf worldwide fell 42.4% over 12 measured months, from 152K to 87.4K in September 2026.
How are OpenAI Codex’s branded searches counted?
23 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using OpenAI Codex’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.
- ai codex
- chatgpt codex
- codex agent
- codex ai
- codex ai coding
- codex app
- codex chatgpt
- codex cli
- codex coding
- codex desktop
- codex extension
- codex github
- codex ide
- codex mac
- codex open ai
- codex openai
- codex vscode
- open ai codex
- openai codex
- openai codex cli
- openai codex github
- openai's codex
- openaicodex
Who owns OpenAI Codex?
OpenAI Codex is owned by OpenAI. Brandwave also tracks 
ChatGPT, OpenAI Agents SDK and 
OpenAI API, owned by the same company, worldwide.
Do you work for OpenAI Codex? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.
Where does OpenAI Codex compete?
| Competitor set | Rank | Share of searches | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI coding agents | 3rd of 7 | 13.7% | Shown above |
| AI coding assistants | 3rd of 8 | 13.9% | Show ranking |
| AI coding tools | 2nd of 7 | 17.5% | Show ranking |
Is OpenAI Codex your brand?
Put your own campaigns, spend and outcomes next to this demand line, so you can see which of your marketing lined up with the movements above.