Cursor vs OpenAI Codex:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, OpenAI Codex had more branded searches than Cursor among AI coding assistants worldwide. OpenAI Codex had about 992,000 branded searches, while Cursor had 616,000. OpenAI Codex made up 13.9% of all AI coding assistant searches we track, and Cursor accounted for 8.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about AI coding assistants, Cursor appeared in all five answers and OpenAI Codex in three. Cursor was mentioned before OpenAI Codex in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
OpenAI Codex, about 61% more searches than Cursor
Who does AI mention more?
Cursor, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Cursor, named ahead of OpenAI Codex in every answer
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Top AI coding assistants in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Cursor appeared in all five answers. OpenAI Codex was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Cursor was listed before OpenAI Codex in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Cursor1st
Claude Code2nd
GitHub Copilot3rd- OpenAI Codex4th
Replit5th
Windsurf6th
Lovable7th
Bolt8th
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
- Cursor5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- GitHub Copilot5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- OpenAI Codex3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Windsurf2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Replit1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Bolt1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Lovable1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about AI coding assistants
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which AI coding assistant should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best AI coding assistants?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best AI coding assistant for help coding?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ai coding assistant”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“programming ai assistant”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Cursor or OpenAI Codex more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Cursor and OpenAI Codex by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight AI coding assistants we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for OpenAI Codex, Cursor. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Claude Code | Replit | OpenAI Codex | Cursor | GitHub Copilot | Bolt | Lovable | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 24.9% | 25.2% | 7.9% | 17.7% | 17.1% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 3.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 28% | 22.9% | 6.5% | 19.5% | 15.6% | 2% | 2% | 3.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 31.4% | 26.8% | 5.3% | 15.6% | 14.7% | 1.6% | 2% | 2.7% |
| Jan 2026 | 50.9% | 19.9% | 4.1% | 11.7% | 9.3% | 0.97% | 1.4% | 1.6% |
| Feb 2026 | 50.2% | 16.2% | 11.5% | 9.6% | 9.1% | 0.79% | 1.2% | 1.5% |
| Mar 2026 | 56.8% | 14.8% | 7% | 8.7% | 10% | 0.59% | 0.88% | 1.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 55% | 14.3% | 8% | 8.1% | 11.6% | 0.57% | 1.3% | 1.2% |
| May 2026 | 48.7% | 15.6% | 14.5% | 7.6% | 10.2% | 0.76% | 1.4% | 1.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 49.2% | 15.7% | 11% | 10.9% | 9.1% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 1.6% |
| Jul 2026 | 46.2% | 18.3% | 14.6% | 9% | 7.1% | 1.6% | 2% | 1.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 43.2% | 20.9% | 13.1% | 10.1% | 7.9% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.1% |
| Sep 2026 | 43.7% | 21.4% | 13.9% | 8.6% | 8.2% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.2% |
How has the Cursor and OpenAI Codex comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 3 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: OpenAI Codex took it in February 2026, Cursor took it in March 2026, OpenAI Codex took it in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cursor’s share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide moved from 17.7% to 8.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 864K to 616K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OpenAI Codex’s share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide moved from 7.9% to 13.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 386K to 992K.
How did search popularity change for AI coding assistants worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, OpenAI Codex gained share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide, from 13.1% to 13.9%.
In September 2026, Cursor lost share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide, from 10.1% to 8.6%.
How are branded searches counted?
44 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Cursor’s and OpenAI Codex’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Cursor
21 branded search terms
- anysphere cursor
- cursor agent
- cursor agents
- cursor ai
- cursor ai agent
- cursor ai app
- cursor ai coding
- cursor ai editor
- cursor ai ide
- cursor ai pro
- cursor app
- cursor bugbot
- cursor cli
- cursor code
- cursor coding
- cursor composer
- cursor ide
- cursor pro
- cursor sh
- cursor vscode
- cursor.sh
OpenAI Codex
23 branded search terms
- 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
Other head-to-heads among AI coding assistants
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