Cline vs OpenAI Codex:Which is more popular by branded search?
In August 2026, OpenAI Codex had more branded searches than Cline among AI coding tools worldwide. OpenAI Codex was estimated to have 4.4M branded searches compared to Cline’s 197K, and held a 35.9% Share of Search versus Cline’s 1.6%. Worldwide · English terms: these are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, Cline or OpenAI Codex?
Compare AI coding assistants, editors, and agents used by software developers, measured through worldwide English-language branded search demand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for OpenAI Codex, Cline. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | OpenAI Codex | Claude Code | Cursor | GitHub Copilot | Windsurf | Cline | Factory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 16.4% | 18.5% | 40.6% | 12.6% | 9.6% | 1.8% | 0.47% |
| Nov 2025 | 13.8% | 19.8% | 42.9% | 11.1% | 10.2% | 1.9% | 0.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 11.9% | 23.9% | 42.2% | 11.3% | 8.7% | 1.6% | 0.36% |
| Jan 2026 | 11% | 40.9% | 33.1% | 7.8% | 5.6% | 1.2% | 0.26% |
| Feb 2026 | 22.1% | 39.2% | 25.8% | 7.3% | 4.5% | 1% | 0.16% |
| Mar 2026 | 17.9% | 45.2% | 23.8% | 7.9% | 4% | 0.92% | 0.2% |
| Apr 2026 | 23.5% | 40.9% | 22% | 8.8% | 3.7% | 0.85% | 0.19% |
| May 2026 | 32.5% | 34.9% | 19.6% | 7.5% | 4.5% | 0.88% | 0.16% |
| Jun 2026 | 31.5% | 31.3% | 25.3% | 6.4% | 4.3% | 1% | 0.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 38.3% | 30.8% | 20.7% | 4.8% | 4% | 1.1% | 0.19% |
| Aug 2026 | 35.9% | 29.5% | 23.7% | 5.4% | 3.7% | 1.6% | 0.2% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the Cline and OpenAI Codex comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- OpenAI Codex was ahead of Cline in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Cline’s estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide moved from 1.8% to 1.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 136K to 197K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, OpenAI Codex’s estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide moved from 16.4% to 35.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.2M to 4.4M.
How did search popularity change for AI coding tools worldwide in August 2026?
2 changes

In August 2026, OpenAI Codex lost estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide, from 38.3% to 35.9%.

Cline’s estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 0.88% to 1.6% in August 2026.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Cline’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.
Cline
15 branded search terms
- Cline
- cline agent
- cline ai
- cline ai agent
- cline ai coding
- cline ai vscode
- cline bot
- cline bot inc
- cline cli
- cline code
- cline coding
- cline dev
- cline extension
- cline vscode
- cline.bot
OpenAI Codex
28 branded search terms
- ai codex
- chatgpt codex
- Codex
- codex agent
- codex ai
- codex ai coding
- codex app
- codex chat gpt
- codex chatgpt
- codex cli
- codex coding
- codex desktop
- codex extension
- codex github
- codex ide
- codex mac
- codex open ai
- codex openai
- codex pricing
- codex vscode
- open ai codex
- openai codex
- openai codex cli
- openai codex download
- openai codex github
- openai codex pricing
- openai's codex
- openaicodex

Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.