# Codex Desktop Published January 1, 2026 · Updated August 10, 2026 OpenAI's Codex desktop app for managing coding agents Category: Developer Tools · Paid · [Official website](https://openai.com/codex) ## Install with Homebrew `brew install --cask codex-app` ## Quick take The standalone Codex macOS app is historical as of 2026-07-09: merged into ChatGPT desktop's Chat + Work + Codex shell. Do not buy, install, or document it as a current separate product. Migrate to ChatGPT for Mac (or Windows), use Codex there on GPT-5.6 Sol/Terra/Luna, and price via ChatGPT Free/Go/Plus/Pro/Business/Enterprise. The agent workflow (sandboxes, parallel tasks, GitHub PRs) continues; only the dedicated app packaging is gone. This page exists for search demand and migration clarity, not as an install recommendation. Best for: People searching "Codex app" who need the July 2026 merge/migration story, Teams updating runbooks from standalone Codex to ChatGPT desktop, Developers comparing Codex-in-ChatGPT vs Claude Code / Cursor / Muse Code, Anyone verifying that there is no separate Codex Mac SKU anymore ## What was the Codex macOS app? The standalone Codex macOS app was merged into the rebuilt ChatGPT desktop app on 2026-07-09 and is no longer a separate product. OpenAI folded Chat, ChatGPT Work, and Codex into one unified desktop shell for macOS and Windows. Existing Codex app users update into that ChatGPT client rather than installing a dedicated Codex binary. This page remains for search demand from people still looking for "Codex app," Homebrew cask names, or older tutorials, but the living product is Codex inside ChatGPT (desktop, web, CLI, IDE extension), not a freestanding Codex desktop app. Historically, the Codex macOS app (research preview through early 2026) was OpenAI's dedicated command center for autonomous coding agents: cloud sandboxes, parallel tasks, Git worktrees, GitHub pull requests, and later computer-use style browsing. Those capabilities did not disappear. They moved into the ChatGPT desktop experience under Work and Codex surfaces, now powered mainly by the GPT-5.6 family (Sol, Terra, Luna) after GA on 2026-07-09. Treat any guide that still markets a separate "OpenAI Codex desktop app" install as superseded. If you arrived here wanting to "download Codex for Mac," install or update the official ChatGPT desktop app instead, sign in with the same OpenAI account, and open Codex / Work from the unified shell. Pricing is ChatGPT-plan based (Free/Go limited trial, Plus ~$20/mo expanded Codex, Pro from $100/mo 5x or $200/mo 20x for maximum Codex tasks, plus Business/Enterprise). There is no standalone Codex app SKU. Confirm live limits on chatgpt.com/codex/pricing and openai.com/chatgpt/pricing. ## Features - **Merged into ChatGPT desktop (July 2026).** As of 2026-07-09 the dedicated Codex macOS app is superseded. Codex agent workflows, task queues, sandbox runs, PR creation, live inside the rebuilt ChatGPT desktop app alongside Chat and Work. Migration path: update to the new ChatGPT client; do not hunt for a separate Codex .dmg as a current product. - **Work mode + coding agents.** ChatGPT Work handles multi-step professional tasks. Codex focuses on software engineering agents that plan edits, run tests, and iterate on failures. Together they replace the old single-purpose Codex window with modes inside one shell. - **GPT-5.6 Sol / Terra / Luna.** Codex tasks in ChatGPT run on the GPT-5.6 family after July 2026 GA. Sol covers hard reasoning, Terra is the balanced default, and Luna handles cheaper high-volume runs (further cut ~80% on Luna and ~20% on Terra API-side around 2026-07-30). Do not treat superseded chat models or GPT-5.5 as the current primary Codex stack. - **Autonomous sandboxed coding.** Agents still execute in isolated cloud sandboxes: clone repo, install deps, run tests, iterate on failures. Your local machine stays untouched unless you use complementary local CLI/IDE surfaces. - **GitHub PRs and code review.** Codex creates branches and commits, then opens pull requests. @Codex-style review flows and automated review credits remain part of the ChatGPT Codex story rather than a separate app entitlement. - **Parallel multi-agent task queues.** Queue multiple independent tickets; each gets its own sandbox. The unified desktop UI monitors progress that previously lived only in the standalone Codex dashboard. - **CLI and IDE companions.** Beyond desktop, Codex continues via the web product, CLI, and IDE extensions. Search intent for "Codex app" often resolves to that multi-surface product, not a single Mac package. ## How to get Codex on Mac after the merge Do not install a standalone Codex macOS app as a current product. Install or update ChatGPT for Mac, then use Codex inside it. Older Homebrew cask names may redirect or be obsolete, prefer the official ChatGPT desktop download or `brew install --cask chatgpt`. 1. **Install ChatGPT desktop.** Download from OpenAI/ChatGPT desktop channels or run `brew install --cask chatgpt`. Prefer the July 2026+ unified build (Chat + Work + Codex), not ChatGPT Classic alone if both are present. 2. **Sign in and open Codex.** Sign in with your OpenAI/ChatGPT account. Open the Codex (and Work) surfaces in the unified shell. Connect GitHub if you need branch/PR workflows. 3. **Retire the standalone Codex app.** If an old Codex app remains, uninstall it after confirming tasks and threads appear in ChatGPT desktop. Keep bookmarks pointing at chatgpt.com/codex for web access. 4. **Optional: CLI / IDE.** For terminal or editor-native loops, install Codex CLI or the IDE extension documented by OpenAI, these complement desktop, they do not revive a separate Codex Mac app SKU. ## Pros - Codex capabilities survive inside ChatGPT desktop, so agent workflows continue after the merge - One OpenAI Mac install covers Chat, Work, and coding agents - GPT-5.6 Sol/Terra/Luna stack with improved Luna economics for volume tasks after late July 2026 - Cloud sandboxes and GitHub PRs remain the core async coding loop - Plan-based access (Plus/Pro/Business) without a second product SKU to manage ## Cons - Standalone Codex macOS app is gone, bookmark and Homebrew muscle memory break - Weekly/plan credit limits still constrain heavy Plus users; Pro pricing is steep - Historical tutorials and cask names create install confusion for newcomers - Cloud sandbox model still cannot freely reach local-only or air-gapped resources ## FAQ ### Is the Codex macOS app still available? No as a separate current product. On 2026-07-09 OpenAI merged the standalone Codex desktop app into the rebuilt ChatGPT desktop app (Chat + Work + Codex). Install ChatGPT for Mac and use Codex there. ### Where did Codex features go? Into ChatGPT desktop and related surfaces: Work mode, coding agents, GPT-5.6 models, cloud sandboxes, parallel tasks, and GitHub PR/code-review flows. CLI and IDE extensions remain part of the broader Codex product. ### How much does Codex cost now? There is no standalone Codex app price. Free/Go: limited trial. Plus ~$20/mo: expanded Codex. Pro from ~$100/mo (5×) or ~$200/mo (20×): maximum Codex tasks. Business/Enterprise available. See chatgpt.com/codex/pricing and openai.com/chatgpt/pricing. ### Which models power Codex in August 2026? Primarily GPT-5.6 Sol, Terra, and Luna (GA 2026-07-09). GPT-5.5 may appear as legacy in some contexts, but current primary positioning is GPT-5.6, not GPT-5.5 or older chat stacks as the headline. ### Can I still use Homebrew to install Codex? Treat standalone openai-codex style casks as historical. Prefer `brew install --cask chatgpt` or the official ChatGPT desktop download, then open Codex inside that app. ### Is this the same as ChatGPT Atlas shutting down? No. Atlas was OpenAI's standalone browser, discontinued with a stop target around 2026-08-09. Codex was the coding-agent desktop app, merged earlier on 2026-07-09 into ChatGPT desktop. Same product week, different products. ### Should I keep this page bookmarked? Only as historical context. For daily work, bookmark ChatGPT desktop, chatgpt.com/codex, and the Codex pricing/learn docs instead. ## Sources - [ChatGPT macOS app release notes](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9703738-chatgpt-macos-app-release-notes) - [What's new | ChatGPT Learn](https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/whats-new) - [Codex pricing in ChatGPT](https://chatgpt.com/codex/pricing/) - [Introducing GPT-5.6](https://openai.com/index/gpt-5-6/) - [Advancing the price-performance frontier with GPT-5.6](https://openai.com/index/advancing-the-price-performance-frontier-with-gpt-5-6/) - [9to5Mac: OpenAI discontinuing Atlas / desktop push](https://9to5mac.com/2026/07/09/openai-is-discontinuing-chatgpt-atlas-its-standalone-desktop-browser/) - [ChatGPT pricing](https://openai.com/chatgpt/pricing) - [Codex developer pricing](https://developers.openai.com/codex/pricing) ## Related - [Cursor](https://bundl.run/apps/cursor) - [Claude Code](https://bundl.run/apps/claude-code) - [ChatGPT](https://bundl.run/apps/chatgpt) - [Claude](https://bundl.run/apps/claude) - [Codex](https://bundl.run/apps/codex) - [Windsurf](https://bundl.run/apps/windsurf) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://bundl.run/#organization", "name": "Bundl.run", "url": "https://bundl.run", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://bundl.run/og-image.png", "width": 1200, "height": 630 }, "description": "The Ninite for Mac. 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