CodexCLI: Chat With Your Code in the Terminal

CodexCLI is like having a ChatGPT window baked into your terminal, but instead of writing essays, it reads your code, edits files, and runs commands.

It’s built on OpenAI’s Codex model, and its whole pitch is dead simple: you describe what you want done, and it either writes the code, changes the code, or executes it.

No mouse. No tabs. Just you, your terminal, and a chat prompt.

What does CodexCLI actually do?

You run a terminal command, get a prompt, and type something like:

“Make a new Express route for /users that returns JSON.”

CodexCLI will:

• Read your project files
• Create or update the file
• Write the boilerplate
• Save the changes
• Let you review or run it

It supports shell commands, file edits, and even multi-step instructions. All from a single command-line prompt. It’s not a replacement for your IDE—but if you live in your terminal, it’s a huge time-saver.

Use Cases

CodexCLI is great for:

• Spinning up routes or handlers
• Editing config files
• Automating small changes across files
• Running shell scripts or project commands
• Exploring unfamiliar codebases via natural language

It's best in small-to-medium projects where the codebase isn't full of edge cases or custom frameworks. It can get tripped up in complex mono-repos or highly opinionated stacks.

Pricing

CodexCLI is free for now (or at least, it was in early private beta). If it moves to a paid model, expect it to follow similar usage-based pricing like other OpenAI-powered tools.

No clear pro plan or team pricing yet. Still early days.

What people are saying

“CodexCLI is like having ChatGPT on the command line—with write access.” - @blewis

“I haven’t touched my editor all morning. This thing rules.” -@tomlikeslinux

“It’s great until it deletes the wrong file. Still using it.” - @barelyfunctional

As with most AI tools, there’s risk. CodexCLI has real write access, so if it misunderstands you, it can overwrite or break stuff. Best used with version control (which, let’s be honest, you should already be using).

Should you use it for vibe coding?

Yes, especially if you’re prototyping fast and want to stay in the terminal without breaking focus.

If vibe coding means fewer context switches and more speed, CodexCLI fits. You type, it works, and you stay in flow.

Use it when:

• You’re hacking something together in Node, Python, or Bash
• You want to explore or tweak code without opening your editor
• You prefer to type instructions instead of clicking around
• You’ve got version control and aren’t afraid of the occasional rollback

How Does it Compare?