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How Do You Download OpenAI Codex?

OpenAI Codex has no standalone download — access it via the ChatGPT web app, CLI, or VS Code extension. Here's how to get started.

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How Do You Download OpenAI Codex?

OpenAI Codex is not a downloadable desktop application. You access it through the ChatGPT web interface (at chatgpt.com), the OpenAI Codex CLI (installable via npm), or the Codex extension for VS Code. There is no standalone installer — Codex runs as a cloud-based service, and all compute happens on OpenAI's infrastructure.

Context

The confusion around "downloading Codex" comes from how the product has evolved. The original Codex model (2021) was an API-only service for developers. The 2025 Codex relaunch introduced a cloud-based agentic coding environment accessible through ChatGPT — no local install required for the core product.

That said, there are two legitimate local components:

1. Codex CLI — OpenAI's open-source terminal agent, installable with:

npm install -g @openai/codex

This gives you a Claude Code-style terminal agent powered by Codex. It requires Node.js and an OpenAI API key. Full details in our complete Codex guide.

2. VS Code Extension — The Codex VS Code extension integrates Codex directly into your editor. Install it from the VS Code Marketplace by searching "OpenAI Codex" — no separate download needed beyond the extension itself.

For students, OpenAI offers $100 in free credits to get started without upfront cost.

Practical Steps

  1. For browser access: Go to chatgpt.com, open a new chat, and select the Codex agent from the tool picker — no install needed
  2. For terminal use: Run npm install -g @openai/codex, then set your OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable
  3. For VS Code: Open the Extensions sidebar, search "OpenAI Codex", click Install
  4. For API access: Use the OpenAI API directly — Codex capabilities are available through the standard completions endpoint

All paths require an OpenAI account. The CLI and API paths require an API key with available credits.

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