Qwen Code vs OpenAI Codex CLI

A side-by-side look at scores, pricing and features — with RECATOOLS' ASEAN-aware verdict for each.

	Qwen Code Alibaba's open-source coding agent for terminal, IDE and desktop Visit	OpenAI Codex CLI OpenAI's open-source terminal coding agent, now on GPT-6 models Visit
RECATOOLS Score	7.7 / 10	8.2 / 10
Capability	8	8.5
Value for money	9	7.5
Ease of use	6	7.5
ASEAN readiness	7	6.5
API quality	7	8
Pricing	Open Source	Freemium
Free tier	Apache-2.0 CLI is free to install and use; you supply the model (own API key or local Ollama/vLLM). The free Qwen OAuth tier ended 15 Apr 2026	CLI is open source (Apache-2.0); ChatGPT Free includes limited Codex usage (GPT-6 Luna, desktop app, subject to rollout); otherwise sign in with a paid plan or API key
Paid from	CLI free, model access e.g. Alibaba Coding Plan Pro at $50/month or your own API key	Included in ChatGPT Go $8/mo, Plus $20/mo, Pro from $100/mo; or API-key usage
Has API	✓	✓
Open source	✓	✓
Free to use	✓	✓
Users	—	—
Founded	2025	2025
Maker	Alibaba Group (Qwen team)	OpenAI
Verdict	Qwen Code is now a broad, fast-moving agent rather than a Gemini CLI fork: sub-agents, agent teams, MCP, hooks, IDE plugins, a desktop app and SDKs, released almost daily under Apache-2.0. You can point it at Qwen, DeepS...	Codex CLI is one of the strongest terminal coding agents available: open source, fast, actively maintained and now running OpenAI's GPT-6 models, with a scriptable mode for automation. Its value depends on a ChatGPT subs...
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Comparisons cover up to 4 tools. Scores are RECATOOLS editorial assessments; verify current pricing on each vendor's site.