Choose Bolt.new when
Choose Bolt.new when founders and product teams building JavaScript web applications from prompts.
Bolt.new vs Codex
Which AI coding workflow fits you?
Reviewed Jul 12, 2026
47-field comparison matrix
| Dimension |  Bolt.newBrowser-based conversational web and mobile app builderView full Bolt.new analysis |  CodexCross-surface coding agent and multi-agent command centerView full Codex analysis | Official evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product formDetermines whether adoption replaces the primary editor or layers an agent across existing tools. | Browser-based conversational web and mobile app builder | Cross-surface coding agent and multi-agent command center | Introduction to Bolt OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Primary surfacesShows how much of the team's current development environment can remain in place. | Bolt.new web workspace · Agent chat and live Preview · Code View · Bolt Cloud dashboard · GitHub integration | ChatGPT desktop app in Codex mode · Codex IDE extension · Codex CLI · Codex web · Codex cloud · GitHub | Introduction to Bolt OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Execution environmentsAffects machine usage, task isolation, and the ability to continue long-running work away from a laptop. | Browser WebContainer development environment · Bolt Cloud database and server functions · Bolt-hosted website · Expo mobile project | Local workspace · Git worktree · OpenAI-managed cloud container | Introduction to Bolt OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Model strategyInfluences model choice, vendor concentration, and how usage costs vary by task. | What Bolt.new is — Model strategy: Bolt.new is an AI website and app builder that runs a development environment in the browser. Users can prompt an agent, inspect the result in a live preview, edit the generated files, and publish through Bolt Cloud.Confirmed | What Codex is — Model strategy: Codex is a coding agent connected by a ChatGPT account across the desktop app, IDE, terminal, web, and cloud. The desktop experience is designed as a command center for supervising multiple agents and long-running work.Confirmed | Introduction to Bolt OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Free starting pointSets the cost of running a real proof of concept before committing a team. | $0/plan — Free entry available. Free — 1 million tokens per month with a 300,000-token daily limit | $0/plan — Free entry available. Codex is included across ChatGPT plans, including Free and Go, with limits that vary by plan | Bolt pricing Using Codex with your ChatGPT plan |
| Best-fit buying archetypeTurns the feature inventory into an explicit initial choice while keeping editorial judgment separate from product facts. | What Bolt.new is — Best-fit buying archetype: Bolt.new is an AI website and app builder that runs a development environment in the browser. Users can prompt an agent, inspect the result in a live preview, edit the generated files, and publish through Bolt Cloud.Confirmed | What Codex is — Best-fit buying archetype: Codex is a coding agent connected by a ChatGPT account across the desktop app, IDE, terminal, web, and cloud. The desktop experience is designed as a command center for supervising multiple agents and long-running work.Confirmed | Introduction to Bolt OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Native full editorDetermines migration effort and whether developers can consolidate manual coding and agent work into one editor. | Building and editing workflow — Native full editor: Bolt offers Plan or Discussion mode for analysis, build agents for implementation, element selection and file references for targeted prompts, plus Code View for direct file operations.Confirmed | Coding workflow — Native full editor: Codex can inspect repositories, edit files, execute commands and tests, review diffs, and complete substantial engineering tasks. Local work is available through the app, IDE extension, and CLI, while cloud tasks can continue independently.Confirmed | Bolt Code View OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Dedicated inline completionInline completion affects hundreds of small daily edits that do not warrant delegating a full agent task. | Building and editing workflow — Dedicated inline completion: Bolt offers Plan or Discussion mode for analysis, build agents for implementation, element selection and file references for targeted prompts, plus Code View for direct file operations.Confirmed | Coding workflow — Dedicated inline completion: Codex can inspect repositories, edit files, execute commands and tests, review diffs, and complete substantial engineering tasks. Local work is available through the app, IDE extension, and CLI, while cloud tasks can continue independently.Confirmed | Bolt Code View OpenAI Codex product overview |
| End-to-end agent changesShows whether the product can move beyond suggestions to implementation, testing, and revision. | Building and editing workflow — End-to-end agent changes: Bolt offers Plan or Discussion mode for analysis, build agents for implementation, element selection and file references for targeted prompts, plus Code View for direct file operations.Confirmed | Coding workflow — End-to-end agent changes: Codex can inspect repositories, edit files, execute commands and tests, review diffs, and complete substantial engineering tasks. Local work is available through the app, IDE extension, and CLI, while cloud tasks can continue independently.Confirmed | Bolt Code View OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Codebase context approachContext retrieval quality becomes more important as repository size and architectural complexity grow. | Building and editing workflow — Codebase context approach: Bolt offers Plan or Discussion mode for analysis, build agents for implementation, element selection and file references for targeted prompts, plus Code View for direct file operations.Confirmed | Coding workflow — Codebase context approach: Codex can inspect repositories, edit files, execute commands and tests, review diffs, and complete substantial engineering tasks. Local work is available through the app, IDE extension, and CLI, while cloud tasks can continue independently.Confirmed | Bolt Code View OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Visual and frontend workflowVisual input and browser verification reduce the gap between generated frontend code and the intended design. | Building and editing workflow — Visual and frontend workflow: Bolt offers Plan or Discussion mode for analysis, build agents for implementation, element selection and file references for targeted prompts, plus Code View for direct file operations.Confirmed | Coding workflow — Visual and frontend workflow: Codex can inspect repositories, edit files, execute commands and tests, review diffs, and complete substantial engineering tasks. Local work is available through the app, IDE extension, and CLI, while cloud tasks can continue independently.Confirmed | Bolt Code View OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Terminal, build, and test executionThe implementation loop is incomplete if the agent cannot run the repository's own verification commands. | Building and editing workflow — Terminal, build, and test execution: Bolt offers Plan or Discussion mode for analysis, build agents for implementation, element selection and file references for targeted prompts, plus Code View for direct file operations.Confirmed | Coding workflow — Terminal, build, and test execution: Codex can inspect repositories, edit files, execute commands and tests, review diffs, and complete substantial engineering tasks. Local work is available through the app, IDE extension, and CLI, while cloud tasks can continue independently.Confirmed | Bolt Code View OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Debugging workflowShows whether the product can diagnose runtime behavior rather than only rewrite code from static context. | Building and editing workflow — Debugging workflow: Bolt offers Plan or Discussion mode for analysis, build agents for implementation, element selection and file references for targeted prompts, plus Code View for direct file operations.Confirmed | Coding workflow — Debugging workflow: Codex can inspect repositories, edit files, execute commands and tests, review diffs, and complete substantial engineering tasks. Local work is available through the app, IDE extension, and CLI, while cloud tasks can continue independently.Confirmed | Bolt Code View OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Project instructions and rulesPersistent instructions reduce repeated prompting and encode architecture, testing, and review requirements. | Context and extensibility — Project instructions and rules: Bolt supports file uploads, reusable prompts and knowledge, design systems, MCP servers, Figma and Google Stitch imports, GitHub, and app integrations including Stripe and Supabase.Confirmed | Context and extensibility — Project instructions and rules: Codex uses AGENTS.md, configuration, rules, skills, plugins, MCP, hooks, and programmable interfaces to align tasks with project and team requirements.Confirmed | Start a Bolt project Introducing the Codex app |
| Reusable skillsSkills turn specialized repeatable work into a maintained capability instead of a copied prompt. | Context and extensibility — Reusable skills: Bolt supports file uploads, reusable prompts and knowledge, design systems, MCP servers, Figma and Google Stitch imports, GitHub, and app integrations including Stripe and Supabase.Confirmed | Context and extensibility — Reusable skills: Codex uses AGENTS.md, configuration, rules, skills, plugins, MCP, hooks, and programmable interfaces to align tasks with project and team requirements.Confirmed | Start a Bolt project Introducing the Codex app |
| MCP supportMCP enables reusable connections to external tools, services, and private operational context. | Context and extensibility — MCP support: Bolt supports file uploads, reusable prompts and knowledge, design systems, MCP servers, Figma and Google Stitch imports, GitHub, and app integrations including Stripe and Supabase.Confirmed | Context and extensibility — MCP support: Codex uses AGENTS.md, configuration, rules, skills, plugins, MCP, hooks, and programmable interfaces to align tasks with project and team requirements.Confirmed | Start a Bolt project Introducing the Codex app |
| Plugins and marketplaceA managed extension ecosystem affects discovery, reuse, permissions, and supply-chain governance. | Context and extensibility — Plugins and marketplace: Bolt supports file uploads, reusable prompts and knowledge, design systems, MCP servers, Figma and Google Stitch imports, GitHub, and app integrations including Stripe and Supabase.Confirmed | Context and extensibility — Plugins and marketplace: Codex uses AGENTS.md, configuration, rules, skills, plugins, MCP, hooks, and programmable interfaces to align tasks with project and team requirements.Confirmed | Start a Bolt project Introducing the Codex app |
| HooksHooks allow deterministic checks and integrations around otherwise probabilistic agent behavior. | Context and extensibility — Hooks: Bolt supports file uploads, reusable prompts and knowledge, design systems, MCP servers, Figma and Google Stitch imports, GitHub, and app integrations including Stripe and Supabase.Confirmed | Context and extensibility — Hooks: Codex uses AGENTS.md, configuration, rules, skills, plugins, MCP, hooks, and programmable interfaces to align tasks with project and team requirements.Confirmed | Start a Bolt project Introducing the Codex app |
| SDK and non-interactive executionProgrammable entry points determine whether the agent can be embedded in CI, scripts, and internal tooling. | Context and extensibility — SDK and non-interactive execution: Bolt supports file uploads, reusable prompts and knowledge, design systems, MCP servers, Figma and Google Stitch imports, GitHub, and app integrations including Stripe and Supabase.Confirmed | Context and extensibility — SDK and non-interactive execution: Codex uses AGENTS.md, configuration, rules, skills, plugins, MCP, hooks, and programmable interfaces to align tasks with project and team requirements.Confirmed | Start a Bolt project Introducing the Codex app |
| Team capability distributionCentral distribution prevents every developer from maintaining incompatible private agent setups. | Context and extensibility — Team capability distribution: Bolt supports file uploads, reusable prompts and knowledge, design systems, MCP servers, Figma and Google Stitch imports, GitHub, and app integrations including Stripe and Supabase.Confirmed | Context and extensibility — Team capability distribution: Codex uses AGENTS.md, configuration, rules, skills, plugins, MCP, hooks, and programmable interfaces to align tasks with project and team requirements.Confirmed | Start a Bolt project Introducing the Codex app |
| Parallel agentsParallelism is the main throughput advantage of moving from pair programming to agent orchestration. | Agents and orchestration — Parallel agents: Bolt provides agent choices for building projects and is migrating older v1 projects to Bolt Agent. Its workflow is project-centered and conversational; the official documentation does not describe parallel repository agents or local worktree orchestration.Confirmed | Agents and orchestration — Parallel agents: Codex supports multiple agents running in parallel across projects. Built-in worktrees isolate local tasks, cloud environments isolate delegated work, and scheduled Automations handle recurring jobs.Confirmed | Choose a Bolt agent OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Git worktree isolationWorktrees let multiple agents change one repository without colliding in the same checkout. | Agents and orchestration — Git worktree isolation: Bolt provides agent choices for building projects and is migrating older v1 projects to Bolt Agent. Its workflow is project-centered and conversational; the official documentation does not describe parallel repository agents or local worktree orchestration.Confirmed | Agents and orchestration — Git worktree isolation: Codex supports multiple agents running in parallel across projects. Built-in worktrees isolate local tasks, cloud environments isolate delegated work, and scheduled Automations handle recurring jobs.Confirmed | Choose a Bolt agent OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Cloud agentsCloud execution keeps long tasks running without tying them to developer hardware. | Agents and orchestration — Cloud agents: Bolt provides agent choices for building projects and is migrating older v1 projects to Bolt Agent. Its workflow is project-centered and conversational; the official documentation does not describe parallel repository agents or local worktree orchestration.Confirmed | Agents and orchestration — Cloud agents: Codex supports multiple agents running in parallel across projects. Built-in worktrees isolate local tasks, cloud environments isolate delegated work, and scheduled Automations handle recurring jobs.Confirmed | Choose a Bolt agent OpenAI Codex product overview |
| SubagentsSubagents allow a primary task to delegate exploration and implementation without blocking the parent workflow. | Agents and orchestration — Subagents: Bolt provides agent choices for building projects and is migrating older v1 projects to Bolt Agent. Its workflow is project-centered and conversational; the official documentation does not describe parallel repository agents or local worktree orchestration.Confirmed | Agents and orchestration — Subagents: Codex supports multiple agents running in parallel across projects. Built-in worktrees isolate local tasks, cloud environments isolate delegated work, and scheduled Automations handle recurring jobs.Confirmed | Choose a Bolt agent OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Local and cloud continuityContinuity determines whether developers can delegate, resume, and locally verify work without recreating context. | Agents and orchestration — Local and cloud continuity: Bolt provides agent choices for building projects and is migrating older v1 projects to Bolt Agent. Its workflow is project-centered and conversational; the official documentation does not describe parallel repository agents or local worktree orchestration.Confirmed | Agents and orchestration — Local and cloud continuity: Codex supports multiple agents running in parallel across projects. Built-in worktrees isolate local tasks, cloud environments isolate delegated work, and scheduled Automations handle recurring jobs.Confirmed | Choose a Bolt agent OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Scheduled automationsScheduled background work is essential for recurring triage, monitoring, and maintenance rather than one-off coding. | Agents and orchestration — Scheduled automations: Bolt provides agent choices for building projects and is migrating older v1 projects to Bolt Agent. Its workflow is project-centered and conversational; the official documentation does not describe parallel repository agents or local worktree orchestration.Confirmed | Agents and orchestration — Scheduled automations: Codex supports multiple agents running in parallel across projects. Built-in worktrees isolate local tasks, cloud environments isolate delegated work, and scheduled Automations handle recurring jobs.Confirmed | Choose a Bolt agent OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Mobile and remote supervisionRemote supervision matters when agents run longer than a normal editor session or need approval away from a desk. | Agents and orchestration — Mobile and remote supervision: Bolt provides agent choices for building projects and is migrating older v1 projects to Bolt Agent. Its workflow is project-centered and conversational; the official documentation does not describe parallel repository agents or local worktree orchestration.Confirmed | Agents and orchestration — Mobile and remote supervision: Codex supports multiple agents running in parallel across projects. Built-in worktrees isolate local tasks, cloud environments isolate delegated work, and scheduled Automations handle recurring jobs.Confirmed | Choose a Bolt agent OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Diff review and feedbackA strong review surface keeps humans in control without forcing them to inspect an agent's entire execution log. | Delivery and collaboration — Diff review and feedback: Bolt Cloud groups database, authentication, server functions, file storage, hosting, analytics, and domains around a project. Teams can collaborate in real time and publish to Bolt hosting or use external options such as Netlify.Confirmed | Delivery and code review — Diff review and feedback: Codex connects implementation with diff review, testing, GitHub, pull requests, and dedicated code review. Local and cloud output remains reviewable before it is merged.Confirmed | What is Bolt Cloud OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Git isolation and rollbackRollback and isolation reduce the cost of trying alternative implementations or recovering from a poor edit. | Delivery and collaboration — Git isolation and rollback: Bolt Cloud groups database, authentication, server functions, file storage, hosting, analytics, and domains around a project. Teams can collaborate in real time and publish to Bolt hosting or use external options such as Netlify.Confirmed | Delivery and code review — Git isolation and rollback: Codex connects implementation with diff review, testing, GitHub, pull requests, and dedicated code review. Local and cloud output remains reviewable before it is merged.Confirmed | What is Bolt Cloud OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Pull-request workflowPull-request integration determines how easily delegated work enters a normal engineering review process. | Delivery and collaboration — Pull-request workflow: Bolt Cloud groups database, authentication, server functions, file storage, hosting, analytics, and domains around a project. Teams can collaborate in real time and publish to Bolt hosting or use external options such as Netlify.Confirmed | Delivery and code review — Pull-request workflow: Codex connects implementation with diff review, testing, GitHub, pull requests, and dedicated code review. Local and cloud output remains reviewable before it is merged.Confirmed | What is Bolt Cloud OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Dedicated code reviewDedicated review can find defects independently of the agent that authored the change, but packaging and cost differ. | Delivery and collaboration — Dedicated code review: Bolt Cloud groups database, authentication, server functions, file storage, hosting, analytics, and domains around a project. Teams can collaborate in real time and publish to Bolt hosting or use external options such as Netlify.Confirmed | Delivery and code review — Dedicated code review: Codex connects implementation with diff review, testing, GitHub, pull requests, and dedicated code review. Local and cloud output remains reviewable before it is merged.Confirmed | What is Bolt Cloud OpenAI Codex product overview |
| CI and PR follow-throughFollow-through reduces the manual loop of watching checks, reading failures, patching, and waiting again. | Delivery and collaboration — CI and PR follow-through: Bolt Cloud groups database, authentication, server functions, file storage, hosting, analytics, and domains around a project. Teams can collaborate in real time and publish to Bolt hosting or use external options such as Netlify.Confirmed | Delivery and code review — CI and PR follow-through: Codex connects implementation with diff review, testing, GitHub, pull requests, and dedicated code review. Local and cloud output remains reviewable before it is merged.Confirmed | What is Bolt Cloud OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Verification artifactsArtifacts make it possible to judge whether an agent actually tested and inspected its work. | Delivery and collaboration — Verification artifacts: Bolt Cloud groups database, authentication, server functions, file storage, hosting, analytics, and domains around a project. Teams can collaborate in real time and publish to Bolt hosting or use external options such as Netlify.Confirmed | Delivery and code review — Verification artifacts: Codex connects implementation with diff review, testing, GitHub, pull requests, and dedicated code review. Local and cloud output remains reviewable before it is merged.Confirmed | What is Bolt Cloud OpenAI Codex product overview |
| Free planA free plan supports a real repository trial before procurement or team rollout. | $0/plan — Free entry available. Free — 1 million tokens per month with a 300,000-token daily limit | $0/plan — Free entry available. Codex is included across ChatGPT plans, including Free and Go, with limits that vary by plan | Bolt pricing Using Codex with your ChatGPT plan |
| Personal paid entryShows the recurring commitment required for sustained personal use without conflating a client subscription with a platform bundle. | $25/month — Pro monthly. Pro monthly. AI use is token-based. Free has daily and monthly caps; paid tiers include larger monthly token allocations, and Pro tokens can roll into the following month. | $null/plan-dependent — See official pricing. No standalone individual price is listed in the reviewed pricing material. Codex usage draws from the plan's agentic usage and credit pool. The current rate card primarily maps model input, cached-input, and output tokens to credits. | Bolt pricing Using Codex with your ChatGPT plan |
| Primary usage unitThe billing unit determines whether cost forecasting follows requests, model list prices, tokens, or credits. | Pricing and usage — Primary usage unit: Bolt has Free, Pro, Teams, and custom Enterprise plans. AI capacity is measured in tokens, while hosting limits, file size, collaboration, branding, and governance vary by tier.Confirmed | Pricing and usage — Primary usage unit: Codex is included through ChatGPT plans rather than sold only as one standalone client subscription. Limits vary by plan, and additional use is managed through a credits system whose cost depends on model and token mix.Confirmed | Bolt pricing Using Codex with your ChatGPT plan |
| Overage behaviorOverage rules determine whether work stops at a limit or continues with a variable bill. | Pricing and usage — Overage behavior: Bolt has Free, Pro, Teams, and custom Enterprise plans. AI capacity is measured in tokens, while hosting limits, file size, collaboration, branding, and governance vary by tier.Confirmed | Pricing and usage — Overage behavior: Codex is included through ChatGPT plans rather than sold only as one standalone client subscription. Limits vary by plan, and additional use is managed through a credits system whose cost depends on model and token mix.Confirmed | Bolt pricing Using Codex with your ChatGPT plan |
| Team entry planTeam pricing determines the baseline before variable model use, review, and enterprise controls. | $30/member/month — Teams monthly. Teams monthly. AI use is token-based. Free has daily and monthly caps; paid tiers include larger monthly token allocations, and Pro tokens can roll into the following month. | $null/plan-dependent — See official pricing. No standalone team price is listed in the reviewed pricing material. Codex usage draws from the plan's agentic usage and credit pool. The current rate card primarily maps model input, cached-input, and output tokens to credits. | Bolt pricing Using Codex with your ChatGPT plan |
| Code-review billingReview volume can become a material cost separate from interactive coding. | Pricing and usage — Code-review billing: Bolt has Free, Pro, Teams, and custom Enterprise plans. AI capacity is measured in tokens, while hosting limits, file size, collaboration, branding, and governance vary by tier.Confirmed | Pricing and usage — Code-review billing: Codex is included through ChatGPT plans rather than sold only as one standalone client subscription. Limits vary by plan, and additional use is managed through a credits system whose cost depends on model and token mix.Confirmed | Bolt pricing Using Codex with your ChatGPT plan |
| Enterprise billing and usage administrationLarge teams need spend visibility, procurement support, allocation controls, and auditability in addition to feature access. | Pricing and usage — Enterprise billing and usage administration: Bolt has Free, Pro, Teams, and custom Enterprise plans. AI capacity is measured in tokens, while hosting limits, file size, collaboration, branding, and governance vary by tier.Confirmed | Pricing and usage — Enterprise billing and usage administration: Codex is included through ChatGPT plans rather than sold only as one standalone client subscription. Limits vary by plan, and additional use is managed through a credits system whose cost depends on model and token mix.Confirmed | Bolt pricing Using Codex with your ChatGPT plan |
| Training-data policySource code and prompts may contain proprietary logic, credentials, or regulated data. | Security, privacy, and governance — Training-data policy: Bolt provides private projects, scoped sharing, server-side secrets, database security settings, and enterprise identity and governance controls. Its privacy policy explains that prompts and code are processed for AI features and may be used in de-identified form to improve the service.Confirmed | Security and governance — Training-data policy: Codex combines OS-enforced local sandboxing, configurable approvals, default network restrictions, isolated cloud containers, and ChatGPT workspace controls. Data-training defaults depend on whether the user is on a consumer or business plan.Confirmed | Bolt database secrets Codex agent approvals and security |
| Local sandboxLocal sandboxing limits the damage of a mistaken or manipulated command on a developer machine. | Security, privacy, and governance — Local sandbox: Bolt provides private projects, scoped sharing, server-side secrets, database security settings, and enterprise identity and governance controls. Its privacy policy explains that prompts and code are processed for AI features and may be used in de-identified form to improve the service.Confirmed | Security and governance — Local sandbox: Codex combines OS-enforced local sandboxing, configurable approvals, default network restrictions, isolated cloud containers, and ChatGPT workspace controls. Data-training defaults depend on whether the user is on a consumer or business plan.Confirmed | Bolt database secrets Codex agent approvals and security |
| Cloud execution isolationCloud isolation determines whether agent tasks can access host systems or unrelated organizational data. | Security, privacy, and governance — Cloud execution isolation: Bolt provides private projects, scoped sharing, server-side secrets, database security settings, and enterprise identity and governance controls. Its privacy policy explains that prompts and code are processed for AI features and may be used in de-identified form to improve the service.Confirmed | Security and governance — Cloud execution isolation: Codex combines OS-enforced local sandboxing, configurable approvals, default network restrictions, isolated cloud containers, and ChatGPT workspace controls. Data-training defaults depend on whether the user is on a consumer or business plan.Confirmed | Bolt database secrets Codex agent approvals and security |
| Cloud-agent network defaultNetwork access enables dependency installation and research but increases prompt-injection and data-exfiltration risk. | Security, privacy, and governance — Cloud-agent network default: Bolt provides private projects, scoped sharing, server-side secrets, database security settings, and enterprise identity and governance controls. Its privacy policy explains that prompts and code are processed for AI features and may be used in de-identified form to improve the service.Confirmed | Security and governance — Cloud-agent network default: Codex combines OS-enforced local sandboxing, configurable approvals, default network restrictions, isolated cloud containers, and ChatGPT workspace controls. Data-training defaults depend on whether the user is on a consumer or business plan.Confirmed | Bolt database secrets Codex agent approvals and security |
| Command approvalsApproval policy controls how often an agent can act autonomously versus requiring a human checkpoint. | Security, privacy, and governance — Command approvals: Bolt provides private projects, scoped sharing, server-side secrets, database security settings, and enterprise identity and governance controls. Its privacy policy explains that prompts and code are processed for AI features and may be used in de-identified form to improve the service.Confirmed | Security and governance — Command approvals: Codex combines OS-enforced local sandboxing, configurable approvals, default network restrictions, isolated cloud containers, and ChatGPT workspace controls. Data-training defaults depend on whether the user is on a consumer or business plan.Confirmed | Bolt database secrets Codex agent approvals and security |
| SSO and SCIMIdentity federation and automated provisioning are required for reliable access removal and enterprise onboarding. | Security, privacy, and governance — SSO and SCIM: Bolt provides private projects, scoped sharing, server-side secrets, database security settings, and enterprise identity and governance controls. Its privacy policy explains that prompts and code are processed for AI features and may be used in de-identified form to improve the service.Confirmed | Security and governance — SSO and SCIM: Codex combines OS-enforced local sandboxing, configurable approvals, default network restrictions, isolated cloud containers, and ChatGPT workspace controls. Data-training defaults depend on whether the user is on a consumer or business plan.Confirmed | Bolt database secrets Codex agent approvals and security |
| Audit and policy controlsPolicy controls let security teams constrain repositories, models, tools, networks, and access while preserving an audit trail. | Security, privacy, and governance — Audit and policy controls: Bolt provides private projects, scoped sharing, server-side secrets, database security settings, and enterprise identity and governance controls. Its privacy policy explains that prompts and code are processed for AI features and may be used in de-identified form to improve the service.Confirmed | Security and governance — Audit and policy controls: Codex combines OS-enforced local sandboxing, configurable approvals, default network restrictions, isolated cloud containers, and ChatGPT workspace controls. Data-training defaults depend on whether the user is on a consumer or business plan.Confirmed | Bolt database secrets Codex agent approvals and security |
“Not publicly confirmed” means the reviewed first-party sources did not establish the capability. It does not mean “unsupported.” No star ratings, review counts, or paid rankings are used.
Editorial bottom line
Choose the workflow that fits the team
Both products can be relevant to AI-assisted software work. Compare the product form, available execution surfaces, documented workflow, pricing model, and governance requirements against the same repository task.
Choose Codex when
Choose Codex when developers who want the same coding agent in ChatGPT, an IDE, and the terminal.
Evaluate both when
Run the same representative repository task and compare output quality, review effort, execution surface, and governance requirements.
Cost scenarios
Compare pricing by workload, not sticker price
Free evaluation
Start with the documented free entry points before comparing paid usage.
Bolt.new: Free — 1 million tokens per month with a 300,000-token daily limit
Codex: Codex is included across ChatGPT plans, including Free and Go, with limits that vary by plan
Run the same scoped task in both products and compare review effort, output quality, and limits before standardizing.Daily individual use
Compare the published individual entry and the documented usage model.
Bolt.new: $25/month — Pro monthly. AI use is token-based. Free has daily and monthly caps; paid tiers include larger monthly token allocations, and Pro tokens can roll into the following month.
Codex: See official pricing. Codex usage draws from the plan's agentic usage and credit pool. The current rate card primarily maps model input, cached-input, and output tokens to credits.
Use actual workload data rather than treating plans with different usage units as directly equivalent.Governed engineering team
Evaluate governance, billing, identity, and deployment requirements alongside the seat or usage model.
Bolt.new: $30/member/month — Teams monthly. AI use is token-based. Free has daily and monthly caps; paid tiers include larger monthly token allocations, and Pro tokens can roll into the following month.
Codex: See official pricing. Codex usage draws from the plan's agentic usage and credit pool. The current rate card primarily maps model input, cached-input, and output tokens to credits.
Validate the exact plan and execution surface with both vendors before making a governance decision.Workflow fit
Recommendations by team scenario
Choose Bolt.new for its documented primary workflow
Bolt.new is positioned as Browser-based conversational web and mobile app builder. Its source-reviewed guide is the right place to validate its detailed workflow, tradeoffs, and operating model.
Choose Codex for its documented primary workflow
Codex is positioned as Cross-surface coding agent and multi-agent command center. Its source-reviewed guide is the right place to validate its detailed workflow, tradeoffs, and operating model.
Run a governed pilot before standardizing
Product form alone is not enough for a governance decision. Review the official security, privacy, pricing, and execution documentation for the exact plan and deployment model.
FAQ
Questions about Bolt.new and Codex
What is the main difference between Bolt.new and Codex?
Bolt.new is positioned as Browser-based conversational web and mobile app builder. Codex is positioned as Cross-surface coding agent and multi-agent command center. The aligned matrix shows how those product forms map to surfaces, workflow, pricing, and governance evidence.
Does Bolt.new or Codex have a free entry point?
Bolt.new: Free — 1 million tokens per month with a 300,000-token daily limit Codex: Codex is included across ChatGPT plans, including Free and Go, with limits that vary by plan
How should a team evaluate Bolt.new versus Codex?
Run the same representative repository task in both products, then compare the documented execution surface, review effort, output quality, usage limits, and required governance controls.
Which product is safer for private company code?
There is no universal answer. Review the official security, privacy, network, approval, identity, and audit documentation for the exact plan and execution surface your team will use.
Methodology and sources
Primary evidence behind the matrix
Each field is grounded in current first-party product, documentation, pricing, security, privacy, changelog, or help material.
- Introduction to Bolt · verified 2026-07-12
- Start a Bolt project · verified 2026-07-12
- OpenAI Codex product overview · verified 2026-07-12
- Introducing the Codex app · verified 2026-07-12
- Using Codex with your ChatGPT plan · verified 2026-07-12
- Bolt pricing · verified 2026-07-12
- Codex rate card · verified 2026-07-12
- Bolt Code View · verified 2026-07-12
- Choose a Bolt agent · verified 2026-07-12
- Introducing upgrades to Codex · verified 2026-07-12
- Bolt GitHub integration · verified 2026-07-12
- Bolt supported technologies · verified 2026-07-12
- Codex documentation · verified 2026-07-12
- What is Bolt Cloud · verified 2026-07-12
- Bolt Expo integration · verified 2026-07-12
- Bolt database secrets · verified 2026-07-12
- Bolt privacy policy · verified 2026-07-12
- Codex agent approvals and security · verified 2026-07-12
- OpenAI business data privacy · verified 2026-07-12
- SSO for ChatGPT Business · verified 2026-07-12
Related tools
Continue with adjacent AI coding clients
Use the product guides below to widen the shortlist beyond Bolt.new and Codex without losing the source-reviewed analysis format.
Lovable
AI app builderA conversational full-stack platform for building, editing, and publishing web applications.
Base44
No-code AI app builderA no-code AI platform with a managed backend for building and publishing business applications.
Replit
Cloud development platform and AI agentA cloud development workspace where an AI agent can design, build, test, and publish applications.
v0
AI app builderA browser-based agent for generating, editing, and deploying full-stack applications.
OJO
AI design workspaceA private-beta Design Agent Team Workspace for turning ideas into product design.
Cursor
AI coding clientAn AI code editor that combines hands-on editing with local and cloud agents.