THE VERDICT
● Claude Code for long autonomous sessions. Still first among harnesses.
● Codex for one agent across CLI, IDE, web and desktop, with Astra included on Plus.
● Cursor if you want the editor itself to be the agent.
● The date that overrides all of it: OpenAI models leave Cursor on 12 November.
Head to head
| Claude Code | Codex | Cursor |
|---|
| Entry price | $20 Pro | $8 Go, $20 Plus | Free, $20 Pro |
| Metering | Weekly pool, shared with chat and Cowork | Five-hour windows | Credits, Auto mode free |
| Where it runs | Terminal, IDE, desktop | CLI, IDE, web, desktop | Its own editor |
| Long sessions | Best | Good, capped at five hours | Interactive by design |
| Model choice | Claude only | OpenAI only, Astra on Plus | Several, until November |
| Known change coming | Limits settled lower on 14 Sept | None announced | OpenAI models leave 12 Nov |
THE METERING DIFFERS MORE THAN THE CAPABILITY
All three write good code. What actually shapes your week is how you run out.
Claude Code shares one weekly pool with chat and Cowork, so a heavy Cowork week costs you coding capacity. Codex resets every five hours, so you are never stuck for long but you cannot bank it. Cursor bills credits, with Auto mode free — so the cheapest way to use Cursor is to stop choosing models.
The November date matters more than any feature
SpaceX acquired Cursor in June, and OpenAI models leave the product on 12 November. If your workflow depends on GPT models inside Cursor, that is a migration with a deadline rather than a preference.
The lineup after November has not been fully detailed. That is not a reason to leave today, but it is a reason not to build anything around it that would be painful to unwind.
Which one
| If you... | Pick |
|---|
| Run long unattended sessions | Claude Code, and watch the weekly pool |
| Want the same agent everywhere | Codex. Four surfaces, metered separately from chat |
| Want the editor to be the agent | Cursor, with November in your calendar |
| Are on a tight budget | Codex Go at $8, or Cursor on Auto mode |
| Also use Claude for chat and documents | Budget all three together. One pool, three products |
FAQ
Which is best for long autonomous work?
Claude Code ranks first among harnesses for long sessions. The caveat is that its weekly allowance is shared with chat and Cowork, and settled 17 percent lower on 14 September.
Does Codex include GPT-6 Astra?
Astra began rolling out to Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise on 3 September at no extra cost.
Should I leave Cursor before November?
Only if your workflow depends specifically on OpenAI models inside it. The post-November lineup has not been detailed, so avoid building anything around it that would be painful to unwind.
What is the cheapest way to run one of these?
Codex Go at $8, or Cursor on Auto mode, which does not consume credits on any paid plan.