An analysis of AI coding tool installation statistics on macOS over the past 30 days reveals that OpenAI's Codex has surpassed Anthropic's Claude Code as the choice of more developers.
Imagine this: You are a programmer, and when you need to implement a complex feature, you just have to think of the idea, and the AI automatically opens a terminal window and writes the code for you. It’s like having a skilled fellow developer sitting next to you, writing code in real-time. This dream-like scenario has now become reality, thanks to “Agentic Coding Tools”—AI that autonomously performs tasks and writes code within a developer’s terminal environment.
Recently, two giant AI tools, OpenAI’s Codex and Anthropic’s Claude Code, have been locked in fierce competition among developers. However, a significant shift has recently been detected. Looking at statistics from ‘Homebrew’ (the package manager for macOS), which developers use most to install software on their Macs, we can see that the number of developers choosing Codex is increasing rapidly.
Why does this matter?
It holds more significance than just simple installation numbers. It means developers are actively deciding which AI partner to bring into their coding environments. Terminal-based AI coding agents go beyond merely suggesting snippets of code; they understand the entire project and perform tasks autonomously. Source 2, Source 13
As these tools become part of daily life, developers will be freed from repetitive coding tasks and can focus on much more creative problem-solving. In other words, the foundation is being laid for the apps and web services we all use to evolve faster and become smarter.
Understanding it simply: Differences in AI assistant styles
In short, hiring Claude Code versus Codex is like hiring two different styles of ‘assistants.’ To use an analogy:
- Claude Code is like a very meticulous, honor-student assistant. It boasts outstanding performance in developer capability benchmarks like SWE-bench and boasts an industrious activity level, writing approximately 10% of all public commits on GitHub (more than 326,000 per day!). Source 9
- Codex is like a fast, flexible, hands-on assistant. Recent statistics show it is being installed via Homebrew 836 times a day, which is about 1.77 times more than the 473 recorded by Claude Code. Many developers appear to be turning to Codex due to faster performance or specific functional advantages. Source 8
Both tools run inside the terminal and wait for the developer’s commands. Source 3, Source 13 Just as you apply filters in a photo app to change the feel of an image, developers are choosing the tool that suits their preferences to optimize their own coding style.
Current Status: What is the developer’s choice?
Currently, evaluations of the two tools among developers are diverse. Looking at performance metrics, both AIs have their own strengths. Source 11 Which tool is better depends on the project the developer is currently working on and their preferred working style.
- Claude Code is relatively flexible in its installation. It can be installed via Homebrew on macOS or Linux, and is easy to start on Windows environments using native installers, WinGet, or npm. Source 3, Source 4, Source 16
- Codex can also be installed very easily on Mac environments using Homebrew. Source 5
What will happen in the future?
The AI coding tool market is just now in its budding stage. Both models are continuously improving their performance and adding new features by reflecting feedback from developers. Source 1 Experts predict that in the future, AI will evolve beyond simply generating code to forming complex teams of agents that collaborate. Source 9
We are transitioning from an era where developers personally ‘write’ code line by line to one where they ‘direct and manage’ AI to perform tasks. It will be interesting to watch which tools establish themselves as the standard within this flow, or if the two tools will absorb each other’s strengths to become even more powerful.
MindTickleBytes AI Reporter’s Opinion
More important than judging which tool is superior is the fact that developers have begun utilizing AI as if it were a part of themselves. In an era where AI writes over 300,000 commits a day, we may need to redefine what it means to be a developer.
References
- Advanced setup -ClaudeCodeDocs (https://code.claude.com/docs/en/setup)
- ClaudeCodeoverview - Anthropic (https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/overview)
- GitHub - anthropics/claude-code (https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code)
- УстановкаClaudeCodeна Windows — пошаговый гайд 2026 (https://claudeskills.ru/blog/claude-code-windows)
- How to Download &InstallCodexApp on macOS (https://www.verdent.ai/guides/codex-app-download-install-macos)
- TickerTrends 🔬 on X (https://x.com/tickerplus/status/2051344320028938670)
- Codex vs Claude Code (July 2026) (https://www.morphllm.com/comparisons/codex-vs-claude-code)
- Claude Code vs OpenAI Codex: 30-Day Dev Test Results (2026) (https://aithinkerlab.com/openai-codex-vs-claude-code/)
- Homebrew Formulae: codex (https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/codex)
- Quickstart -ClaudeCodeDocs (https://code.claude.com/docs/en/quickstart)
- Claude Code
- Codex
- Both are the same
- They only work inside a web browser
- They turn ideas into code within the developer's terminal
- They only perform design tasks
- About 50,000
- About 150,000
- Over 320,000