codex-chatgpt-web vs OpenHands
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
Lets Codex use your signed-in ChatGPT Web models (including Pro) as its model, without using Codex quota.
Open source · MIT
A self-hosted control panel that runs AI coding agents on your machine, in Docker, or in the cloud.
The short answer
Choose codex-chatgpt-web if you need…
- Developers who already pay for ChatGPT and want to use its web models inside Codex
- People who want Codex's model picker to include ChatGPT Web models, including Pro versions where the account exposes them
- Users comfortable running an unofficial browser-based integration on a trusted personal machine
Choose OpenHands if you need…
- Developers who want coding agents running on a server while their laptop is off
- Teams that want a shared agent server for tasks like code review or dependency updates
- People who want to connect agents to Slack, GitHub, or Linear through automations
- Users who want to choose their own LLM provider
Side-by-side
| codex-chatgpt-web | OpenHands | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 15.4k | 92.5k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Download the app | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 7 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
codex-chatgpt-web
This is a launcher app that connects Codex, a coding assistant, to the ChatGPT Web models available on your own ChatGPT account. Messages run through your signed-in ChatGPT web session, so they count against that account's ChatGPT limits rather than Codex quota. An optional Full harness mode uses MCP to let ChatGPT work with the current task's files, terminal, and tools, with approvals.
OpenHands
Agent Canvas is a self-hosted control center for AI coding agents. You start conversations with agents and set up automations, such as generating reports that publish to Slack or breaking GitHub issues into tasks. It runs on your own machine by default and can also connect to agents running in Docker, on virtual machines, or on OpenHands Cloud or Enterprise infrastructure. It can run the open source OpenHands agent or third-party agents such as Claude Code, Codex, and Gemini CLI.
Best for
codex-chatgpt-web
- Developers who already pay for ChatGPT and want to use its web models inside Codex
- People who want Codex's model picker to include ChatGPT Web models, including Pro versions where the account exposes them
- Users comfortable running an unofficial browser-based integration on a trusted personal machine
OpenHands
- Developers who want coding agents running on a server while their laptop is off
- Teams that want a shared agent server for tasks like code review or dependency updates
- People who want to connect agents to Slack, GitHub, or Linear through automations
- Users who want to choose their own LLM provider
Strengths
codex-chatgpt-web
- The README says the app includes its own browser and runtime, so no separate Chrome, Node, or Bun install is needed
- Keeps the Codex interface, tasks, images, and streaming, per the README
- Full harness connects through an outbound tunnel, so it does not open an inbound port or require router forwarding
OpenHands
- Self-hosted, so you control where agents run and where your work is stored
- Supports several agents and backends from one frontend
- Released under the MIT license with a large public community (about 92,000 stars)
Not ideal for
codex-chatgpt-web
- Teams that need a supported, stable API: the README says this is unofficial browser automation, not an OpenAI API, and UI changes can break it
- Anyone sharing a computer or unable to protect the launcher's login profile, since browser state is a sensitive login artifact
- Users who need platforms beyond macOS 13+, Windows x64, and Linux x64, which are the documented release targets
OpenHands
- People who need strong isolation by default: the quickstart without a sandbox gives the agent full access to your filesystem
- Non-technical users who are not comfortable with Node.js, npm, Docker, or the command line
- Anyone who needs a fully hosted service with no setup, since the README centers on self-hosting
Trade-offs
codex-chatgpt-web
- Unofficial browser automation: selector or UI changes on ChatGPT's side can break it, and the README says drift fails explicitly rather than silently switching
- Usage limits and context windows depend on your account type and selected effort, and are described in a linked discussion rather than fixed numbers
- Builds are not yet platform-signed, so Gatekeeper or SmartScreen may show warnings
OpenHands
- Running without a sandbox gives the agent full access to your filesystem, so the Docker options need careful setup
- Multiple features depend on configuring backends, LLM keys, and integrations, which takes effort
- The README is truncated and does not fully document security hardening or every integration; see the linked docs
Getting started
codex-chatgpt-web
macOS / Linux terminal install
curl -fsSL https://github.com/miuuyy/codex-chatgpt-web/releases/latest/download/install-launcher.sh | shWindows PowerShell install
irm https://github.com/miuuyy/codex-chatgpt-web/releases/latest/download/install-launcher.ps1 | iexOpenHands
Install globally with npm (no sandbox)
npm install -g @openhands/agent-canvasStart the full local stack
agent-canvasFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between codex-chatgpt-web and OpenHands?
codex-chatgpt-web: Lets Codex use your signed-in ChatGPT Web models (including Pro) as its model, without using Codex quota. OpenHands: A self-hosted control panel that runs AI coding agents on your machine, in Docker, or in the cloud. codex-chatgpt-web suits developers who already pay for chatgpt and want to use its web models inside codex, while OpenHands suits developers who want coding agents running on a server while their laptop is off.
Are codex-chatgpt-web and OpenHands free?
codex-chatgpt-web: Free and open source. OpenHands: Free and open source.
Is codex-chatgpt-web or OpenHands more popular?
OpenHands has more GitHub stars (92.5k) than codex-chatgpt-web (15.4k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to codex-chatgpt-web and OpenHands?
Other options people compare them with include OmniRoute, wechat-bot, CLIProxyAPI, DeepWiki, CC Switch.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.