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Forkbench vs the Codex app
The Codex app is OpenAI's desktop app for macOS and Windows, running parallel Codex threads in git worktrees inside a sandbox, included with ChatGPT plans.
Updated
The Codex app is a strong home for OpenAI's own agent, with parallel threads and a sandbox. Forkbench is a home for all of your agents: run Codex next to Claude Code and the rest on one board, keep API keys out of their reach with the Vault, see who is stuck at a glance, and share one job with a teammate or client.
Most developers do not run one vendor's agent any more. The moment you add a second, you need a control room that is not owned by either of them.
| Forkbench | the Codex app | |
|---|---|---|
| Agents locked to your project folders | Yes. The macOS kernel seals off the rest of your home folder, per Thread | Sandboxed by default, with approval prompts |
| API keys the agent never sees | Yes. The Vault runs the command and the agent only gets the result | No secrets broker |
| Every agent at a glance | Yes. A live pulse on every tab and the task each agent claimed | Parallel threads in one app |
| Know when an agent is stuck | Instantly. It turns red and the Thread counts who needs you | Approval prompts per thread |
| Share one job with a teammate or client | Yes. Invite them to one Thread, never your machine | No |
| Human sign-off before work counts as done | Always. Agents report, only you accept | Review each thread's diff |
| Works with | Any CLI agent: Claude Code, Codex, Cursor CLI, Gemini CLI, Aider, your own scripts | Codex only |
| Platform | Desktop app, on your machine | macOS, Windows |
| Price | Free | Included with ChatGPT plans |
Why developers pick Forkbench
- Every vendor's agent on one board, including Codex itself.
- A Vault, so keys never land in any agent's context.
- A live pulse and a needs-you flag across every agent at once.
- Share one job with someone, keys included, without sending a value.
What the Codex app does well
- Included with ChatGPT plans, with nothing extra to buy.
- A sandbox on by default, with approvals for elevated actions.
- Available on Windows today.
The verdict
If Codex is the only agent you run, the Codex app is hard to beat: it is already included with your ChatGPT plan and its sandbox is on from the first run. The moment you also run Claude Code or anything else, Forkbench becomes the one place that puts them on the same board, with a Vault neither agent's keys ever touch and room to bring a teammate into the job.
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Sources
Comparison based on publicly available information, checked on the date above. Spot something out of date? Tell us.