Codex vs pumaDB: How They Actually Differ
Codex is an OpenAI coding agent that runs across terminal, IDE, and cloud and reviews GitHub pull requests. pumaDB is a hosted memory layer that stores agent state across sessions in the browser. Pick Codex to write and review code. Pick pumaDB for persistent agent memory.
Compiled 2026-09-02 from our catalogue entries for Codex and pumaDB.
The short answer
- Pick Codex if
- you want an agent that writes and reviews code across CLI, IDE, desktop, and cloud, and you are fine staying on OpenAI's GPT models.
- Pick pumaDB if
- you already run coding agents and need a hosted place to store and retrieve their state across sessions, and you are fine with a browser-based service.
- Cheapest way in
- Codex has a Free tier at $0 /month; paid tiers begin at Go $8 /month. pumaDB's pricing is not recorded in the fact sheet.
- What we could not compare
- pumaDB's plans, starting price, and confirmed platforms beyond the web are not on file, so cost and reach cannot be lined up against Codex.
Codex is OpenAI's coding agent. It runs the same agent across a terminal CLI, an IDE extension, a desktop app, and a cloud environment, and it can spin up a cloud code review on a GitHub pull request. It runs on OpenAI's GPT-5 models (currently GPT-5.5 as the recommended frontier model) and is included with ChatGPT plans. Pricing is freemium: Free $0 /month, Go $8 /month, Plus $20 /month, Pro 5x $100 /month, Pro 20x $200 /month, Business/Enterprise not published, plus an API key option where you pay for tokens Codex uses.
pumaDB is a hosted memory layer for AI agents. It stores and retrieves state across sessions so agents keep context between runs, and it runs as a browser-based service rather than something you install locally. The fact sheet records no verified plans, no starting price, and no confirmed platforms beyond the web, which limits a head-to-head check on cost or device coverage.
Side by side
Every cell is a field on our catalogue entry for that tool, copied as recorded. Rows where the two differ come first; blank fields say so rather than being filled in.
| Codex | pumaDB | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Freemium | Not recorded |
| Starts at | Free — $0 /month | Not recorded |
| Runs on | web, mac, win, linux, cli, vscode-ext | Not recorded |
| Category | AI Coding Agents | AI Coding Agents |
| Public source code | No public repo listed | No public repo listed |
| Public docs | Not listed | Not listed |
- Public source code: From the repository link on each catalogue entry, not a licence audit.
Where Codex is the better fit
- One agent runs across CLI, IDE, desktop, and cloud, so work can move between surfaces.
- Cloud code review on GitHub pull requests that comments inline and proposes fixes.
- Reads the shared AGENTS.md standard and supports MCP tools, and is included with ChatGPT plans from the free tier up through Pro.
Where pumaDB is the better fit
- Hosted, browser-based service with no local installation needed.
- Acts as a memory layer, storing and retrieving state for AI agents across sessions.
- Provides persistent context for agentic workflows so state survives between runs.
Which one should you pick?
It writes and reviews code, runs on terminal, IDE, desktop, and cloud, and has a Free $0 /month tier plus paid plans starting at Go $8 /month.
It is built as a hosted memory layer for AI coding agents, giving you a browser-based place to store and retrieve state across sessions.
The cloud GitHub integration comments inline on pull requests and proposes fixes, and it ships with ChatGPT plans from free through Pro.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Codex run anywhere besides the terminal?
- Yes. The fact sheet lists web, mac, win, linux, cli, and a vscode-ext, plus a cloud environment.
- Can pumaDB be used from a desktop or IDE?
- Not according to the fact sheet. Only the web platform is confirmed; no CLI, desktop, or IDE extension is listed.
- What is the cheapest way to start with Codex?
- The Free tier at $0 /month. The next step up is Go at $8 /month.
- Why is pumaDB listed under AI Coding Agents if it is a memory layer?
- The fact sheet places it there because it targets the AI coding agents use case, providing persistent context for agentic workflows.
- Can Codex use non-OpenAI models?
- No. The fact sheet lists it as locked to OpenAI's GPT models, with no Claude or Gemini out of the box.
What we compared
This page states nothing that is not in the two catalogue entries below. The exact text used to write it is reproduced here so you can check our reading, and both tools link through to their own pages and to the vendor.
- /tools/codex — checked 2026-07-02 · official site
- /tools/pumadb — checked 2026-06-21 · official site
Show the source text
## Codex (/tools/codex) Tagline: OpenAI's coding agent — works in the terminal, IDE, and cloud, reviews GitHub pull requests, and runs on GPT-5 models. Category: AI Coding Agents Pricing model: freemium Starts at: Free — $0 /month Platforms: web, mac, win, linux, cli, vscode-ext Public repo: none listed Docs: none listed Verified plans (read 2026-08-21): Free $0 /month | Go $8 /month | Plus $20 /month | Pro 5x $100 /month | Pro 20x $200 /month | Business / Enterprise Not published | API Key Pay only for the tokens Codex uses, based on API pricing Strengths on file: Runs one agent across CLI, IDE, desktop, and cloud — work moves between surfaces.; Strong GitHub integration: a cloud code review on a pull request that catches real bugs and proposes fixes.; Reads the shared AGENTS.md standard and supports MCP tools.; Included with ChatGPT plans, from the free tier up through Pro. Limits on file: Locked to OpenAI's GPT models — no Claude or Gemini out of the box.; Fewer built-in customization primitives (hooks, sub-agents) than some rivals. Codex is OpenAI's agentic coding tool. It runs the same agent across a terminal CLI, an IDE extension, a desktop app, and a cloud environment, so work started in one surface can continue in another. It reads the shared AGENTS.md instructions file, speaks the Model Context Protocol (MCP), and can spin up a cloud code review on a GitHub pull request that comments inline and proposes fixes. Codex runs on OpenAI's GPT models — currently GPT-5.5 as the recommended frontier model — and is included with ChatGPT plans, from the free tier up through Pro. ## pumaDB (/tools/pumadb) Tagline: a small hosted memory layer for AI agents Category: AI Coding Agents Pricing model: not recorded Starts at: Not recorded Platforms: not recorded Public repo: none listed Docs: none listed Verified plans: none on file Strengths on file: It is a hosted, web-based service that runs in the browser rather than requiring local installation.; It is designed to act as a memory layer, storing and retrieving state for AI agents across sessions.; It targets the AI coding agents use case, providing persistent context for agentic workflows. Limits on file: It is limited to the web platform, with no confirmed CLI, desktop, or IDE extension clients. pumaDB is a hosted memory layer for AI agents. It stores and retrieves state for agents across sessions so they keep context between runs. It runs as a hosted, web-based service in the browser rather than requiring local installation. Its focus is persistent context for AI coding agents and agentic workflows, so state survives from one session to the next. It fits people building agentic workflows who need persistent memory and are fine with a hosted, browser-based service. It's a weaker fit if you want a CLI, desktop app, or IDE extension, since none are confirmed. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, making cost comparison with alternatives difficult. Among AI coding agents in the directory, pumaDB is infrastructure rather than an agent itself, providing the memory other agents build on.
Change log
- 2026-09-02 — First published, compiled from the catalogue entries for Codex and pumaDB.