Choose Picasso.
You want the whole agent in one place: memory, tools, subagents, providers, goals, and trust controls.
Compare
Picasso vs Codex CLI.
OpenAI when you want it. The full harness when you need it.
picasso / compare / codexindexed
Compare
Picasso vs Codex CLI
OpenAI when you want it. The full harness when you need it.
Choose PicassoYou want the whole agent in one place: memory, tools, subagents, providers, goals, and trust controls.
Choose Codex CLIYou want its native surface and do not need Picasso's broader harness.
Run bothStart with one repository. Keep your current tool. Let the work decide.
CapabilityCodex CLIPicassoPlan mode.Yes.Yes.MCP.Yes.Native client and server.Subagents.Limited.Named and fork subagents.
picasso auth provider add openai --subscriptionpicasso providers set code_generation openaipicasso mcp install githubThe decision.
Codex CLI is clean and direct for OpenAI work. Picasso keeps that path open, then adds the parts serious projects ask for later: memory, tools, parallel agents, fallbacks, and a free way in.
Choose Codex CLI.
You want its native surface and do not need Picasso's broader harness.
Run both.
Start with one repository. Keep your current tool. Let the work decide.
Capability matrix.
| Capability | Codex CLI | Picasso |
|---|---|---|
| Plan mode. | Yes. | Yes. |
| MCP. | Yes. | Native client and server. |
| Subagents. | Limited. | Named and fork subagents. |
| Persistent memory. | No. | Codebase, style, and decision retrieval. |
| Goal mode. | OpenAI only. | Every supported provider. |
| ChatGPT subscription. | Own CLI. | Supported through Picasso mode. |
A different center.
Picasso puts the loop at the center. Plan. Act. Observe. Reflect. Remember. The important state is visible, inspectable, and carried forward.
Before writes.
A plan shows the files, risks, checks, and open questions.
During work.
Tools, browser checks, MCP servers, and subagents stay inside the same loop.
After work.
Memory keeps the facts and decisions worth bringing back.
Where Picasso fits.
Not only OpenAI.
Use OpenAI. Or do not. The harness stays the same.
Tools with boundaries.
Install MCP servers and keep them inside declared permissions.
A memory you can see.
Inspect, edit, pin, export, and delete what carries across sessions.
Where Codex CLI still fits.
OpenAI-only shops.
If the team already wants one vendor and one authentication surface, Codex CLI is direct.
ChatGPT-centered workflows.
If the work already lives in the ChatGPT ecosystem, the native CLI keeps that loop tight.
Start here.
picasso auth provider add openai --subscriptionpicasso providers set code_generation openaipicasso mcp install githubpicasso memory listKeep going.
Full matrix.
Compare model lock-in, memory depth, local execution, pricing path, and trust boundaries in one table.
Install.
Run Picasso against a task your current agent already handled and compare the plan, diff, checks, and replay.
Trust.
Read exactly what Picasso sees and what it never touches.