Codex CLI vs Continue in 2026

Q: Is AgentHydra free to use?

AgentHydra is free, with no account and no subscription . It is open source under the MIT License . The facts here give no other price for AgentHydra, for Codex CLI or for Continue, so none is published here. If you need a cost from either rival, check its own pages.

Codex CLI and Continue compared on what each does and costs, plus what to check before choosing a way to manage coding sessions.

By SupaKeeper · 2026-10-26

SupaKeeper is published by LunarWerx, which makes some of the tools compared here.

Codex CLI and Continue are two ways to work on coding tasks, compared here with AgentHydra, which the team that publishes this site makes. Codex CLI is a command line tool whose first run asks you to sign in with ChatGPT or another available sign-in method ^[1]. Continue's own pages describe an open source codebase that remains freely available, and that it was acquired by Cursor ^[2] ^[2]. AgentHydra shows Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions on your machine in one searchable list, updated live while they run ^[3], and it is free ^[3]. Pick by the question you have: a tool whose sources say it meets the need you can name.

Option	What its sources say it does	Cost	Account or install
Continue	open source codebase remains freely available as a foundation for others ^[2]; acquired by Cursor ^[2]	not published	not published in the facts
AgentHydra	Shows Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions in one searchable list, updated live ^[3]; replies into a Claude session chat or one message to several sessions ^[3]; moves a Claude chat to another account ^[3]; splits a task across Claude Code CLI sessions and moves a worker near a limit ^[3]; cost at API list prices by day, model, project and account ^[3]; pairs failed commands with fixes as a rules file ^[3]; lists accounts with plan and quotas, opens and creates Claude Desktop instances ^[3]; exposes features as MCP tools ^[3]; packs a task into a Markdown file and opens ChatGPT ^[3]; cost numbers as JSON from the command line ^[3]	free, no account or subscription ^[3]	tray app needs Windows, macOS and Linux builds exist but not verified ^[3]; one-line PowerShell, GitHub Releases, or source with Bun ^[3]; open source under the MIT License ^[3]

The short answer

Codex CLI is a command line tool whose first run asks you to sign in with ChatGPT or another available sign-in method ^[1]. Continue's own pages describe an open source codebase that remains freely available as a foundation for others ^[2]. Each page answers a different need a developer has while coding. If the need is to manage your Codex sessions, Codex CLI is the tool that asks you to sign in and then lets you set what it may do and which model it uses ^[1] ^[1] ^[1]. If the need is to keep one live list of your Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions and reply from one place, AgentHydra is built for that ^[3] ^[3]. Match the need you can name to the tool whose sources say it meets it.

What Codex CLI, Continue is built for

Codex CLI is a command line tool, and its own pages say its first run asks you to sign in with ChatGPT or another available sign-in method ^[1]. Its /permissions command chooses what Codex is allowed to do ^[1]. Its /model command chooses which model and reasoning effort to use ^[1]. Taken together, these commands put the choices about a session inside the terminal where the work happens. The facts here say nothing more about Codex CLI beyond these commands, so check its own pages for anything else. For Continue, the facts given here describe its open source codebase remaining freely available and that Continue was acquired by Cursor ^[2] ^[2], but say nothing about what its pages do for a developer, so check Continue's own pages for that.

What AgentHydra is built for

AgentHydra is made by the team that publishes this site. It shows Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions on your machine in one searchable list, updated live while they run ^[3]. From that list you can type a reply into a Claude session's own desktop chat, or send one message to several sessions ^[3]. It moves a Claude chat, history included, to another of your accounts ^[3]. It splits a task's pieces across Claude Code CLI sessions on your accounts, and moves a worker to another account when one nears its limit ^[3]. It shows cost at API list prices by day, model, project and account ^[3], and prints the same cost numbers as JSON from the command line ^[3]. It pairs each failed shell command with the command that fixed it, and can copy those pairs out as a rules file for your agents ^[3]. It lists each Claude and Codex account with its plan and 5-hour and weekly quota, and can open, focus, quit, create and delete Claude Desktop instances ^[3]. It exposes its features as MCP tools, including checks that tell an agent which account it is on and how much quota is left ^[3]. It packs a task and its repository into a Markdown file, leaving out common secret files, then copies a prompt and opens ChatGPT for you to send yourself ^[3].

Pricing and fees

AgentHydra is free, with no account and no subscription ^[3]. The facts given here do not state a price for Codex CLI, so none is published here. The facts given here do not state a price for Continue either, so none is published here. Neither source describes an account, trial or discount for either rival, so none is stated here. The only price given in the facts for any tool on this page is free for AgentHydra ^[3]. If you need the cost of Codex CLI or Continue for your own use, check their own pages, since the facts here do not state one.

Setting it up and daily use

AgentHydra's tray app needs Windows, and builds for macOS and Linux exist but have not been verified ^[3]. On Windows you can install it with a one-line PowerShell script, download a build from GitHub Releases, or run it from source with Bun ^[3]. It is free with no account or subscription to set up ^[3]. The facts here say nothing about installing or setting up Codex CLI, so check its own pages for its install steps. The facts here say nothing about installing or setting up Continue, so check its own pages for that. For either rival, the facts describe what its own pages report but give no install or daily-use detail, so check the tools' own pages for anything further.

Things to check before you choose

Ask which sessions you want to see in one place. Codex CLI works inside a session it asks you to sign into, with commands that set what it may do and which model it uses ^[1] ^[1] ^[1]. Ask whether you want one live list across Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions; AgentHydra is built for that ^[3]. Ask what system you run on; AgentHydra's tray app needs Windows ^[3], and the facts here say nothing about what Codex CLI or Continue run on, so check their own pages. Ask whether you want cost or quota views; AgentHydra shows cost at API list prices and account quotas ^[3] ^[3]. Ask what Continue's pages do for a developer, since the facts here state only its open source codebase and its acquisition by Cursor ^[2] ^[2].

How to choose

A developer who wants terminal commands that set what a session may do can find that in Codex CLI, whose page says the /permissions command chooses what Codex is allowed to do ^[1]. A developer who wants terminal commands that choose which model and reasoning effort a session uses can find that in Codex CLI, whose page says the /model command chooses what model and reasoning effort to use ^[1]. A developer who wants several tools' sessions in one searchable list, alive while they run, can find that in AgentHydra ^[3]. A developer who wants to move a Claude chat to another account, or split a task across sessions and move a worker when one nears its limit, can find that in AgentHydra ^[3] ^[3]. A developer who wants a view of cost at API list prices by day, model, project and account can find that in AgentHydra ^[3]. A developer who wants a tool with no price can use AgentHydra, which is free ^[3]. For Continue, check its own pages, since the facts here state only its open source codebase and that it was acquired by Cursor ^[2] ^[2].

Frequently asked questions

Is AgentHydra free to use?

AgentHydra is free, with no account and no subscription ^[3]. It is open source under the MIT License ^[3]. The facts here give no other price for AgentHydra, for Codex CLI or for Continue, so none is published here. If you need a cost from either rival, check its own pages.

Does Codex CLI cost anything?

The facts given here do not state a price for Codex CLI, so none is published here. What the facts describe is that its first run asks you to sign in with ChatGPT or another sign-in method ^[1], and that its /permissions and /model commands set what Codex may do and which model it uses ^[1] ^[1]. Check its own pages for the cost.

Does Continue cost anything?

The facts given here do not state a price for Continue, so none is published here. What the facts state is that its open source codebase remains freely available as a foundation for others, and that Continue was acquired by Cursor ^[2] ^[2]. Check its own pages for the cost.

Can AgentHydra show sessions from several tools at once?

Yes. AgentHydra shows Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions on your machine in one searchable list, updated live while they run ^[3]. From that list you can type a reply into a Claude session's own desktop chat, or send one message to several sessions ^[3]. It also shows cost at API list prices by day, model, project and account ^[3].

What does Codex CLI's /permissions command do?

The /permissions command chooses what Codex is allowed to do ^[1]. A related command, /model, chooses which model and reasoning effort to use ^[1]. Both are commands a developer types in the terminal. The facts here give no further commands or install steps, so check Codex CLI's own pages for anything else.

Free, with no account or subscription. ^[3]

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