Choose a platform
How to choose between Codex and Claude Code for the first route.
Result
You select one permitted platform for the first working cycle and record why. The choice is provisional: reconsider it after a verified task exposes a real limitation, not before the workflow has been tested.
| Choose | When it is the simpler first route | Confirm before use |
|---|---|---|
| Codex | You use the ChatGPT desktop app and want project or folder-based work with automatic AGENTS.md discovery. |
Desktop availability, account access, primary folder, permissions, and data policy |
| Claude Code | You prefer a terminal workflow and have an eligible Claude or Console account. | Supported system, shell, account entitlement, authentication, and data policy |
Actions
- Read the official Codex quickstart and the official Claude Code setup guide.
- Match the task to the working surface: a desktop project or folder for Codex, or a terminal opened in the project folder for Claude Code.
- Check operating-system support, account entitlement, sign-in method, organisational policy, and permitted data.
- Select the platform that can run the representative case with the fewest unproven dependencies.
- Record the choice, reason, account owner, project folder, and any restriction that could block the first run.
- Do not install both merely to compare interfaces; complete and verify one route first.
Check
You can name the selected platform, official setup source, sign-in route, working folder, account owner, permission boundary, and data restrictions. The first task does not depend on a component available only on the unselected platform.
If it fails
If policy, operating-system support, or account eligibility decides the choice, record that constraint and use the permitted route. If neither platform is permitted, stop the setup; do not bypass policy or use a personal account as an unrecorded workaround.
Next: Set up Codex or Claude Code.