AI Coding Tools Showdown: Claude Code vs Codex vs Antigravity — Which One Should You Use?
AI That Writes Code for You? Let's Meet the Three Contenders
You've probably heard the buzz: AI can now write code for you. Among the tools making waves in 2025–2026, three stand out: Anthropic's Claude Code, OpenAI's Codex, and Google's Antigravity — often shortened to 'Anti' by developers in the know.
All three tools share one core promise: AI-assisted coding. But the way they deliver on that promise — and where they shine — is quite different.
Claude Code runs in your terminal (the command-line interface on your computer). Type something like "build me a login feature," and the AI opens files, writes the code, and runs tests — all on its own. It's like having a seasoned developer sitting right next to you.
Codex is a cloud-based tool integrated with ChatGPT. It executes code on remote servers and excels at automatically pushing changes to GitHub — the platform where developers store and share their code.
Antigravity (Anti) is Google's agent-driven IDE (a coding-specific editor) launched in November 2025. Built on top of VS Code — an editor already beloved by millions of developers — its standout feature is a "teamwork" approach where multiple AI agents simultaneously tackle different bugs at once.
Pricing, Features, and Performance at a Glance
Claude Code: $20/month (basic) to $200/month (top tier). It's the go-to for complex, large-scale projects and enterprise environments requiring strict security compliance (SOC 2 certified). As of January 2026, 18% of developers worldwide use it professionally, with a satisfaction rate of 91% — the highest in the industry. It also scores 80.8% on SWE-bench, a key AI coding performance benchmark, keeping it firmly in the top tier.
Codex: Included with a ChatGPT subscription ($20/month) at no extra cost — and it comes bundled with image and video generation features too. It particularly excels at automated GitHub code reviews and pull request (PR) automation. Many users rate it as delivering comparable performance to Claude Code at roughly half the price.
Antigravity (Anti): Currently free (public preview). It supports up to 1 million tokens — meaning it can process extremely long codebases in a single pass — and its multi-agent multitasking is a major strength. It hit a 6% developer adoption rate within just two months of launch and is growing fast. The main current limitation: it doesn't yet support MCP (the standard protocol for connecting AI tools together).
How Are New Zealand and Korea Using These Tools?
In New Zealand, 82–87% of businesses have already adopted AI tools, but only 41% of employees are using AI in any meaningful way at work. A joint study by KPMG and the University of Melbourne ranked New Zealand among developed nations with a relative shortfall in AI skills training. To address this, the government is offering co-funding grants of up to $15,000 per business to support AI adoption among small and medium enterprises. If AI is adopted effectively, it could deliver economic benefits equivalent to 15% of GDP — around $76 billion — by 2038.
In South Korea, interest is running high, with a dedicated Korean community for Claude Code operating at claudecode.co.kr. Among local developers, Claude Code and Cursor are consistently rated the top tools. The rise of "Vibe Coding" — a trend where developers code fluidly alongside AI — is rapidly making AI coding tools a part of everyday workflow. In line with the global trend of 73% of dev teams using AI coding tools daily, Korean developers are increasingly mixing and matching two or three tools depending on the task at hand.
Key Takeaways
- Claude Code: Terminal-based, best for complex projects and enterprise use / $20–$200/month / 91% satisfaction rate
- Codex: Included with ChatGPT subscription (no extra cost), strongest for GitHub automation, best value for money
- Antigravity (Anti): Google's free VS Code-based IDE, supports simultaneous multi-agent workflows
- 73% of dev teams worldwide use AI coding tools on a daily basis as of 2026
- 82–87% of New Zealand businesses have adopted AI; government grants are pushing for deeper real-world use
Final Thoughts
All three tools bring something genuinely valuable to the table. If you're just getting started, try Antigravity — it's free and a great way to explore. If your team relies heavily on GitHub collaboration, Codex is a natural fit. And if you're working on complex, large-scale projects or in an enterprise setting, Claude Code is the one to beat.