Skipper and the ChatGPT desktop app
The ChatGPT desktop app runs Codex in a chat view, on your computer or in the cloud. Skipper runs Codex alongside Claude Code and OpenCode in terminals, with an account choice for each session.
At a glance
Facts about the ChatGPT desktop app are as of September 2026, from OpenAI's changelog, app documentation, and pricing.
| What matters | Skipper | ChatGPT desktop app, Codex |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free in private beta, with your own ChatGPT plan or API key | Codex is included in ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus ($20 a month), Pro (from $100 a month), Business, Edu, and Enterprise |
| Works on | macOS 26.5 or later | macOS, Windows, and Linux in preview |
| Agents | Codex, Claude Code, and OpenCode, plus Pi and Antigravity when installed | Codex only |
| How you talk to the agent | The Codex CLI in a Ghostty terminal | A graphical chat, with a terminal for each chat |
| Separate copy of your code | A separate git worktree and branch for each session | Local, a Codex-managed worktree, or Codex cloud, chosen per chat |
| Accounts | Several ChatGPT accounts and API keys, with plan usage, chosen per session | The ChatGPT account the app is signed in to, or an API key |
| Where work runs | Your Mac | Your computer or Codex cloud |
Code review and setup details
OpenAI’s Codex app became part of the ChatGPT desktop app on July 9, 2026, alongside Chat and Work.
| What matters | Skipper | ChatGPT desktop app, Codex |
|---|---|---|
| Diff review | Your own diff tool, opened with ⇧⌘O | A review pane with staged, unstaged, branch, and last-turn diffs |
| Pull requests | Status, checks, merge, merge queue, auto-merge, and stacks | Commit, push, and open a pull request, and review pull requests in the app |
When to choose Skipper
You use Claude Code or OpenCode as well as Codex and want them in one window. You have more than one ChatGPT plan, such as a team seat and a personal Pro plan, and want to choose the account for each session and see its 5-hour and weekly usage first. Skipper can also put accounts in a sharing group so they resume each other's Codex conversations. You prefer the Codex terminal interface as OpenAI ships it in the CLI.
What the ChatGPT desktop app offers
The ChatGPT desktop app uses Codex and OpenAI’s models. It includes cloud tasks on OpenAI’s servers, automatic code review on GitHub, and local runs you can follow from the ChatGPT phone app. It supports Windows and Linux, and combines coding with documents and browsing. A free ChatGPT plan includes Codex in the app.