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🔥 I Made Claude Code and Codex Build 3 Websites. The Winner Surprised Me

Claude Code now runs on Claude’s latest models, while Codex supports GPT-6 Astra. Both have dramatically changed a lot since early 2025, so make sure to check it out.

Author

Neil Phan
September 08, 2026

TL;DR

Codex performed better overall in my three website tests, especially for speed, visual polish, and open-ended creative direction. Claude Code stayed competitive when the prompt was detailed and the goal was precise execution.

In the same-prompt test, Codex produced the cleaner website with lower time, token use, and estimated cost. In the open-ended test, Codex also created the stronger brand concept and visual experience.

The gap became much smaller in the detailed-prompt test. Once I specified the layout, colors, copy, interactions, and responsive behavior, both AI Coding Agents produced very similar results.

Key points

  • Codex won the same-prompt and open-ended tests.

  • Claude Code and Codex tied when the prompt was highly detailed.

  • Better prompt detail reduced the design gap between both agents.

Introduction

So, I just had Claude Code and Codex build me 3 different websites, with same prompts, same data & even same starting point.

And now I want to see which one actually wins.

I’ll compare the design, subpages, build time, cost, output tokens, and more, so you can judge the results based on actual data, not just “this one looks better.”

Because everyone has an opinion about Claude Code vs. Codex. Let’s end the debate.

Let’s see what they actually built. And if you never use either of these tools, don’t worry, I’ll paste some beginner guides below.

Codex now supports GPT-6 Astra, and Claude Code runs on Claude's latest models. Both tools have matured a lot in 2026, this isn't your early-2025 comparison anymore.

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