Codex Design vs Claude Design.
Claude Design and Codex Design both let you design with an AI agent and then build what you designed. The real question is which agent you work with: Claude Design is part of Claude and Claude Code, and Codex Design is an independent plugin that adds a design canvas to Codex.
Updated November 6, 2026 · 6 min read
The short answer
If you use Claude, use Claude Design. It is built into every Claude plan, covers more than UI (slides, one-pagers, marketing assets), and connects to Claude Code. If you use Codex, Claude Design isn’t part of your workflow, and Codex Design fills the same gap there: a canvas where Codex lays out screens as live HTML, side by side, for you to compare and refine before building.
- Choose Claude Design if you work in Claude or Claude Code, want decks and documents in the same tool as your UI work, or need a team design system that every design is checked against.
- Choose Codex Design if you work in Codex, want every design as an HTML page on your own computer, and want the same agent to go on and build it.
What each tool is
Claude Design is Anthropic’s design tool. It launched in April 2026 as an Anthropic Labs research preview with its own site, and is now built into Claude itself: you can use it in any Claude conversation, in the Artifacts tab, and in Claude Code with /design. It makes mockups, clickable flows, one-pagers, and other visual assets. You can comment on elements, edit text directly, tune spacing and color with sliders Claude creates, and drag, resize, and align elements. It can import design systems from a GitHub repository or design files and checks its output against them. Work exports to PPTX, PDF, or HTML, hands off to Claude Code, or goes to apps such as Canva, Miro, and Adobe through connectors.
Codex Design is our independent plugin for Codex. It adds a local canvas where Codex places the screens it designs as live HTML pages, next to mockup images and your references. Select an element to change its font, color, or spacing in a sidebar, or keep refining by asking Codex. Your canvas projects are stored on your computer.
Side by side
| Claude Design | Codex Design | |
|---|---|---|
| What it makes | Mockups, clickable flows, one-pagers, and other visual assets | Website and app mockups as live HTML pages, plus mockup images |
| Where it runs | In Claude conversations and the Artifacts tab, and in Claude Code with /design | Inside Codex, with the canvas on your computer (macOS and Linux) |
| Output and code | PPTX, PDF, or HTML export; handoff to Claude Code; connectors to Canva, Adobe, Miro, Lovable, Vercel, and others | HTML pages and images in a local project; Codex can then build the chosen design in your code |
| Pricing | Included in every Claude plan, including Free, within your plan’s usage limits. Claude Pro is $20 a month | Free for one canvas project; Pro is $5 a month for unlimited projects. Codex usage is separate |
| Best for | Claude users who want UI, slides, and documents in one place, held to a design system | Codex users who want to compare and refine UI directions before they build |
Claude Pro is $17 a month when billed annually. The standalone claude.ai/design site stays open until December 14, 2026. This comparison reflects both products’ official sites and docs as of November 6, 2026.
When to choose Claude Design
Claude Design is the better pick in these cases:
- You work in Claude or Claude Code. It is already in your plan, and
/designin Claude Code creates, edits, and syncs design projects without leaving the terminal or desktop app. - You need more than app screens. It also makes one-pagers and marketing assets, and Claude Slides and Claude Docs sit alongside it for decks and documents.
- Your team has a design system to enforce. Import one or more design systems from a GitHub repository, design files, or uploads. Claude checks its output against them before you see it, and admins can lock a team to one approved system.
- You like to adjust by hand. Comment on any element, edit text in place, use the sliders Claude creates for spacing and color, and drag, resize, and align elements.
- You share work outside engineering. Every artifact gets a link that is private until you share it, and connectors send work to tools such as Canva, Miro, and Adobe.
When to choose Codex Design
- You work in Codex. Codex Design brings a design canvas to the agent you already use, so you don’t need to switch tools to design. Ask Codex to implement the direction you picked in the same conversation.
- You want screens side by side. The canvas is built for laying out several directions next to each other, with mockup images Codex generates and your own references.
- You want quick visual tweaks. Select an element in an HTML mockup and adjust its font, color, spacing, and other properties in the sidebar.
- You want your work on your own machine. Canvas projects are stored locally as files. Codex still processes whatever context you share with it.
- You want it to work with your existing Codex plan. There is no separate API key or token wallet. One canvas project is free, and Pro is $5 a month for unlimited projects; Codex usage counts against your Codex plan.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Claude Design for Codex?
Claude Design runs in Claude and Claude Code. For Codex, there is Codex Design, an independent plugin that adds a similar design step: a canvas where screens appear side by side as live HTML, with visual editing of fonts, colors, and spacing. It installs into Codex with one prompt; see the install guide.
Is Claude Design free?
Anthropic says Claude Design is included in every Claude plan, including Free. It counts toward your plan’s usage limits, and larger requests use more of them.
Should I pick Claude Code or Codex for UI design?
Pick the agent your team already uses, then add the design tooling it lacks. Both can write strong front-end code. Our Codex vs Claude Code comparison goes through the differences.