Codex Design vs Google Stitch.
Google Stitch and Codex Design both put AI-generated screens on a canvas. The difference is where that canvas lives: Stitch is a standalone design tool from Google Labs, while Codex Design adds a canvas to Codex, the coding agent that will build the result.
Updated November 6, 2026 · 6 min read
The short answer
Both are good ways to explore UI with AI. Stitch is the easier start if you don’t use a coding agent: open a browser tab and describe a screen. Codex Design makes more sense if you already build with Codex, because the designs live next to your code and the same conversation carries on into building them.
- Choose Google Stitch if you want to design in the browser without any setup, like talking through ideas by voice, or plan to continue in Google AI Studio or Antigravity.
- Choose Codex Design if you already use Codex and want every design as a live HTML page on your own computer, refined visually and in conversation, then built by the same agent.
What each tool is
Google Stitch is a design tool from Google Labs. Google calls it an “AI-native software design canvas”. You describe an interface in text, by voice, or with images, and its design agent generates high-fidelity screens on an infinite canvas. You can link screens into clickable prototypes, keep your design rules in a DESIGN.md file, and export your work to Google AI Studio and Antigravity or publish it with Netlify. Stitch also has an MCP server and SDK for connecting it to other tools.
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
| Google Stitch | Codex Design | |
|---|---|---|
| What it makes | High-fidelity UI designs and clickable prototypes | Website and app mockups as live HTML pages, plus mockup images |
| Where it runs | In the browser, at stitch.withgoogle.com | Inside Codex, with the canvas on your computer (macOS and Linux) |
| Output and code | Front-end code, designs you can paste into Figma, DESIGN.md; export to AI Studio and Antigravity, publish with Netlify | HTML pages and images in a local project; Codex can then build the chosen design in your code |
| Pricing | Google doesn’t publish pricing for Stitch | Free for one canvas project; Pro is $5 a month for unlimited projects. Codex usage is separate |
| Best for | Exploring UI ideas quickly without a coding setup, especially if you work in Google’s tools | Codex users who want to compare and refine UI directions before they build |
Both products change quickly. This comparison reflects their official sites and docs as of November 6, 2026.
When to choose Google Stitch
Stitch is the better pick in these cases:
- You don’t use a coding agent. Stitch runs in a browser tab. Codex Design needs Codex with plugin support, the Codex CLI, and Node.js on your computer.
- You think out loud. You can speak to the Stitch canvas to get design critiques and make live changes.
- You want a clickable prototype fast. Stitch links screens into a flow you can play through, and it can generate the next logical screens for you.
- You work in Google’s ecosystem. Designs export to Google AI Studio and Antigravity, and Netlify publishing puts them on the web.
- You want to start from an existing site. Stitch can extract a design system from any URL.
When to choose Codex Design
- You already build with Codex. The canvas sits inside the agent that writes your code, so there is no export step between design and build. Ask Codex to implement the direction you picked in the same conversation.
- You want HTML, not pictures of a UI. Every screen is a live HTML page, with an element inspector and page version history.
- You compare directions against references. Put mockup images that Codex generates, and your own references, next to the HTML screens.
- You want your work on your own machine. Canvas projects are stored locally. Codex still processes whatever context you share with it.
- You want a simple price. There is no separate API key or token wallet. One canvas project is free, and Pro is $5 a month for unlimited projects. Codex access and plan limits still apply.
Use them together
Stitch and Codex share a design-system format. DESIGN.md started in Stitch, and Codex reads a DESIGN.md file when you point it to one. Export the file from a Stitch project, add it to your repository, and the screens Codex designs on the canvas follow the same colors, type, and spacing. See DESIGN.md for Codex.
Frequently asked questions
Is Codex Design a Google Stitch alternative?
Yes, if you use Codex. Both generate UI on a canvas from a description. Stitch is a standalone tool in your browser; Codex Design adds the canvas to Codex, so design and code stay in one place. If you don’t use Codex, Stitch is the more direct option.
Can I use a DESIGN.md file from Stitch with Codex?
Yes. DESIGN.md is an open format from Google Labs, and Stitch exports and imports it. Put the file in your project and ask Codex to follow it. The DESIGN.md guide covers the format and setup.
Does Codex Design cost extra on top of Codex?
Codex Design is free for one canvas project, and Pro is $5 a month for unlimited projects. It doesn’t include model usage: what Codex generates counts against your Codex plan, as usual. See pricing.