Yab

Yab vs Codex

We make Yab, so read it as our side.facts checked Oct 9 ↓

Yab, Yet Another Browser, is a free Mac browser that keeps everything from Arc (tabs down the side, spaces, folders, Split View) and gives your Claude or ChatGPT plan an agent that works in your signed-in tabs.

Codex, in the ChatGPT desktop app, has a browser of its own, computer use, and an extension that works in your signed-in Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera or Vivaldi, on a ChatGPT plan.

The short answer

Pick Yabours
  • if you miss Arc and want spaces, pins and folders kept, on a Mac
  • if you already pay for Claude or ChatGPT and want it to work in your signed-in tabs
  • if you want Claude Code, Codex or Cursor to drive a real browser over MCP
Pick Codex
  • if you code in the ChatGPT desktop app and want it to check your web app in its browser
  • if you pay for ChatGPT and want tasks done in your signed-in Chrome
  • if you want to leave comments right on the page you are building

At a glance

Yab and Codex, side by side.

Yab vs Codex
WhatYabCodex
Made bySerafim KorablevOpenAI
StatusUpdatedUpdated
Runs onMacMac, Windows and Linux
PriceFree; its AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT planIncluded in ChatGPT Plus ($20/month), Pro, Business and Enterprise
DrivesYab itself, a browser on your MacIts own browser in the ChatGPT app, your Mac or PC, and your Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera or Vivaldi
Your sign-insYab is the browser you sign in to, so agents work with your sign-ins.Codex’s own browser has a separate profile; its extension works in your signed-in browser.
Works withyab mcp and the yab command, for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and any MCP clientNo
Open sourceNoNo

Checked October 9, 2026 on each maker’s own pages, linked under Sources. Prices are per month, in US dollars.

Where they differ

What separates them, area by area. Where one plainly has more, it says who; where it comes down to taste, it says so.

What it drivesa matter of taste

Yab’s agent works in tabs of its own beside yours, signed in as you, on your Claude or ChatGPT plan; Send, Pay and Delete wait for your yes. Codex, in the ChatGPT desktop app, has a browser with its own profile, computer use across your Mac or PC, and an extension for your signed-in Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera or Vivaldi.

Your sign-insa matter of taste

Yab is the browser you sign in to, so agents work with your sign-ins. Codex’s own browser has a separate profile; its extension works in your signed-in browser.

Which agents can use itYab leads

Yab works with yab mcp and the yab command, for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and any MCP client. Codex has no MCP server or command line for other agents.

PriceYab leads

Yab: Free; its AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT plan. Codex: Included in ChatGPT Plus ($20/month), Pro, Business and Enterprise.

Where it runsCodex leads

Yab runs on Mac. Codex runs on Mac, Windows and Linux.

Where Codex is better

Codex comes out ahead on where it runs. It is also the better pick if you:

  • Code in the ChatGPT desktop app and want it to check your web app in its browser
  • Pay for ChatGPT and want tasks done in your signed-in Chrome
  • Want to leave comments right on the page you are building

The catch with each

Real limits, from the makers’ own words and our own use.

Codex

  • In the desktop app only: not in Codex CLI or the IDE extension
  • Computer use is limited by region and missing on Linux
  • Its own browser uses a separate profile and can’t upload files for you
  • No MCP server for other agents

Yab, honestly

  • Mac only: macOS 15.4 or later, no Windows, iPhone or Android
  • New: first released in September 2026
  • Its AI needs a Claude or ChatGPT plan; ChatGPT’s free plan may work with low limits
  • WebKit, as in Safari: a site tested only in Chrome can misbehave
  • Closed source

What changed lately

  • September 25, 2026Yab: First release
  • July 9, 2026Codex: Codex app merged into the ChatGPT desktop app
  • May 7, 2026Codex: Codex Chrome extension launched for macOS and Windows
  • April 16, 2026Codex: Codex got Computer Use on macOS and an in-app browser

Questions

Is Yab free?

Yes. Free; its AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT plan.

Is Codex free?

Included in ChatGPT Plus ($20/month), Pro, Business and Enterprise.

Which one works in my signed-in browser, Yab or Codex?

Yab is the browser you sign in to, so agents work with your sign-ins. Codex’s own browser has a separate profile; its extension works in your signed-in browser.

Which runs on Windows, Yab or Codex?

Codex does. Yab runs on Mac.

More comparisons

Codex vs Claude in ChromeCodex vs Playwright MCPChrome DevTools MCP vs CodexBrowser Use vs CodexCodex alternatives
Sources, read October 9, 2026. Something out of date? Write to hello@serafimlabs.io and we fix it.

Yab, Yet Another Browser.

Free for the Mac. Arc’s sidebar, your own Claude or ChatGPT as the agent, Chrome extensions on WebKit.

it’s freeDownload