What is the key difference between Openclaw MCP and Codex MCP Tool?

Openclaw MCP belongs to the Coding Agents category with local stdio execution, while Codex MCP Tool belongs to the Coding Agents category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Openclaw MCP or Codex MCP Tool in Claude Desktop or Cursor?

Copy the mcpServers JSON configuration snippet provided on this page into your claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json file and restart your AI client.

Are Openclaw MCP and Codex MCP Tool free or paid?

Openclaw MCP operates under a Free / Open Source model (API Key required). Codex MCP Tool operates under a BYOK (Pay Provider Direct) model (other).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Openclaw MCP lists 7 tools with 3 views and 184 GitHub stars. Codex MCP Tool lists 13 tools with 4 views and 24 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Openclaw MCP and Codex MCP Tool together in the same MCP host?

Yes! MCP hosts like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and VS Code support configuring multiple servers under the mcpServers object simultaneously.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Openclaw MCP vs Codex MCP Tool

In-depth architectural comparison of the Openclaw MCP and Codex MCP Tool MCP servers. Compare execution transports, security boundaries, tool capabilities, quality scores, and ready-to-paste client installation snippets for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.

At a Glance & Executive Verdict

Openclaw MCP

Coding Agents · Local stdio

Quality: 64/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required

Codex MCP Tool

Coding Agents · Local stdio

Quality: 68/100 (Great) | Auth: other

Verdict Summary: Choose Openclaw MCP if you need specialized Coding Agents tools running via a local process. Choose Codex MCP Tool if your workspace requires Coding Agents integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Openclaw MCP when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Coding Agents domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: OPENCLAW_URL, OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN, OPENCLAW_AGENT_ID, OPENCLAW_MODEL, OPENCLAW_TIMEOUT_MS, AUTH_ENABLED, MCP_CLIENT_ID, MCP_CLIENT_SECRET.
Primary tools included: openclaw_chat, openclaw_status, openclaw_chat_async.

Explore Openclaw MCP Details

Choose Codex MCP Tool when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Coding Agents domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: other (BYOK (Pay Provider Direct)).
You have access to required keys: CODEX_CLI_PATH, CODEX_SESSION_TTL_MS, CODEX_MAX_SESSIONS.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Openclaw MCP freema Coding Agents	Codex MCP Tool x51xxx Coding Agents
Summary	MCP server for OpenClaw AI assistant integration. Enables Claude to delegate tasks to OpenClaw agents with sync/async tools, OAuth 2.1 auth, and SSE transport for Claude.ai.	MCP server that connects your IDE or AI assistant to Codex CLI for code analysis and editing with support for multiple models (gpt-5-codex, o3, codex-1)
Category & Scope	Coding Agents

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Openclaw MCP Tools (7)

openclaw_chat

Send a message to OpenClaw and get a response

openclaw_status

Get OpenClaw gateway status and health information

openclaw_chat_async

Send a message to OpenClaw asynchronously. Returns a task_id immediately that can be polled for results. Use this for potentially long-running conversations.

openclaw_task_status

Check the status of an async task. Returns status, and result if completed.

openclaw_task_list

List all tasks. Optionally filter by status, session, or instance.

openclaw_task_cancel

Ready-to-Paste Client Configurations

Paste either (or both) of these JSON server blocks into your client config file (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json).

Openclaw MCP Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "freema-openclaw-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "openclaw-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OPENCLAW_URL": "YOUR_OPENCLAW_URL_HERE",
        "OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN": "YOUR_OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN_HERE",
        "OPENCLAW_AGENT_ID": "YOUR_OPENCLAW_AGENT_ID_HERE",
        "OPENCLAW_MODEL": "YOUR_OPENCLAW_MODEL_HERE",
        "OPENCLAW_TIMEOUT_MS": "YOUR_OPENCLAW_TIMEOUT_MS_HERE",
        "AUTH_ENABLED": "YOUR_AUTH_ENABLED_HERE",
        "MCP_CLIENT_ID": "YOUR_MCP_CLIENT_ID_HERE",
        "MCP_CLIENT_SECRET": "YOUR_MCP_CLIENT_SECRET_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Codex MCP Tool Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "x51xxx-codex-mcp-tool": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@trishchuk/codex-mcp-tool"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CODEX_CLI_PATH": "YOUR_CODEX_CLI_PATH_HERE",
        "CODEX_SESSION_TTL_MS": "YOUR_CODEX_SESSION_TTL_MS_HERE",
        "CODEX_MAX_SESSIONS": "YOUR_CODEX_MAX_SESSIONS_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Openclaw MCP is categorized under Coding Agents and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Codex MCP Tool belongs to Coding Agents using local stdio subprocess. Select Openclaw MCP when you need capabilities focused on coding agents and Codex MCP Tool when you require tools for coding agents.

More alternatives to Openclaw MCP More alternatives to Codex MCP Tool Coding Agents category hub