Cursor vs Codex: which one's apps make more money?
In our October 2026 data, apps that name Cursor report the higher median: $32,500 a month across 10 cases with a monthly US dollar figure, vs $13,100 for Codex (8 cases). Cursor is named in 30 of the 85 apps in our data and Codex in 15; 4 name both. Small samples and mostly self-reported figures, so read it as a hint, not a verdict.
- $32,500median monthly revenue, Cursor (10 cases)
- $13,100median monthly revenue, Codex (8 cases)
- 5 of 30Cursor cases verified
- 3 of 15Codex cases verified
Which one makes more money?
In our October 2026 data, apps that name Cursor report the higher median: $32,500 a month across 10 cases with a monthly US dollar figure, vs $13,100 for Codex (8 cases). Verified Cursor cases with a monthly US dollar figure: 2, too few for a median. Verified Codex cases with a monthly US dollar figure: 2, too few for a median.
These are small samples (10 and 8 monthly figures), so one or two new cases can move a median a lot. Most figures are the founder's own claim: 5 of 30 (17%) Cursor cases and 3 of 15 (20%) Codex cases are verified through the payment provider. And the tool doesn't cause the revenue: the product, the market and how the founder gets customers matter far more.
Side by side
| Metric | Cursor | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|
| Apps naming the tool | 30 (35% of 85) | 15 (18% of 85) |
| Proof | 5 verified, 10 screenshot, 15 self-reported | 3 verified, 4 screenshot, 8 self-reported |
| Give a monthly figure in US dollars | 10 | 8 |
| Median monthly revenue (as stated) | $32,500 | $13,100 |
| Middle half (25th to 75th percentile) | $17,041 to $54,205 | $3,013 to $25,356 |
| Lowest to highest | $8,204 to $120,000 | $631 to $46,509 |
| Median, verified cases only | n/a (n=2) | n/a (n=2) |
| Median, leaving out the 4 that name both | $32,500 (10) | $13,100 (8) |
| Most-named growth channels | X (9), Building in public (6), SEO (6) | X (7), YouTube (6), SEO (5) |
| Most common app types | SaaS & tools (7), Health & fitness (4) | Developer tools (4), SaaS & tools (3) |
A case counts for a tool when the founder or source names it; many name several tools. Sources call it “Codex” or “OpenAI Codex”, so both names count as one tool here, as in the report. Figures that aren’t a monthly US dollar amount (totals, ARR, other currencies) count in “Apps naming the tool” but not in the medians.
Example cases
Cursor: highest monthly figures
- Dropmagic: $120K MRR (founder on X, October 2026); over 45K MRR within the first four months Self-reported
- fly.pieter.com: $87,000 MRR (which is $1M ARR), 17 days after launch Self-reported
- ChartDetector AI: $56K per month Screenshot
- Post Bridge: $48,821 MRR Verified
- Cursor Directory: $35K+ MRR from ads and listings Self-reported
Verified Cursor cases (5): UIDrop ($115 all time), Appthetics ($2,292 all-time), AI Renamer ($7,625 all-time), Visualizee ($8,204 MRR), Post Bridge ($48,821 MRR).
All 30 cases: apps built with Cursor.
Codex: highest monthly figures
- Laper: $46,509 MRR Verified
- Vaultaire: $41,425 in gross App Store sales in August 2026 Self-reported
- Tarsi: About $20,000 in its first month Screenshot
- NinjaPear: Over $15k in gross revenue in a month, about six months after a January 2026 launch Self-reported
- Vugola: about $11,200 MRR Self-reported
Verified Codex cases (3): Laper ($46,509 MRR), Frameliq ($631 MRR), CNVS ($49,986 in all-time sales).
All 15 cases: apps built with OpenAI Codex.
Apps built with both (4)
These founders name both Cursor and Codex, so they count on both sides above.
- Voicy: 11K MRR Screenshot
- Profit AI: 30K MRR for the app Screenshot
- Prayer Lock: over 20K a month Screenshot
- Coherence: around 85,000 in eight months Self-reported
How we compared
- Data. Every published case in our report How much AI-built apps really make (October 2026), data as of Oct 22, 2026 (85 apps). Each case links to the founder’s own source.
- Figures. The headline number on each case page as the source states it, counted only if it is per month and in US dollars. Nothing is converted, annualized or estimated.
- Medians, not averages, shown only where at least 3 cases give a monthly US dollar figure.
- Survivorship bias. These are apps that made money and said so in public. They are not typical results for either tool and can’t show that one tool earns more.
- Reproducible. Same rules and dataset as the report: CSV · methodology. Free to cite with a link (CC BY 4.0).
Quick answers
Do apps built with Cursor or Codex make more money?
In our October 2026 data, apps that name Cursor report the higher median: $32,500 a month across 10 cases with a monthly US dollar figure, vs $13,100 for Codex (8 cases). Verified Cursor cases with a monthly US dollar figure: 2, too few for a median. Verified Codex cases with a monthly US dollar figure: 2, too few for a median. These are small samples (10 and 8 monthly figures), so one or two new cases can move a median a lot. Most figures are the founder's own claim: 5 of 30 (17%) Cursor cases and 3 of 15 (20%) Codex cases are verified through the payment provider. And the tool doesn't cause the revenue: the product, the market and how the founder gets customers matter far more.
How many apps built with Cursor and Codex make money?
Shipped & Paid's October 2026 data has 85 AI-built apps that publicly report revenue: 30 name Cursor and 15 name Codex, and 4 name both.
Which has more verified revenue, Cursor or Codex?
5 of 30 (17%) Cursor cases and 3 of 15 (20%) Codex cases are verified, meaning the revenue shows on a third-party profile that reads it from the payment provider. Verified Cursor cases with a monthly US dollar figure: 2, too few for a median. Verified Codex cases with a monthly US dollar figure: 2, too few for a median.
Can you build an app with both Cursor and Codex?
Yes. 4 of the apps in our data name both: Voicy, Profit AI, Prayer Lock and Coherence.
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