Bolt vs OpenAI Codex CLIComparisonUpdated 2026-03-16
SUMMARY
Bolt (Platform) uses text configuration while OpenAI Codex CLI (CLI) uses markdown. They differ on 6 of 11 compared features. Both tools provide AI-assisted development but take different approaches to project configuration.
FEATURE COMPARISON
| Feature | Bolt | OpenAI Codex CLI |
|---|---|---|
| Config format | text | markdown |
| Hierarchy support | ✗ | ✓ |
| Global config | ✗ | ✓ |
| Project config | ✓ | ✓ |
| Subdirectory scoping | ✗ | ✓ |
| File inclusion / imports | ✗ | ✗ |
| Ignore file | ✗ | .codexignore |
| IDE integration | Platform | CLI |
| Schema / structure | Free-form (Markdown) | Free-form (Markdown) |
| Git committed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Encoding | UTF-8 | UTF-8 |
FILE MAPPING
SIDE-BY-SIDE CODE SAMPLES
Bolt
.bolt/prompt
text
You are building a SaaS dashboard application.
Stack: Remix with TypeScript, Prisma ORM, PostgreSQL, TailwindCSS.
Key rules:
- Use server loaders for data fetching, not client-side fetch
- All forms use Remix Form with progressive enhancement
- Use Prisma for all database operations
- Style with TailwindCSS utility classes, no custom CSS
- Components go in app/components/, routes in app/routes/
- Use zod for form validation on both client and server
OpenAI Codex CLI
AGENTS.md
markdown
# AGENTS.md
## Project Overview
This is a Next.js 14 e-commerce application using the App Router,
Server Components, and Drizzle ORM with PostgreSQL.
## Code Conventions
- Use TypeScript strict mode throughout
- Prefer Server Components; use "use client" only when necessary
- Name files with kebab-case: `product-card.tsx`, not `ProductCard.tsx`
- Co-locate tests: `product-card.test.tsx` next to `product-card.tsx`
## Architecture
- `app/` — Next.js App Router pages and layouts
- `components/` — Shared UI components
- `lib/` — Utilities, database client, auth helpers
- `actions/` — Server Actions for mutations
## Testing
- Use Vitest for unit tests, Playwright for E2E
- Mock database calls using `lib/test-utils.ts` helpers
- Every new component needs at least one test
## Build Commands
```bash
pnpm dev # Start dev server
pnpm build # Production build
pnpm test # Run Vitest
pnpm test:e2e # Run Playwright
pnpm lint # ESLint check
```
KEY DIFFERENCES
Bolt: text. OpenAI Codex CLI: markdown.
Bolt: Not supported. OpenAI Codex CLI: Supported.
Bolt: Not supported. OpenAI Codex CLI: Supported.
Bolt: Not supported. OpenAI Codex CLI: Supported.
Bolt: Not supported. OpenAI Codex CLI: .codexignore.
Bolt: Platform. OpenAI Codex CLI: CLI.
WHICH SHOULD I USE?
Choose based on your IDE/CLI preference. If you use Bolt, configure .bolt/prompt. If you use OpenAI Codex CLI, configure AGENTS.md. Many projects include config files for multiple tools so each team member can use their preferred editor.
PORTABILITY TIP
sync-instructions.sh
bash
# Maintain a single source of truth:
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md CLAUDE.md
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md .cursorrules
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md AGENTS.md
SEE ALSO
Tool pages:
agentconfig.ing2026-03-16COMPARE(1)