Codex Router is a model router that lets developers use external AI providers like Anthropic, Kimi, DeepSeek, xAI, and GitHub Copilot inside the Codex App and CLI while keeping credentials stored locally on the user's machine.
The tool solves the problem of integrating multiple external AI model providers into a single development environment without exposing API keys to remote servers. It works by installing a local control center with guided provider setup, storing credentials in private local prompts, and routing model requests through the configured providers. The installation process is automated and asks which providers the user wants to enable. Once installed, users can select routed models when starting new tasks in Codex, and manage routing through a Control Center interface available as a menu-bar app on macOS or a system tray app on other platforms. On macOS, the tool also includes a desktop widget for quick access.
Developers should choose this tool if they work with Codex and want to use multiple external AI models without managing separate integrations for each provider. It suits projects where developers need flexibility across different model providers and want to keep API credentials local rather than relying on cloud-based routing. The tool can also serve other clients like DeepSeek Harness, Gemini CLI, Cursor Agent, and Claude Code from a single installation. The router includes experimental bridges for Claude Code, Cursor Agent, and Gemini CLI that work through those clients' official processes without reading or copying their OAuth tokens, storing only bounded metadata like client name, session ID, and timestamps while keeping prompts and transcripts out of the bridge index.
The project shows active development with recent work on macOS integration including full Xcode app requirements for building the desktop widget and SwiftUI components. The codebase includes comprehensive setup logic that respects developer environment configurations like DEVELOPER_DIR and Xcode command-line tools selection. The tool maintains careful boundaries around credential handling and agent session management, deliberately keeping subscription agent bridges separate from the main model catalog and rejecting permission requests by default until the Control Center has proper approval surfaces.
