What Happened
OpenClaude (an open-source alternative to Claude Code) released v0.9.1 on May 5, 2026, bringing two landmark changes:
- Codex becomes the default provider (Default Provider)
- GPT-5.5 becomes the default model (Default Model)
Behind this change lies an interesting community story.
Background: From Community Call-Out to Sam Altman’s Response
OpenClaude maintainer @gitlawb previously made a public statement on X: if Sam Altman replies to this tweet, I will switch OpenClaude’s default model to GPT-5.5 and set Codex as the default provider.
Sam Altman actually replied.
And the promise was kept. The v0.9.1 release isn’t just a technical update — it’s the result of a rare interaction between the open-source community and OpenAI’s leadership.
Technical Details
OpenClaude’s positioning is: an open-source AI coding agent that supports any model, with no subscription limits. Unlike Claude Code, it’s not tied to Anthropic’s API — users can freely switch model providers.
Core changes in v0.9.1:
| Change Item | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Default Provider | User’s choice | OpenAI Codex |
| Default Model | User’s choice | GPT-5.5 |
| Supported Providers | Multiple | Codex + Anthropic + others |
| Deployment | Local/Cloud | Local/Cloud |
This means new users installing OpenClaude get Codex + GPT-5.5 out of the box — which happens to be one of the best-regarded coding Agent configurations in the developer community right now.
Why This Update Matters
1. It reflects a shift in developer community model preferences
Recent weekly download data shows a clear signal:
- Codex weekly downloads: 46 million
- Claude Code weekly downloads: 490 thousand
That’s nearly a 100x gap. OpenClaude setting Codex as default is a direct response to this trend.
2. It’s open-source answering closed-source once again
OpenClaude was born because Anthropic removed Claude Code from the $20 Pro plan. Now it embraces OpenAI’s Codex, creating an interesting dynamic: open-source project + OpenAI model = countering Anthropic’s closed-source strategy.
3. It lowers the barrier to AI coding tools
For users who already have a ChatGPT subscription, the OpenClaude + Codex + GPT-5.5 combination means they can access the strongest coding Agent currently available without additional payment.
Getting Started
If you want to try OpenClaude v0.9.1:
# Install
npm install -g openclaude
# Default is already Codex + GPT-5.5, no extra config needed
openclaude init
# If you need to switch back to Claude
openclaude config set provider anthropic
openclaude config set model opus-4.7Bottom line: OpenClaude v0.9.1 making Codex and GPT-5.5 the defaults isn’t just a technical choice — it’s a precise response to developer community preferences, and the latest step in open-source AI coding tools’ counter-strategy against closed-source approaches.