The Ultimate Seamless Way to Run Claude Code and Codex in IDEA with CC GUI

What is CC GUI

CC GUI (originally Claude Code GUI) is an MIT‑licensed, 100% open‑source JetBrains plugin that provides a graphical interface for Claude Code and OpenAI Codex, turning them into a visual workbench inside IDEA.

Core Capabilities

Dual‑engine support : switch between Claude Code and Codex on demand.

Visual conversation : supports @file references, image sending, and conversation rollback, which is far more intuitive than a CLI.

Agent + MCP : built‑in agent system with slash commands such as /loop scheduling and /simplify code review, and it can be extended via MCP.

Diff view : shows code changes directly in IDEA with file navigation and jump‑to‑definition.

Session management : history, search, favorites, and export.

Installation and Configuration

Step 1 – Install the plugin and SDK

Open IDEA, go to Settings → Plugins (shortcut Cmd + ,), search for CC GUI and install it. After installation, the CC GUI icon appears in the right‑hand toolbar.

On first launch the plugin prompts to install the Claude Code/Codex SDK; click install and wait about 20 seconds.

Step 2 – Configure model providers

In the provider settings you can add API keys. Supported ways are:

Direct Anthropic API key (if you have a Claude subscription).

Reuse a previously configured settings.json from Claude Code CLI.

Import a cc-switch configuration, which is a community‑wide Claude Code vendor manager.

Custom third‑party proxy endpoint (useful for users in China).

If you also want to use Codex, simply switch to the OpenAI provider and enter the corresponding API key.

Step 3 – Start using the plugin

After configuration, open the right‑hand panel and begin a conversation. A quick test such as “Analyze the current project’s directory structure” demonstrates the context‑aware capabilities.

Practical Example: Automated Code Review

The article uses a common scenario – reviewing existing code against a style guide and fixing issues in bulk. Manually this would involve opening each file, comparing against the guide, and editing one by one.

CC GUI provides a Skill (slash command) that encapsulates the review workflow. The author created a java-coding-standards skill that includes Google Java Style Guide and Spring Boot best‑practice rules.

Using the skill is as simple as typing: /java-coding-standards check @infrastructure The command loads the review rules, pulls the entire @infrastructure package into context, and the AI scans 14 Java files, producing a structured review report.

After obtaining the report, the user can issue “start fixing”. The AI modifies each file, and every change appears in the Diff panel with line numbers, new content, and an explanation. In the author's test the whole process touched 9 files and over 20 changes and completed in under five minutes, compared with at least half an hour of manual work.

Skill Value

Skills standardise “what to review and according to which rules”, so any team member can trigger the same review with a single command, ensuring consistent code‑review standards.

Comparison with Qoder

Position : CC GUI is a GUI shell for Claude Code / Codex; Qoder is a standalone AI coding agent.

License : CC GUI is MIT‑open source; Qoder is closed‑source from Alibaba.

Model : CC GUI supports both Claude and Codex (dual engine); Qoder ships with its own built‑in model.

Context handling : CC GUI uses @file references plus image input; Qoder uses @database plus @file.

Suitable scenarios : CC GUI fits users who already have Claude or Codex subscriptions; Qoder is ready‑to‑use for those who prefer an out‑of‑the‑box experience.

Java optimisation : CC GUI is generic; Qoder is more tuned for the Java ecosystem.

Recommendation

If you already have a Claude Code or Codex subscription, choose CC GUI to reuse the existing subscription and get full capability.

If you want a plug‑and‑play solution without API configuration, choose Qoder.

You can also install both; they do not conflict and can be switched per scenario.

Conclusion

The core value of CC GUI is that it fills the visual workflow gap for JetBrains users, consolidating terminal commands, editors, screenshot tools, and file managers into a single IDE‑embedded interface. For developers who rely on Claude Code or Codex and want a seamless, visual integration, CC GUI is worth trying.