TL;DR verdict: OpenCode is a genuinely free, open-source AI coding agent for your terminal, desktop, and IDE. The software costs $0, it ships with free models that need no account, and you only pay if you choose OpenCode Go at $10/month or bring a paid provider. It is the most open free option we have covered.
Most AI coding agents rent you access to one company’s models. OpenCode flips that: the agent itself is free and open source, and the model is your choice. Its official site puts the price at 0 USD and says you can “start with free models or bring any of 200+ providers.” Prices checked November 9, 2026, against OpenCode’s own site and Go page. Research-based review — no hands-on testing claims.
What does OpenCode actually do?
OpenCode works in a terminal, a desktop app for macOS, Windows, and Linux, an IDE extension, and on mobile. You describe a task, and the agent reads your codebase, edits files, runs commands, and shows the changes — the desktop app runs several agents in parallel, each reviewable as a diff. It connects to models from 200+ providers, including Claude, GPT, and Gemini, and can work with local models, so your code does not have to leave your machine.
What is actually free, and what costs money?
| Option | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| OpenCode app | Free | The full open-source agent — no seat fee |
| Free models | Free | A set of free models included with OpenCode; no account needed; daily request limit applies |
| Bring your own subscription | $0 to OpenCode | Log in with ChatGPT Plus/Pro or GitHub Copilot you already pay for |
| OpenCode Go | $10/month | Curated models tested for agentic coding, with per-model allowances |
| OpenCode Go Plus | $40/month | Everything in Go, with higher limits |
That is why OpenCode gets compared with editor-bound tools like Cline and newer open agents like Kilo Code. The difference is reach: OpenCode is not tied to one editor or one catalog, and paired with a local runtime like Ollama, the per-token bill can stay at zero.
What the pricing page doesn’t make obvious
Two details from OpenCode’s own Go FAQ matter. First, the free models are not unlimited: the FAQ states that “free models have a daily request limit,” while Go counts allowances “over five-hour, weekly and monthly windows” — and they vary by model, so Go is not one shared pool. Second, hitting a limit is not a hard stop: when you reach a Go limit, “you can keep using the free models,” or add credit with Extra Usage. One install gotcha: an older, unrelated project shared the OpenCode name and its repository is archived — download only from opencode.ai or the current anomalyco/opencode repository.
Pros and cons
- Pro: Free and open source under the MIT license — download and use it at $0
- Pro: Free models included, with no account needed to start
- Pro: Works with 200+ model providers, plus ChatGPT Plus/Pro and GitHub Copilot logins
- Pro: Terminal, desktop, IDE, mobile, and SDK — not locked to one editor
- Con: Free models carry a daily request limit, and the free lineup rotates
- Con: Go allowances are per-model windows, not one flexible pool
Who is OpenCode best for?
OpenCode is best for developers who want a capable coding agent without a per-seat subscription, developers who switch models often, and privacy-conscious users who want to run local models on their own machine.
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenCode really free? Yes. The app is free and open source, and it comes with free models that need no account. You pay only if you bring a paid provider, use your existing ChatGPT or Copilot subscription, or subscribe to OpenCode Go from $10/month.
What happens when I hit a limit? Free models have a daily request limit. On Go, when you reach a per-model limit you can keep using the free models or draw on added credit with Extra Usage on.
Can OpenCode use a plan I already pay for? Yes — log in with ChatGPT Plus/Pro or GitHub Copilot instead of buying a separate plan.
Bottom line
OpenCode is the rare free tool where “free” describes the actual product, not a 14-day funnel. Start on the free models, and only consider Go at $10/month when the daily free limit interrupts real work.