The most-starred open-source alternatives to Claude Code are OpenCode (216k GitHub stars), Codex CLI (130k) and Pi (116k). They are free to install; instead of a subscription you pay your model provider per token. Regular use, about 1,500 agent steps a month, costs roughly $74 on Claude Sonnet 5.5 or $9.25 on DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, against $20 to $200 a month for Claude Code.
GitHub data updated October 18, 2026. Model prices from official pricing pages.
| Project | Runs in | Models | License | GitHub stars | Last commit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenCode Anomaly | Terminal, Desktop app (beta), IDE | Any provider Local models | MIT | 216k | October 18, 2026 |
| Codex CLI OpenAI | Terminal | OpenAI models | Apache-2.0 | 130k | October 18, 2026 |
| Pi Earendil Works | Terminal, SDK | Any provider | MIT | 116k | October 18, 2026 |
| Gemini CLI Google | Terminal | Gemini models only | Apache-2.0 | 107k | October 18, 2026 |
| OpenHands OpenHands | Self-hosted web app, Docker | Any provider Local models | MIT | 91.2k | October 18, 2026 |
| Cline Cline | VS Code, JetBrains, Terminal, SDK | Any provider Local models | Apache-2.0 | 70.5k | October 18, 2026 |
| Goose Agentic AI Foundation (Linux Foundation) | Desktop app, Terminal, API | Any provider Local models | Apache-2.0 | 55.4k | October 18, 2026 |
| Aider Aider AI | Terminal | Any provider Local models | Apache-2.0 | 49.6k | May 22, 2026 |
| Qwen Code Qwen (Alibaba) | Terminal | Any provider Local models | Apache-2.0 | 28.6k | October 18, 2026 |
| Kilo Code Kilo Code | VS Code, JetBrains, Terminal | Any provider | MIT | 27.7k | October 18, 2026 |
Open-source agents are free; you pay the model provider for every token the agent reads and writes. Estimated monthly API fees:
| Model on your API key | Light 300 steps/mo | Regular 1,500 steps/mo | Heavy 6,000 steps/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 5.5 | $28 | $140 | $562 |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 | $15 | $74 | $298 |
| GPT-6.1 Sol | $14 | $70 | $281 |
| Gemini 3.8 Flash | $5.58 | $28 | $112 |
| DeepSeek V4.1 Flash | $1.85 | $9.25 | $37 |
| Claude Haiku 5.5 | $0.74 | $3.72 | $15 |
For comparison, Claude Code: Claude Pro $20/mo ($17/mo billed yearly); Claude Max 5x $100/mo; Claude Max 20x $200/mo.
Each agent step is assumed to send about 40,000 input tokens (70% read from the prompt cache) and return about 2,000 output tokens, as in our cost calculator’s coding-agent scenario. Light is about one short task a day, regular is several tasks every working day, heavy is agents running most of the day. Real usage varies with the size of your codebase and how each tool manages context, so treat these as orders of magnitude. A local model costs nothing per token but needs hardware that can run it.
Want a precise break-even for your own usage? Use the subscription vs API calculator.
Anomaly · MIT · 216k stars
An open-source coding agent for the terminal, with a desktop app in beta. It ships a full-access build agent and a read-only plan agent that you switch between with the Tab key.
Models: Dozens of providers, including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, xAI, OpenRouter and Amazon Bedrock, plus local models through Ollama, LM Studio or llama.cpp.
Runs in: Terminal, Desktop app (beta), IDE.
OpenAI · Apache-2.0 · 130k stars
OpenAI’s open-source terminal coding agent. Sign in with ChatGPT to use it within your plan’s limits, or run it on an OpenAI API key.
Models: OpenAI models, through a ChatGPT plan or an OpenAI API key.
Runs in: Terminal.
The same agent is included in ChatGPT plans as OpenAI Codex.
Earendil Works · MIT · 116k stars
A minimal, extensible agent harness. It leaves out built-in sub-agents and plan mode in favour of extensions, skills and prompt templates you add yourself, and can be scripted over JSON or RPC.
Models: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and other providers through one API, signed in with a subscription or an API key.
Runs in: Terminal, SDK.
Google · Apache-2.0 · 107k stars
Google’s open-source terminal agent for Gemini. Sign in with a Google account, or use a Gemini API key to pick the model and pay per token.
Models: Gemini models only, through a Google account or a Gemini API key.
Runs in: Terminal.
With a Gemini API key, Google’s free tier covers Flash models such as Gemini 3.8 Flash at lower rate limits; free-tier prompts may be used to improve Google’s products.
OpenHands · MIT · 91.2k stars
A self-hosted control center for coding agents and automations. Run agents on your machine, in Docker or on your own servers, and start tasks from its web interface.
Models: Any LLM you configure.
Runs in: Self-hosted web app, Docker.
Cline · Apache-2.0 · 70.5k stars
An autonomous coding agent that runs as a VS Code extension, a JetBrains plugin, a CLI or an SDK, and asks before it edits files or runs commands.
Models: Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, AWS Bedrock, OpenRouter, the Vercel AI Gateway, any OpenAI-compatible API, and local models through Ollama or LM Studio.
Runs in: VS Code, JetBrains, Terminal, SDK.
Agentic AI Foundation (Linux Foundation) · Apache-2.0 · 55.4k stars
A general-purpose AI agent for code and other work, with a desktop app, a CLI and an API, built in Rust. It is part of the Linux Foundation’s Agentic AI Foundation.
Models: 15+ providers, including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Ollama, OpenRouter, Azure and Bedrock.
Runs in: Desktop app, Terminal, API.
Aider AI · Apache-2.0 · 49.6k stars
AI pair programming in the terminal. Aider edits files in your git repository and commits each change with a descriptive message, so you can diff or undo it with normal git tools.
Models: Almost any LLM, including local models.
Runs in: Terminal.
No release since v0.86.0 in August 2025, so newer models and features may lag.
Qwen (Alibaba) · Apache-2.0 · 28.6k stars
An open-source terminal coding agent from the Qwen team that can switch providers in the middle of a session.
Models: OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini and Qwen APIs, any compatible provider, and local models through Ollama or vLLM.
Runs in: Terminal.
Kilo Code · MIT · 27.7k stars
An open-source coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains IDEs and the terminal. Through a Kilo account you pick from 500+ models at the provider’s own rate with no markup, or you bring your own API keys.
Models: 500+ models through a Kilo account, or your own provider API keys.
Runs in: VS Code, JetBrains, Terminal.
Head to head: OpenCode vs Claude Code, Aider vs Claude Code, Cline vs Claude Code, Gemini CLI vs Claude Code.
Claude Code plans and prices: Claude Code pricing. More alternatives: Cursor, GitHub Copilot.