OpenCode vs Claude Code
OpenCode is free and open source (MIT) and works with models from many providers; you pay the model provider per token. Claude Code is a paid product at $20 to $200 a month. Running OpenCode for regular daily work costs roughly $74 a month in API fees on Claude Sonnet 5.5, or $9.25 on DeepSeek V4.1 Flash.
GitHub data updated October 18, 2026; Claude Code prices verified October 18, 2026.
Side by side
| OpenCode | Claude Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free; you pay for model usage | $20 to $200 a month |
| Source code | Open source (MIT) | Proprietary (Anthropic) |
| Made by | Anomaly | Anthropic |
| Runs in | Terminal, Desktop app (beta), IDE | Terminal, IDE extensions, desktop and web |
| Models | Dozens of providers, including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, xAI, OpenRouter and Amazon Bedrock, plus local models through Ollama, LM Studio or llama.cpp | Anthropic’s Claude models only |
| Local models | Yes | Not officially supported |
| GitHub stars | 216,461 | — |
| Last commit | October 18, 2026 | — |
What is OpenCode?
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.
OpenCode on GitHub ↗Docs ↗216k stars
OpenCode on your own API key vs Claude Code plans
Estimated monthly API fees for OpenCode, by model and usage:
| 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.
Which should you pick?
- Choose Claude Code if you want a flat monthly price with usage included; it runs Anthropic’s Claude models only.
- Choose OpenCode if you want to choose your own models or run local ones, pay only for the tokens you use, or read and change the source code.
- Light or occasional use? Paying per token often costs less than any plan; check your numbers in the subscription vs API calculator.
Frequently asked questions
- Is OpenCode free?
- Yes, OpenCode is free and open source under MIT. The models it calls are not: you pay your provider per token, unless you run a local model. Regular use costs roughly $74 a month on Claude Sonnet 5.5.
- Is OpenCode better than Claude Code?
- Neither wins outright. Claude Code gives you a flat monthly price ($20 to $200 a month) with usage included. OpenCode is better if you want to choose your own models or run local ones, pay only for the tokens you use, or read and change the source code.
- Can OpenCode use Claude models?
- Yes. OpenCode works with dozens of providers, including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, xAI, OpenRouter and Amazon Bedrock, plus local models through Ollama, LM Studio or llama.cpp. With an Anthropic API key you can run Claude Sonnet 5.5 or Claude Opus 5.5 and pay Anthropic’s per-token prices.
- How much does OpenCode cost per month?
- OpenCode itself costs nothing. API fees at about 1,500 agent steps a month come to roughly $140 on Claude Opus 5.5, $74 on Claude Sonnet 5.5 and $70 on GPT-6.1 Sol.
All open-source Claude Code alternatives · Also compared: Aider vs Claude Code, Cline vs Claude Code, Gemini CLI vs Claude Code.