Tools that cost nothing to install or have a free plan. Model usage is billed separately unless the entry says otherwise, so read the price note on each page.
21 tools · facts checked 2026-10-28 · sorted by GitHub stars (read from GitHub 2026-10-28) · how we check
OpenCodebest for: Developers who want an open-source terminal agent they can point at any model provider, including local models. look elsewhere if: Teams that need a documented OS-level sandbox or a single vendor-supported model stack.
Codex CLIbest for: ChatGPT subscribers or OpenAI API users who want an open-source, sandboxed terminal agent. look elsewhere if: Anyone who needs to run it on non-OpenAI or local models and wants that officially documented.
pibest for: Developers who want a small, hackable agent harness they can script, embed and customise, and who are fine adding their own isolation. look elsewhere if: Anyone who wants built-in approval prompts, sandboxing or sub-agent orchestration out of the box.
Gemini CLIbest for: Teams with a Gemini Code Assist licence or a paid Gemini/Vertex API key who want an open-source CLI agent. look elsewhere if: Individuals looking for a free tier or the newest Gemini models; Google steers them to Antigravity CLI.
Cline CLIbest for: Developers who want an open-source terminal and CI agent they can point at any provider, including local models. look elsewhere if: Users who need a documented command sandbox out of the box or a single fixed-price plan covering all model usage.
Open Interpreterbest for: Developers who want a Codex-style terminal agent they can point at cheap or local open models with sandboxing on. look elsewhere if: Anyone looking for the old Python 'let the model run code on my computer' tool or a ready-to-pay hosted service.
goosebest for: Users who want an open-source agent with both a GUI and a CLI, MCP extensions and the freedom to choose any model, including local ones. look elsewhere if: Anyone who needs a hardened, sandboxed execution environment built in.
Aiderbest for: Developers who want a git-centred, model-agnostic terminal pair programmer they can also call from shell scripts. look elsewhere if: Teams that need MCP tools, parallel subagents or a sandboxed autonomous agent.
Codewhalebest for: Developers who want an MIT-licensed Rust agent that can switch between many cloud providers and local models. look elsewhere if: Windows users who need OS-level command sandboxing.
Oh My Pibest for: Developers who want a pi-style terminal agent with LSP, debugging and subagent orchestration already included. look elsewhere if: Users who want a minimal agent or a default-deny permission model out of the box.
DeepSeek-Reasonixbest for: Developers who want a free, MIT-licensed agent with a desktop app, remote SSH sessions and a DeepSeek-friendly default. look elsewhere if: Anyone who wants a vendor-backed DeepSeek product with official support.
Crushbest for: Terminal users who like Charm's TUI style and want MCP and LSP support with a choice of cloud or local models for personal or internal use. look elsewhere if: Anyone who needs an OSI-approved open source license, e.g. to embed or resell it in a competing product.
Qwen Codebest for: Developers who want an open-source Claude Code-style agent that can point at Qwen, other cloud APIs or a local model. look elsewhere if: Anyone looking for a zero-cost hosted model out of the box, now that the free OAuth quota is gone.
Prime Agentbest for: Researchers and power users who want long-running, programmable agents with subagents and a persistent Python environment. look elsewhere if: Anyone who needs a sandboxed agent out of the box or a well-documented list of supported models.
MiMoCodebest for: Developers who want an OpenCode-based agent with built-in memory and checkpoints, using MiMo models or their own provider. look elsewhere if: Users on Terminal.app who do not want to switch terminals, or those who need a documented sandbox.
GitHub Copilot CLIbest for: Developers already on GitHub Copilot who want an agent tied to their repos, issues and pull requests. look elsewhere if: People who need open-source code or who do not want a GitHub account and subscription.
mini-SWE-agentbest for: Researchers and tinkerers who want a small, transparent agent loop for benchmarking models or hacking on their own harness. look elsewhere if: Teams wanting an out-of-the-box product with IDE integration, approvals UI and managed support.
Forgebest for: Developers who live in a shell (especially ZSH) and want a free, scriptable agent with their own model keys. look elsewhere if: Users who need a documented, working one-line installer today or published pricing for the hosted offering.
Mistral Vibebest for: Developers who want an Apache-licensed terminal agent tied to Mistral/Devstral models with scriptable runs. look elsewhere if: Users who want a documented, built-in OS sandbox for every command on Windows.
Ampbest for: Developers who want a hosted, multi-device coding agent they can start from a phone and leave running remotely. look elsewhere if: Anyone who needs open-source code, fully offline use with local models, or fixed predictable pricing.
Cursor CLIbest for: Existing Cursor users who want the same agent, MCP setup and models in a terminal or CI. look elsewhere if: Anyone who needs an open-source tool, local models, or bring-your-own-key billing.
How we picked
We include tools whose price model is free or freemium. That describes the CLI or the entry plan only. Model cost is separate, so a free listing does not mean you pay nothing.
Things to check before you pick
A free licence is not a free model. Codex CLI is Apache-2.0, but it signs in with a ChatGPT plan, whose free tier has usage limits, or bills OpenAI API rates. Aider is free, and you pay your provider per token.
Free access can end. Gemini CLI is free software, but Google ended free consumer access on 2026-06-18. Qwen Code's free Qwen OAuth tier ended on 2026-04-15.
Freemium has limits. GitHub Copilot CLI is included in the Free Copilot plan, with limited use. Mistral Vibe's Free plan limits coding sessions, and Pro costs $14.99 per month.
Terms can conflict. MiMoCode's product page says it is free to try, but its docs say authorisation needs balance or a Token Plan.
Local models cost only hardware. pi and goose both document local servers.
