Coding agent (CLI) · Tailcall
Forge
Rust terminal coding agent with three built-in agents (implement, read-only research, planning), a ZSH ':' prompt plugin, MCP, semantic code search and one-shot -p mode. Works with many providers through your own keys.
Forge review
Forge, from Tailcall, is a Rust terminal coding agent. The CLI is free and Apache-2.0 licensed; you pay the model provider whose key you add. We read the vendor's pages and repository in October 2026. We did not run an independent test.
Who it is for
Developers who live in a shell, especially ZSH, and want a free, scriptable agent with their own model keys.
What stands out
Forge has three modes: an interactive terminal interface, one-shot `-p` or piped prompts for scripts, and a ZSH plugin that works at the shell prompt with a `:` prefix. It ships three built-in agents for implementing, read-only research and planning.
You add a provider with `forge provider login`. Providers include OpenAI, Anthropic, Vertex AI, DeepSeek, OpenRouter and any OpenAI-compatible URL. `--sandbox` creates an isolated git worktree and branch. MCP management commands are included.
Release v2.14.0 has binaries for macOS, Linux and Windows (x64 and arm64). The README does not state platforms in prose, so these come from release file names.
Price and licence
The LICENSE file is Apache-2.0, so Forge is open source. The CLI costs nothing. Model cost comes from your own provider. The homepage now sells ForgeCode as a hosted or bring-your-own-cloud "software factory" with only a "Book a demo" button and no prices, seen 28 October 2026.
Where it falls short
- The install command in the README, a curl script at forgecode.dev/cli, returned HTTP 404 on 28 October 2026. The README also offers `nix run github:tailcallhq/forgecode` or a release binary.
- The homepage focus has shifted to the commercial product, and we found no explanation of how the CLI relates to it.
- The README still mentions older model names and a deprecated .env setup.
- Local models (Ollama, vLLM, LM Studio, llama.cpp) appear in the shipped provider config, not in the README. We did not test them.
Alternatives
See terminal coding agents. Aider and OpenCode are also open source and take your own keys.
Facts: platforms, price and licence
- platforms
- macOSLinuxWindowsGitHub release assets (v2.14.0) include macOS arm64/x64, Linux gnu and musl, Windows x64 and arm64 exe, plus an Android arm64 build. README does not list platforms in prose. The homepage now sells ForgeCode as a 'software factory' (hosted or bring-your-own-cloud, 'Book a demo') in addition to the open-source CLI.
- price
- FreeThe CLI is free and Apache-2.0; you pay the model provider whose key you add with 'forge provider login'. The homepage shows no prices for hosted factories, only 'Book a demo' (seen 2026-10-28).
- source
- Open sourceLicence: Apache-2.0
- github
- tailcallhq/forgecode 7.6k stars, seen 2026-10-28
Forge features
- ✓ yes MCP
- ✓ yes Multi-agent
- ✓ yes Headless / CI
- ? not verified Sandbox
- ✓ yes Local models
- ✓ yes Your own API key
- ✓ yes Git worktrees
- ? not verified SSH
✓ documented · – absent or not in its feature list · ? not verified
Forge strengths
- Three modes: interactive TUI, one-shot -p/piped prompts for scripts, and a ZSH ':' plugin that works at the shell prompt
- --sandbox creates an isolated git worktree and branch for safe experiments
- Many providers through 'forge provider login', including OpenAI-compatible endpoints and local runtimes
- MCP management commands, custom agents, skills and AGENTS.md support
Forge weak points
- The README install one-liner (forgecode.dev/cli) returns a 404 right now, so first-time install is harder than the README implies
- Homepage focus has shifted to a commercial 'software factory' with no public pricing, so the CLI's role is unclear
- README's provider list still mentions older model names and legacy .env setup marked deprecated
- Local-model support is visible in provider config code but not explained in the README
Who Forge is for
- best 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.
Lists that include Forge
Sources and what we could not verify
Checked 2026-10-28. Prices and features change; the vendor's page is the authority.
- github.com/tailcallhq/forgecode — README: install, modes, agents, flags, MCP, providers, --sandbox worktree, stars
- github.com/tailcallhq/forgecode/blob/main/LICENSE — Apache-2.0 text
- github.com/tailcallhq/forgecode/releases — v2.14.0 dated 2026-10-01, platform binaries
- forgecode.dev — homepage: software factory, Book a demo, provider list, no prices
- forgecode.dev/cli — install URL checked with curl: 404 Page not found (GitHub Pages)
- github.com/tailcallhq/forgecode/blob/main/crates/forge_repo/src/provider/provider.json — provider list including ollama
Not verified
- install: the documented curl command returned 404; actual current installer location unknown
- sandbox: README says 'Restricted shell mode limits file system access' but no flag or doc was found; --sandbox is a worktree, so left null
- local_models: from shipped provider config (ollama, vllm, lm_studio, llama_cpp), not from README prose
- the homepage fetched shows no open-source or CLI install info; relation between the CLI and the paid 'factory' product is not explained
- platforms come from release asset names, not a support statement