OpenCode vs Claude Code

full-guide.md

same shape of tool, different religion. both are coding agents that live in your terminal, with a desktop app and editor extensions on top. Claude Code is Anthropic's own, tuned to Claude models, and sits at #1 on our coding agents board with 9.0/10. OpenCode is the open-source one (MIT) that talks to 75+ model providers, local ones included, and it's #3 with 8.5. the gap is small. the reasons to pick one are not.

the bit most comparisons get wrong: your Claude plan doesn't come with you

if you're thinking "i'll run OpenCode on my Claude Pro or Max sub", you can't. OpenCode's own docs say plugins exist for it but "Anthropic explicitly prohibits this", and OpenCode stopped bundling them as of version 1.3.0. Anthropic's Claude Code docs say the same from their side: third-party developers can't route requests through Free, Pro or Max plan credentials.

so Claude models in OpenCode means an Anthropic API key, paid per token. Claude models on a flat subscription means Claude Code. that one fact settles it for a lot of people.

the other way round is friendlier: OpenCode lets you log in with a ChatGPT Plus or Pro account, a GitHub Copilot subscription or GitLab duo, no faff.

where Claude Code wins

the agent itself. it's the one we rate highest for multi-file repo work you hand off and walk away from. Anthropic pitches it at multi-hour refactors and migrations: it follows imports across the repo, runs your tests and keeps going when something breaks.

one plan, no meter. Claude Code comes with every paid Claude plan, Pro and up. your terminal work and your chats draw from the same pool, with limits on a rolling five-hour window plus weekly limits. run dry and you wait for the reset, move up a plan or switch on usage credits at API rates. no surprise bill unless you ask for one.

it's everywhere. terminal, VS Code (and the editors built on it, Cursor and Devin Desktop included), JetBrains, the desktop app, the web, iOS, Android, Slack and GitHub.

guard rails out of the box. from v2.1.283 it starts terminal and VS Code sessions in auto mode, where a second model reviews actions before they run and blocks the risky ones (force pushes, production deploys, curl | bash). manual mode, where it asks before edits and shell commands, is one shift+Tab away.

where OpenCode wins

any model you like. 75+ providers through Models.dev, plus local models through Ollama, LM Studio or llama.cpp. use GPT models through your ChatGPT sub, Claude through an API key, an open model through OpenCode Go, and switch per task.

a free way in. it ships with free models, so you can start at $0. OpenCode Go is a flat $10 a month (Go Plus $40) for a curated set of open coding models with usage limits, and OpenCode says it works with other agents too.

it's actually open source. MIT licensed, over 200k GitHub stars. Claude Code's licence reads "all rights reserved". if you want to read, fork or patch your agent, that's the end of the conversation.

privacy by design. OpenCode says it doesn't store any of your code or context data.

more knobs. run several agents in parallel on one project, share a link to any session, and set allow, ask or deny rules per tool and per command.

the catch with OpenCode: it trusts you a lot

out of the box OpenCode runs most actions without asking. its docs list the defaults: almost everything is "allow", it asks before touching paths outside the project or repeating the same tool call three times, and it refuses to read .env files. that's lovely right up until an agent decides to tidy your home directory. set a permission block in opencode.json (for example "bash": {"*": "ask", "git *": "allow"}) before you point it at anything you care about.

running local models in OpenCode

the main reason people search "opencode vs claude code for local llm": Claude Code runs Claude models, full stop. OpenCode will happily point at a model on your own machine. if you're going that way, pick your runner first: Ollama vs llama.cpp has the trade-offs, including the context-length setting that quietly breaks coding agents on smaller GPUs.

pick both?

plenty of builders do. Claude Code on the Claude sub for the big refactors, OpenCode on cheaper or local models for the small stuff and anything where the code can't leave the building. they don't fight over anything.

more: Claude Code alternatives, Cursor vs Claude Code, Codex vs Claude Code and Claude Code pricing.

faq

is OpenCode better than Claude Code?

not on our board. Claude Code is #1 at 9.0/10 and OpenCode is #3 at 8.5. OpenCode is the better pick if you want open source, a choice of models or local models, because Claude Code only runs Claude.

can i use my Claude Pro or Max subscription in OpenCode?

no. OpenCode's docs say Anthropic explicitly prohibits it, and Anthropic's own docs say third parties can't route requests through Free, Pro or Max credentials. use an Anthropic API key, paid per token, or use Claude Code.

is OpenCode free?

yes. it's MIT licensed and ships with free models. you pay whoever serves the model you pick, or OpenCode Go at $10 a month if you want its open-model plan.

is Claude Code free?

no. it needs a paid Claude plan, Pro and up, or a Claude Console account billed at API rates.

can OpenCode use local models?

yes. its docs have configs for Ollama, LM Studio and llama.cpp. Claude Code can't.

can OpenCode use my ChatGPT or GitHub Copilot subscription?

yes. log in with ChatGPT Plus or Pro, or GitHub Copilot (some models need Copilot Pro+), and GitLab duo works too.

sources

checked 2026-10-20

• OpenCode homepage (features, stars, privacy): https://opencode.ai/
• OpenCode providers docs (75+ providers, local models, Claude Pro/Max note, ChatGPT, Copilot and GitLab duo logins): https://opencode.ai/docs/providers/
• OpenCode permissions docs (defaults): https://opencode.ai/docs/permissions/
• OpenCode Go pricing: https://opencode.ai/go
• OpenCode licence (MIT): https://github.com/anomalyco/opencode
• Claude pricing (Claude Code in paid plans, shared limits, usage credits): https://claude.com/pricing
• Claude Code product page (surfaces, refactors and migrations): https://claude.com/product/claude-code
• Claude Code legal and compliance (subscription credentials and third parties): https://code.claude.com/docs/en/legal-and-compliance
• Claude Code permission modes (auto mode default, what it blocks): https://code.claude.com/docs/en/permission-modes
• Claude Code licence: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/blob/main/LICENSE.md
• ranks, scores and verdicts: numptr data/tools.json (coding agents board)

more guides

comparing prices? every plan, limit and free tier is on the ai coding agent price sheet, checked at the source.