OpenCode vs Claude Code: Licence, Price and Models Compared

Pick OpenCode if you want an open source agent that runs almost any model, and Claude Code if you want Anthropic’s own agent on a Claude plan you already pay for. Checked 6 Oct 2026.

Both read your repo, edit files and run commands. The differences are licence, price, models and login. New to one of them? Read what is OpenCode first. More head to heads sit in our Comparisons hub.

OpenCode vs Claude Code at a glance, checked 6 Oct 2026 #

OpenCode is open and model neutral, and Claude Code is closed and built around Claude. The rows are our selection, each checked on 6 Oct 2026 against the vendor’s own site, docs or GitHub repo.

Sources: opencode.ai, the OpenCode repo (which GitHub now serves as anomalyco/opencode), Anthropic’s pricing page, the Claude Code docs and the Claude Code repo.

Which one is open source? #

OpenCode is, and Claude Code is not. GitHub listed OpenCode under the MIT licence on 6 Oct 2026. The Claude Code repo is public, but its licence file reads “© Anthropic PBC. All rights reserved.” Our post on whether Claude Code is open source covers what that repo does hold.

What does each cost to start? #

OpenCode can cost nothing to start, and Claude Code started at $20 a month on 6 Oct 2026. OpenCode’s Zen price list marked 12 models as Free on 6 Oct 2026, and says each is available “for a limited time”. OpenCode Go was an optional plan at $10 a month for open coding models on 6 Oct 2026, with Go Plus at $40.

On 6 Oct 2026 Anthropic’s pricing page listed Claude Code in Pro ($20 billed monthly, or $17 a month billed annually) and Max (from $100 a month), and not in the Free plan. The docs say an Anthropic Console account works too. Our Claude Code pricing post has the full breakdown.

Free software is not a free model. Bring your own key to OpenCode and the provider bills you.

Which models can each use? #

OpenCode connects to almost any model, and Claude Code runs Claude models. OpenCode’s site says “free models included or connect any model from any provider”, with 75+ LLM providers and local models. The Claude Code docs list Anthropic itself plus Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud’s Agent Platform and Microsoft Foundry as places to get those Claude models.

Where does each one run? #

Both run in the terminal, in an IDE and in a desktop app, and Claude Code also runs on the web. OpenCode’s site calls it “a terminal interface, desktop app, and IDE extension”, and its repo marks the desktop app as beta. Claude Code’s docs list the terminal, VS Code, JetBrains, a desktop app and a browser version at claude.ai/code.

What does each have that the other lacks? #

OpenCode has model choice and open code. Claude Code has cloud features tied to a Claude account. We read both sets of docs on 6 Oct 2026 and picked these.

• OpenCode: two built in primary agents, Build and Plan, that you switch with Tab. Built in LSP servers, off by default, that can feed diagnostics back to the agent. A /share command that makes a public link to a session. Logins for ChatGPT Plus or Pro and GitHub Copilot.
• Claude Code: sessions that run in the browser with no local setup. Routines that run on a schedule in the cloud. Remote Control from your phone. A Slack integration that turns a bug report into a pull request.

Can you use a Claude subscription in OpenCode? #

No, not in a way either vendor supports. OpenCode’s providers page said on 6 Oct 2026: “There are plugins that allow you to use your Claude Pro/Max models with OpenCode. Anthropic explicitly prohibits this.” It adds that older versions bundled those plugins, “but that is no longer the case as of 1.3.0”.

Anthropic’s legal page says it “does not permit third-party developers to offer Claude.ai login into their own applications, or to route requests through Free, Pro, or Max plan credentials on behalf of their users”.

An Anthropic API key does work. The auth menu on the providers page shows “Manually enter API Key”. Zen sells Claude too: on 6 Oct 2026 Claude Opus 5.5 was $4.00 per 1M input tokens and $20.00 per 1M output tokens. The key still cuts fine. The lock was changed.

OpenCode vs Codex #

OpenCode is the neutral one, and Codex is OpenAI’s own agent. The Codex repo is Apache 2.0, and its README recommends signing in with a ChatGPT plan. OpenAI’s pricing page listed the CLI from Plus, $20 a month, on 6 Oct 2026. Our view: choose Codex if you only want OpenAI models, and OpenCode if you want to switch. Codex vs Claude Code compares the two lab agents.

Who should pick which? #

Pick by what you already pay for and how much you care about the licence. We think the price gap matters less than it looks, because a paid model costs money in either tool.

• Pick OpenCode if you want MIT code, local models, free models to try, or one agent across several providers.
• Pick Claude Code if you have Claude Pro or Max and want that plan to cover your coding, or you want its web and cloud features.

Or run both. Nothing stops you installing two agents on one computer. Munder Difflin is free and open source: a desktop app that runs a team of coding agents such as Claude Code, Codex and Gemini CLI on your own computer. You still install each CLI and sign in with your own plan or key. Start with how to install and use it.

FAQ

Is OpenCode better than Claude Code?

Neither wins outright. We think OpenCode is the better fit if you want open source code and a free choice of model, and Claude Code is the better fit if you already pay for a Claude plan. On 6 Oct 2026 OpenCode was MIT licensed and Claude Code's licence file said all rights reserved.

Can I use my Claude subscription in OpenCode?

Not in a way either vendor supports. On 6 Oct 2026 OpenCode's providers page said plugins for Claude Pro and Max exist, that Anthropic explicitly prohibits this, and that OpenCode stopped bundling them as of 1.3.0. Anthropic's legal page says third party developers may not route requests through Free, Pro or Max plan credentials.

Can I use Claude models in OpenCode?

Yes, with a key you pay for by the token. The Anthropic section of OpenCode's providers page shows a Manually enter API Key option. OpenCode Zen also lists Claude models: Claude Opus 5.5 was $4.00 per 1M input tokens and $20.00 per 1M output tokens on 6 Oct 2026.

Does OpenCode have free models?

Yes. OpenCode's Zen price list marked 12 models as Free on 6 Oct 2026, Big Pickle among them. The same page says each is available for a limited time, so the list will change. Your prompts still go to a hosted model.

Is OpenCode or Codex the better open source agent?

Both have open code: OpenCode is MIT and Codex is Apache 2.0, per GitHub on 6 Oct 2026. Codex is OpenAI's agent, and its README recommends signing in with a ChatGPT plan. OpenCode connects to many providers, and its site says you can log in with a ChatGPT Plus or Pro account there too.

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