OpenCode vs Claude Code: open-source freedom or Anthropic's own agent?

What is the main difference between OpenCode and Claude Code?

The difference is who controls the model. Claude Code is made by Anthropic to run Anthropic's Claude models, and the tool and the model are sold together. OpenCode is a separate open-source project, made by Anomaly, that is not tied to one model vendor: you connect the provider you want, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and local runtimes, or use models OpenCode itself offers. Everything else, the terminal interface, file editing, command running and planning, is similar in kind. This page uses each project's own documentation and pricing pages as of October 30, 2026. It omits speed and benchmark claims because they depend on which model you plug in.

How do OpenCode and Claude Code compare in detail?

The entries give each tool's documented facts. The order is not a ranking.

Which one costs less?

OpenCode costs nothing as software. What you pay is the model. Claude Code bundles the model into a subscription, so the question becomes how you want to pay.

Two cautions. First, Anthropic's own cost documentation says that across enterprise deployments the average cost of Claude Code is around USD 13 per developer per active day and USD 150 to 250 per developer per month when billed by API tokens. If you attach a Claude API key to OpenCode you are on the same kind of per-token billing, which can exceed a USD 20 subscription for heavy use. Second, a cheaper model is only cheaper if it finishes the job in a similar number of attempts. A tool that needs three tries at half the price is not a saving.

How do the features compare?

The pattern repeats from other comparisons. The core loop is the same, and the product differences sit in the edges: who supplies the model, how undo works, and which integrations are first-party. For the same exercise against OpenAI's agent, see Claude Code vs Codex.

Which is safer to let loose on a project?

Neither is safe by default if you switch off every prompt. Both let an agent run shell commands, and both let you restrict that.

• OpenCode resolves each permission to allow, ask or deny. Rules are matched by pattern and the last matching rule wins, so you put the catch-all first and exceptions after it. Its --auto flag approves anything not explicitly denied, and explicit deny rules still apply. Its Plan agent refuses edits by default, which is a cheap way to review an approach.
• Claude Code has named permission modes, from asking before most actions to a classifier-reviewed auto mode, and a stricter mode for locked-down scripts. It adds an optional OS-level sandbox for shell commands (macOS, Linux, WSL2; off by default) and automatic checkpoints you can rewind.

In both tools, commit your work before a long run, keep secrets out of the folder, and read the diff. OpenCode's homepage says it does not store your code or context data, and that data is stored only when you use its free models. Treat that as the vendor's statement and read its privacy page before you use private code. The same caution applies to any vendor.

What carries over if you switch between them?

More than you might expect, because both read the shared AGENTS.md format.

Per the OpenCode rules page, you can disable the Claude compatibility fallbacks with environment variables such as OPENCODE_DISABLE_CLAUDE_CODE=1. That is useful if you want OpenCode to ignore your Claude files entirely.

A sensible setup for trying both is one AGENTS.md with your commands and rules, a CLAUDE.md that imports it, and nothing tool-specific in the shared file.

Which should you choose?

If you want to pit them against each other, give both the same small task from the developer tools category on the board. Every idea has a generated build prompt you can paste in. Use identical settings, then compare tests passing, corrections needed and cost. If you need other options, the Claude Code alternatives page lists more.

How do you try OpenCode in five minutes?

These steps follow OpenCode's intro page. Check it first, since the install command depends on which version you want.

1. Install: run curl -fsSL https://opencode.ai/install | bash, or npm install -g opencode-ai, or brew install anomalyco/tap/opencode for OpenCode 1. On Windows the docs recommend WSL.
2. Connect a model: start opencode, type /connect and choose a provider, for example Anthropic with an API key from the Console, or OpenCode Zen.
3. Open your project folder and run opencode.
4. Type /init so it scans the project and writes an AGENTS.md. Commit that file.
5. Press Tab to switch to the Plan agent, describe a change, and read the plan before switching back to Build.
6. If a change is wrong, type /undo.

Read AGENTS.md, then give me a plan to add [feature] to this project. List the files you would change and the tests you would add. Do not edit anything yet. After I approve the plan, implement it, run the tests, and tell me what changed.