opencode is an open source AI Coding Agent from anomalyco. Its positioning is straightforward: give developers a programmable, extensible coding assistant in the terminal that can connect to multiple model providers.

If you compare it with Claude Code and Codex, all three solve the same broad problem: bringing AI into real codebases so it can understand context, edit files, run commands, and execute tests. But their product directions are different.

opencode emphasizes open source, multi-model support, and a terminal TUI. Claude Code emphasizes Anthropic’s model ecosystem and local engineering collaboration. Codex is OpenAI’s AI coding agent, available through the terminal, IDEs, the Codex app, and cloud tasks.

Who opencode Is For

opencode is a better fit for these kinds of developers:

• People who want to complete code changes, project analysis, and engineering tasks in the terminal.
• People who do not want their AI Coding Agent tied to a single model provider.
• People who prefer open source tools and want to audit, extend, or build on top of them.
• People already comfortable with Neovim, TUIs, and command-line workflows.
• People who want to eventually drive the same coding agent remotely through a desktop app, mobile app, or other clients.

Its point is not to create another chat window, but to put AI coding capability inside the terminal and project directories developers already use.

Installation

The official README provides several installation methods.

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# Direct install
curl -fsSL https://opencode.ai/install | bash

# npm
npm i -g opencode-ai@latest

# Windows
scoop install opencode
choco install opencode

# macOS and Linux
brew install anomalyco/tap/opencode
brew install opencode

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S opencode
paru -S opencode-bin

# Other methods
mise use -g opencode
nix run nixpkgs#opencode

The official README also recommends removing versions older than 0.1.x before installing to avoid problems caused by older remnants.

The installation script chooses the installation directory by priority:

1. $OPENCODE_INSTALL_DIR
2. $XDG_BIN_DIR
3. $HOME/bin
4. $HOME/.opencode/bin

If you need to specify a path, use:

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OPENCODE_INSTALL_DIR=/usr/local/bin curl -fsSL https://opencode.ai/install | bash
XDG_BIN_DIR=$HOME/.local/bin curl -fsSL https://opencode.ai/install | bash

The Desktop App Is Still Beta

In addition to the command-line tool, opencode also provides a desktop app, currently marked as Beta. It can be downloaded from GitHub Releases or opencode.ai/download.

The desktop app covers these platforms:

macOS and Windows users can also install the desktop app through package managers.

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# macOS
brew install --cask opencode-desktop

# Windows
scoop bucket add extras
scoop install extras/opencode-desktop

Two Built-In Agent Modes

opencode includes two built-in Agents, switchable with the Tab key.

build is the default mode. It has full development permissions and is suitable for editing code directly, running commands, and moving engineering tasks forward.

plan is read-only mode. It is better for analyzing unfamiliar codebases, understanding project structure, and planning changes. It denies file edits by default and asks before running bash commands.

opencode also includes a general subagent for complex searches and multi-step tasks. Users can invoke it by typing @general in a message.

This design is practical: use plan to understand the project before acting, then switch to build when code needs to change. For large repositories, separating read and write permissions helps reduce mistakes.

What Is Codex?

Codex is OpenAI’s AI coding agent for helping developers write code, review code, fix bugs, and ship engineering tasks.

Unlike a simple code completion tool, Codex is closer to an Agent that can operate on a codebase. It can pair with you in local tools, and it can also take delegated tasks in the cloud. OpenAI’s official materials describe Codex as available through multiple surfaces, including CLI, IDEs, the Codex app, and ChatGPT/Codex cloud workflows.

For developers, Codex has several important traits:

• It can read codebases, edit files, run commands, and execute tests.
• It supports multiple interfaces, including terminal, IDE, app, and cloud.
• It fits bug fixing, feature work, refactoring, migrations, code review, and test generation.
• It is more closely tied to OpenAI accounts, models, and the Codex product ecosystem.
• Cloud tasks are useful for running multiple well-scoped engineering tasks in parallel.

If opencode is more like an open terminal agent framework, Codex is more like a full AI coding workbench from OpenAI: local pairing, cloud delegation, and longer engineering workflows for teams.

Core Differences

opencode, Claude Code, and Codex are all AI coding tools, but the choice becomes clearer if you look at these dimensions.

In short, opencode is about openness and replaceability, Claude Code is about the Claude ecosystem and local engineering agents, and Codex is about the OpenAI ecosystem and multi-surface collaboration.

How It Differs From Claude Code

opencode’s official FAQ directly compares it with Claude Code. The two are similar in capability, but the main differences are these.

First, opencode is a 100% open source project, hosted on GitHub and released under the MIT license.

Second, opencode is not tied to a single model provider. It recommends models provided through OpenCode Zen, but it can also work with Claude, OpenAI, Google, or local models. For developers, this means that when model cost, capability, or availability changes, you are not locked into one platform.

Third, opencode includes optional LSP support. For code completion, navigation, diagnostics, and project understanding, LSP is a very important foundation.

Fourth, opencode emphasizes TUI. It is built by Neovim users and the creators of terminal.shop, so the product focus is clearly on the terminal experience.

Fifth, opencode uses a client/server architecture. That means opencode can run on your computer while being controlled in the future by a TUI, desktop app, mobile app, or other clients. The TUI is only one possible frontend.

When to Choose opencode, Claude Code, or Codex

If you already use Claude Code or Codex, opencode does not have to replace them immediately. A better way to think about it is that opencode provides an open, model-replaceable, terminal-first option.

Consider opencode first when:

• You want your AI coding tool to be as open source as possible.
• You do not want your workflow tied to one model provider.
• You want to test Claude, OpenAI, Google, or local models with the same tool.
• You like TUI workflows and do not want a desktop or web app to interrupt your main workflow.
• You care about the remote-control potential of a client/server architecture.

Consider Claude Code first when:

• You mainly use Claude models.
• You care about long context, code understanding, and complex engineering task collaboration.
• You want to keep moving edits, tests, and refactors forward in a local repository.
• You trust Anthropic’s default Claude Code product experience.

Consider Codex first when:

• You already use ChatGPT or the OpenAI account ecosystem.
• You want one coding agent across terminal, IDE, desktop app, and cloud tasks.
• You want to delegate well-scoped bug fixes, feature work, migrations, or test generation to the cloud in parallel.
• You need code review, background tasks, team collaboration, and multi-Agent workflows.

If you care more about an official end-to-end experience, default model configuration, enterprise management, and ready-made integrations, Claude Code or Codex may be easier. If you care more about control, openness, and being provider-agnostic, opencode is worth watching.

Things to Note

opencode, Claude Code, and Codex are all moving quickly. GitHub releases, installation commands, desktop app file names, model availability, and plan access can all change. Before installing or choosing a tool, check the official README, documentation, and release pages.

Also, opencode’s desktop app is still marked as Beta, so it should not be treated as the default stable production tool. For everyday engineering tasks, the terminal version is still the main entry point.

From a tooling trend perspective, opencode represents the open-toolchain direction for AI Coding Agents: replaceable models, replaceable clients, and an open core agent capability. Codex and Claude Code are closer to model companies turning coding agents into complete product surfaces. For developers, both directions will likely coexist for a long time.

References

• opencode GitHub: https://github.com/anomalyco/opencode
• opencode official site: https://opencode.ai
• opencode docs: https://opencode.ai/docs
• opencode Releases: https://github.com/anomalyco/opencode/releases
• OpenAI Codex: https://openai.com/codex/
• Using Codex with your ChatGPT plan: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/11369540-codex-in-chatgpt
• OpenAI Codex CLI Getting Started: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/11096431-openai-codex-ci-getting-started