opencode vs goose
Both are alternatives to Claude Code. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as goose vs opencode — same comparison, one verdict.
opencode and goose are closely matched on ownership (93 vs 93) — this one comes down to pricing and to which trade-offs below you can live with.
opencode
TOP PICKThe MIT terminal agent that picks up your CLAUDE.md where you left it.
opencode (MIT, maintained by Anomaly) is the open-source agent closest in shape to Claude Code: a terminal UI with a full-access `build` agent, a read-only `plan` agent and a `general` subagent, plus a desktop app in beta. It is provider-agnostic, with 75+ providers through the AI SDK and Models.dev, including Anthropic on an API key and local models via Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint. For anyone coming from Claude Code it reads CLAUDE.md, ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md and ~/.claude/skills as fallbacks when no AGENTS.md exists, so an existing repository works on day one. Two optional paid services sit beside the free tool: OpenCode Go, a $10/month subscription to open-source models (Go Plus $40/month), and Zen, a pay-as-you-go gateway of tested models. Your own keys cost nothing extra.
goose
A general-purpose open agent (desktop app, CLI and API) governed at the Linux Foundation.
goose (Apache-2.0) is a general-purpose AI agent that runs on your machine: a native desktop app for macOS, Linux and Windows, a full CLI, and an API to embed it, built in Rust. It writes code, but it is deliberately not only a coding tool; research, writing, automation and data analysis are in scope, which suits someone who used Claude Code for more than programming. It works with 15+ providers, including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Ollama, OpenRouter, Azure and Bedrock, and connects to 70+ extensions over MCP. goose is part of the Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF) at the Linux Foundation; its repository moved from block/goose to aaif-goose/goose, and the old address redirects.
Side by side
6 points of comparison, every one read from a verified field. Green marks the side that wins a row outright. A dash means we do not hold that fact — never that it is zero.
| opencode | goose | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty ScoreOur transparent 0–100 composite for data ownership and exit cost. | 93 | 93 |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Local-first data | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Pricing | Free and open source (MIT); you pay your own model provider. Optional OpenCode Go at $10/month (Go Plus $40/month) for open-source models, or the pay-as-you-go Zen gateway. Verified on opencode.ai 2026-10-03. | Free and open source (Apache-2.0); you pay only your model provider, or nothing beyond hardware with a local model. |
opencode is Macrostack's recommended Claude Code alternative, so it's our pick here.
opencode
Strengths
- +Reads CLAUDE.md, ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md and ~/.claude/skills as fallbacks, the lowest-effort move from Claude Code
- +75+ providers: keep Claude on an API key, switch models per task, or run fully local
- +The same plan-then-build rhythm: a read-only plan agent that denies edits by default and asks before running bash
- +The largest community in the category, about 211k GitHub stars, with commits daily
Trade-offs
- −Keeping Claude models means per-token API billing: opencode's own docs say Anthropic prohibits using Claude Pro/Max plans through it, and it stopped bundling the plugins that did so in version 1.3.0
- −The desktop app is still in beta; the terminal is the mature surface
- −A large configuration surface (providers, models, agents, permissions) is more to learn than one vendor's defaults
- −A local model is a real hardware ask and will trail a frontier model on hard multi-file work
goose
Strengths
- +Foundation governance at the Linux Foundation's Agentic AI Foundation, so no single vendor owns the roadmap
- +A desktop app, CLI and API from one engine, which makes it approachable for people who would rather not live in a terminal
- +15+ providers including Ollama, so it can run fully local
- +70+ MCP extensions, and a scope that goes well beyond code
Trade-offs
- −A generalist by design; if you only want a coding agent, a coding-first tool such as opencode will feel more focused
- −Moving your setup is manual: check which of your CLAUDE.md conventions, skills and hooks have a goose equivalent before committing
- −Running locally still needs real GPU memory, and a local model trails frontier models on hard agent tasks
Which one fits you
The trade-offs above, turned into a decision. Find the line that describes your team.
Choose opencode
if reads CLAUDE.md, ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md and ~/.claude/skills as fallbacks, the lowest-effort move from Claude Code.
Choose goose
if foundation governance at the Linux Foundation's Agentic AI Foundation, so no single vendor owns the roadmap.
Neither, yet
if both carry a real cost you should weigh first — keeping Claude models means per-token API billing: opencode's own docs say Anthropic prohibits using Claude Pro/Max plans through it, and it stopped bundling the plugins that did so in version 1.3.0, and a generalist by design; if you only want a coding agent, a coding-first tool such as opencode will feel more focused. If either of those is a dealbreaker for your team, the shortlist is wrong rather than the choice.
opencode vs goose — common questions
Is opencode a better fit than goose for ai coding assistants?
It depends on what you are optimising for, and the honest split is this: opencode scores 93 to goose's 93 on data ownership and exit cost, so it is the safer choice if you care about being able to leave. goose earns its place on a different axis — foundation governance at the Linux Foundation's Agentic AI Foundation, so no single vendor owns the roadmap. Neither is a wrong answer for every team; the table above is the actual comparison.
What happens if we want to switch later?
opencode keeps its data local or in open formats, so leaving is an export rather than a negotiation. goose is still self-hostable, so the files stay on your server either way — but it is not local-first by design, so check what its export produces before you rely on it.
Can I self-host opencode or goose?
Both can be self-hosted. The difference is what it costs you in time rather than whether it is possible — see the setup and maintenance rows above.
Are opencode and goose both alternatives to Claude Code?
Yes — both appear in our Claude Code comparison, which is why they are worth putting side by side. People usually arrive here already having decided to move off Claude Code and now choosing between the two replacements, which is a narrower and much easier question.
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Facts verified 2026-10-03. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.