The best open-source AI coding agents in 2026

The best open-source AI coding agents right now are OpenCode, OpenAI Codex CLI and Cline, out of 10 we have reviewed. Each is ranked by our rating, with its price, our verdict and who it suits.

Updated Oct 23, 2026 · Ranked from our reviews · How we review

1. 1
   O

   OpenCode

   A terminal agent you can point at any model and audit line by line, provided you keep its local server patched.

   Best for: Developers who want a vendor-neutral terminal coding agent.

   Price: Free and open source (MIT); you pay your model provider. Optional OpenCode Go costs $10 or $40 a month; Zen is pay-as-you-go from $20 top-ups; Enterprise is per seat, price on request.

   Read our OpenCode review
   4.6/5
2. 2
   O

   OpenAI Codex CLI

   For anyone already paying for ChatGPT, Codex CLI is a well-sandboxed terminal agent at no extra cost, on allowances OpenAI only estimates.

   Best for: ChatGPT subscribers who want a terminal coding agent without another bill.

   Price: CLI is open source (Apache 2.0). Usage comes with ChatGPT Plus ($20/month), Pro ($100 to $500/month), Business ($20/user/month annual) and Enterprise, or pay-per-token with an API key.

   Read our OpenAI Codex CLI review
   4.5/5
3. 3
   C

   Cline

   Cline is now the default open-source agent for VS Code, more because its rivals stopped than because it changed, and its 2026 security record says to treat it as software with real attack surface.

   Best for: VS Code users who want an open-source agent and control over which model they pay for.

   Price: Free and open source (Apache 2.0); you pay model providers or Cline at cost. ClinePass for open-weight models $9.99/month. Enterprise custom.

   Read our Cline review
   4.4/5
4. 4
   O

   OpenHands

   OpenHands has turned from a single autonomous coder into an open-source switchboard for many, which makes it more useful to teams and easier to misconfigure.

   Best for: Engineering teams that want to run and automate several coding agents on their own infrastructure.

   Price: Agent Canvas free to self-host (MIT), with your own model key. Teams $499/month for up to 10 users (extra seats $50/month, 5,000 sessions a month); Enterprise custom.

   Read our OpenHands review
   4.4/5
5. 5
   O

   Orca

   A free, agent-neutral control room for parallel coding agents, held back only by how fast it changes underneath you.

   Best for: Developers who run several coding agents at once and want them isolated, tracked and reviewed in one place.

   Price: Free and open source under MIT. You bring your own agent subscriptions or API keys.

   Read our Orca review
   4.2/5
6. 6
   G

   goose

   A vendor-neutral agent for automating work across many systems, with coding as one job among several and autonomy switched on from the first prompt.

   Best for: Developers and power users who want an open, extensible agent for coding and general automation.

   Price: Free and open source (Apache 2.0). You pay your model provider or run local models.

   Read our goose review
   4.1/5
7. 7
   K

   Kilo Code

   Kilo Code is now the main heir to Roo Code's mode-based workflow, with real JetBrains support, but it ships faster than it stabilises.

   Best for: Developers who want a mode-based open-source agent in VS Code or JetBrains.

   Price: Extension and CLI free (MIT). BYOK or pay-as-you-go gateway credits (5% processing fee); optional Kilo Pass $19, $49 or $199/month with bonus credits; Teams $15/user/month; Enterprise custom.

   Read our Kilo Code review
   4.0/5
8. 8
   M

   mini-swe-agent

   A benchmark harness so plain that its results measure the model, which is exactly why it feels bare as a daily coding tool.

   Best for: Researchers and engineers benchmarking models or learning how coding agents work.

   Price: Free and open source (MIT). You pay your model provider.

   Read our mini-swe-agent review
   4.0/5
9. 9
   A

   Aider

   Aider's commit-per-edit discipline still holds up, but a tool with one point release in a year is a habit to keep rather than one to start.

   Best for: Existing users who want a minimal, git-centred pair-programmer in the terminal.

   Price: Free and open source (Apache 2.0). You pay your model provider or run local models.

   Read our Aider review
   3.6/5
10. 10
    G

    Gemini CLI

    A capable open-source agent that Google has already moved on from, and hard to justify adopting in late 2026.

    Best for: Existing Gemini Code Assist customers and Vertex AI teams who want an open-source terminal agent until their contracts run out.

    Price: Open source (Apache 2.0). The free Google-account tier ended on 18 June 2026; use now needs a paid Gemini API key, Vertex AI or an existing Code Assist licence.

    Read our Gemini CLI review
    3.3/5