OpenCode: an open-source AI coding assistant

March 1, 2026·2 min readAI

There are a lot of AI coding tools out there right now. Most of them are proprietary, cloud-dependent, and want a monthly subscription. OpenCode takes a different approach. It is open-source, runs in your terminal, and lets you bring your own model provider.

What it is

OpenCode is a terminal-based AI coding assistant. Think of it as a local-first alternative to tools like GitHub Copilot or Cursor, but running entirely in your terminal. You point it at your codebase, and it can read files, suggest changes, run commands, and help you work through problems interactively.

What I like about it is the transparency. You can see exactly what context it is sending to the model, what tools it is using, and how it arrives at its suggestions. No black box.

How I use it

My typical workflow is to open a project, start an OpenCode session, and use it as a pair programmer. I will describe what I want to build or fix, and it will walk through the codebase, suggest an approach, and help me implement it.

For straightforward tasks like writing boilerplate, generating tests, or refactoring repetitive code, it saves a ton of time. For more nuanced architectural decisions, I treat its suggestions as a starting point and adjust from there.

Choosing a provider

OpenCode supports multiple model providers. You can use it with OpenAI, Anthropic, or point it at a local Ollama instance if you want everything to stay on your machine. I typically use it with Claude for complex tasks and local models for quick, lower-stakes work.

The terminal advantage

Running in the terminal means it fits naturally into an existing workflow. No context switching to a separate IDE or browser tab. It reads your project files directly, understands your directory structure, and can execute shell commands. If you already live in the terminal, this feels right.

Worth trying

If you are the kind of developer who prefers open-source tools and wants more control over your AI coding setup, OpenCode is worth a look. It is not trying to replace your editor. It is trying to be a smart, transparent assistant that works alongside whatever tools you already use.