OpenCode vs Claude Code: Which Agentic Tool Should You Use in 2026?

For years, the terminal was a boring tool used by developers. However, it has recently been transformed into a shiny tool with the ability to plan architectures and fix bugs. All thanks to Anthropic’s Claude Code. After their release, we saw other companies scramble to create their own CLI tools. 

Currently, the space is dominated by proprietary tools such as Claude Code and open-source tools like OpenCode. 

In this post, I’ll help you decide which of the two tools is the best for your workflow. I’ll go through their key features and capabilities, discuss the cost of using them, and finally, which one to use for your workflow. 

What Is Claude Code?

As we cover in our Claude Code tutorial, Claude Code is Anthropic’s official CLI tool. It helps developers to refactor, document, and debug code efficiently while using natural language commands. It is quite easy to set up in your existing environment with minimal friction. 

Claude Code key features and capabilities

One of the biggest challenges when using agents in programming is token usage. The context can grow so large that it exceeds the model context window. 

To avoid this, Claude Code uses a strategy called automatic context compaction. Claude Code monitors token usage, and when it exceeds a certain threshold, it compresses the conversation history, allowing the task to continue without hitting the context limit. 

Claude Code is also terminal-native. It can perform all core functionalities in the terminal, including: 

• Building features and fixing bugs 
• Creating commits and pull requests 
• Connecting your project to MCP servers 
• Starting multiple code agents 
• Customizing skills and hooks 

One of my favorite Claude Code features is extended thinking. Instead of being in a hurry to make code changes, Claude Code can pause and make a plan for solving complex problems, leading to less buggy code. 

Learn how hook-based automation works and get started using Claude Code hooks to automate coding tasks like testing, formatting, and receiving notifications from our Claude Code Hooks tutorial. 

The pros and cons of Claude Code

Understanding the pros and cons of any tool is important before you settle on any agentic tool. Claude Code is backed by Anthropic, which has made the tool work out of the box with minimal setup. 

As a result of being backed by a big corporation, Claude Code also features enterprise-grade security. With its SOC2 data compliance, you can be sure that your data is safe within the Anthropics environment. 

With Claude Opus 4.6, Claude Code also features fewer hallucinations. For instance, it rarely invents libraries that don't exist. 

The above features build a strong case for using Claude Code. However, Claude Code is not free to use. In fact, Claude Code can quickly become very expensive, especially when using top-tier models such as Opus 4.6. 

Make sure to check out our guides on Claude Opus 4.6 and Sonnet 4.6 to discover its costs, features, and benchmarks. 

Claude Code is also a closed technology, meaning that you can’t inspect it or make changes to the codebase. You also can’t use a different model provider. It also features some safety guardrails that can prevent you from doing certain things, particularly those involving system commands. 

Explore what’s new in Claude Code 2.1 by running a set of focused experiments on an existing project repository within CLI and web workflows.

What Is OpenCode?

OpenCode is an open-source agent that helps you write and run code with any AI model. It's available as a terminal-based interface, desktop app, or IDE extension. It is the community's answer to Claude Code. 

OpenCode is a bring-your-own-model platform. It provides the tools for editing, terminal execution, and git management,  but allows you to choose the model you want to use. 

This means that you can use the closed APIs or use a local model by self-hosting using a service like Ollama. 

Discover how to set up Ollama using our OpenClaw with Ollama tutorial. 

Unlike Claude Code, OpenCode has released a desktop app that you can also use. It supports all the popular operating systems, such as Mac, Windows, and Linux. 

Unlike Claude Code, OpenCode doesn’t have a proprietary engine. It acts as a universal adapter. It standardizes operations such as how prompts are sent to the LLMs and how tools are used. 

OpenCode key features and capabilities

OpenCode features are the complete opposite of Claude Code. For instance, OpenCode prefers thoroughness over speed. 

Because OpenCode allows you to customize the workflow, you can instruct it to prioritize thoroughness (like running full test suites), which takes longer but ensures stability.

OpenCode offers true privacy.  For developers in defence, healthcare, and fintech, it is not always possible to send data to the cloud due to regulations and customer privacy. OpenCode creates an “Air-gapped Mode” that lets you use it with OpenSource models through Ollama. 

OpenCode is building toward a Workspaces feature,  powered by its client/server architecture,  that aims to persist context even when you close your laptop. This is something Claude Code's simpler CLI design can't easily support, and it's one of the most anticipated features the community is rallying around.

The pros and cons of OpenCode

Let’s now look at some of the pros and cons of OpenCode. 

The fact that it’s open-source means that you can use it with any model, open or closed. You can switch models at any time, unlike Claude Code, which locks you in Anthropic’s ecosystem. 

With OpenCode, you can also route simple tasks to cheaper models, hence incur fewer API charges. OpenCode also offers a few free models that you can use for easier tasks. 

The OpenCode desktop allows you to choose between build and plan mode. This enables you to use plan mode to properly draft your project before any code is written. When ready, you just change to build mode to write the code. 

OpenCode gives you the autonomy to decide which models to use. However, if you are running open-source models, you will need the hardware to run them. Even if you have the GPUs, you will still need to pay for electricity. 

OpenCode vs Claude Code Head-to-Head Comparison

Let’s now compare both tools to help you decide on the best one for your workflow. 

Performance and latency

If you need speed, Claude wins. Anthropic has optimized the tool for little latency between the prompt and the agent's action. You might feel that OpenCode is a bit slow, especially when it decides to run a full test suite. However, the slowness is often a trade-off for safety. 

Cost and token efficiency

OpenCode wins when it comes to flexibility. With Claude Code, you are locked into Anthropic’s models, which you pay a premium for. With OpenCode, you can use cheap models for simple tasks, such as documentation, and use the expensive models for complex problems. As of this writing, some models are actually free to use. 

Security and tool positioning 

Claude Code, being backed by Anthropic, features enterprise-grade security. But your code goes to their servers. OpenCode wins when strict security requirements are needed. The fact that you can use it with a local LLM gives OpenCode an upper hand, particularly for regulated industries. 

Set up and ease of use

Claude Code works out of the box. You just install it and connect your Anthropic account. OpenCode requires a little more effort, especially when you want to use it with a local model. You have to download the model and connect it to OpenCode. 

Comparison table 

Claude Code vs OpenCode: Which to Choose?

It’s now time to answer the question that brought you here. 

You should choose Claude Code if...

• You are a professional software engineer working in a team setup
• You prioritize code integrity and security 
• You want a tool that just works
• You are okay with sending your code to cloud servers

You should choose OpenCode if…

• You want a free tool, but ready to set it up
• You have the capacity to run models locally 
• You want a tool that doesn’t send your code to the cloud

Future Outlook

I have seen this with many tools; they usually start as open-source, but ultimately need a way to sustain themselves. So they eventually create a cloud offering for people who want a fully managed solution or a solution that solves a related problem. 

We saw it with LangChain and their LangSmithoffering and LlamaIndex with LlamaCloud. So, I would predict that OpenCode will eventually offer a cloud solution for people who want a managed solution with enterprise-grade security or just an enterprise solution for big companies.

Conclusion

The choice between Claude Code and OpenCode depends on what you value more. If you prefer convenience and a tool that just works out of the box, pick Claude Code. If value control and the ability to switch between model providers use OpenCode. 

To learn more about working with AI tools, check out our guide to the best free AI tools. For broader AI coding skills, try our AI-Assisted Coding for Developers course to develop the skills that make AI assistants more reliable partners in your development workflow.