Yes, OpenCode is free. The OpenCode software itself costs $0 and is open-source, so understanding OpenCode pricing really comes down to one thing: the AI model you connect to it. The app is free forever, but a paid model can still add a bill. This guide separates the two clearly, so you know exactly what stays free and what does not before you type a single command.
Quick Answer
OpenCode itself costs $0. The terminal interface and the beta desktop app are free and open-source. You can keep AI access free with free API tiers or local Ollama models. Costs only appear when you connect a paid model through BYOK, or choose an optional add-on: pay-as-you-go OpenCode Zen or the $10 a month OpenCode Go plan.
Four routes: Free API / Ollama, BYOK, OpenCode Zen, or OpenCode Go.
Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand.
What Is Free in OpenCode?
The OpenCode software is completely free and open-source. There are no paid editions, no locked features, and no required seat counts. What you download is the full tool, not a trial version of something bigger.
This is where most confusion about OpenCode pricing starts. OpenCode has two separate layers, and only one of them can ever cost money. The first layer is the application itself. The second is the AI model you plug into it. Keep those two apart and the pricing becomes simple.
OpenCode is built by Anomaly, the team behind SST, and released under the MIT licence. As an open-source coding agent, it runs in your terminal and reads your codebase, plans changes, edits files, and runs real commands. Think of it as a terminal AI assistant that does the work of a coding teammate, without charging you for the seat.
The OpenCode application costs $0
The core OpenCode app is free. You install it, point it at a model, and start working. You do not even need an account to run the open-source tool.
The free layer includes the terminal interface (the command-line version) and a desktop app. The desktop app is currently in beta on macOS, Windows and Linux, so treat it as newer and less settled than the terminal version. There is also a VS Code style editor extension. All of these are part of the free software, with no separate charge to unlock them.
Why the connected AI model can still cost money
OpenCode does not include its own AI brain. It connects to an outside AI model, and that model is where any cost can appear. The app stays free either way.
You have four main ways to give OpenCode a model: a free API tier, a local model, your own paid key, or a paid add-on. The next sections walk through each one. The key idea is simple. A paid model does not turn the OpenCode application into paid software. The app is still $0. Only the model has a price, and only if you pick a paid one.
How Can You Use OpenCode Completely Free?
You can use OpenCode at a total cost of $0 by connecting a free AI model. There are two reliable ways to do this: a free API tier, or a local model that runs on your own machine.
This is the part vendors with a single paid plan cannot offer. Because OpenCode is model-agnostic, it does not force you toward a paid model. If a free model can do the job, OpenCode is happy to use it. That makes it one of the more genuinely free AI coding tools available, not a free trial in disguise.
Route 1: Connect a free API tier
A free API tier is a no-cost access level from an AI provider. You get a key, paste it into OpenCode, and the provider’s model does the thinking. Common examples people connect are Google Gemini and Groq, both of which offer free access levels.
Free tiers usually come with their own limits, and those limits are set by the provider, not by OpenCode. Availability and caps can change over time, so it is worth checking the provider’s own page before you rely on one for heavy work.
Route 2: Run a local model through Ollama
Ollama lets you run AI models on your own computer, offline. You download a model once, and it runs on your hardware instead of a paid server. Connect it to OpenCode and the whole stack can run for zero dollars.
This is the most private route too, since your code never leaves your machine. Local models depend on your computer’s power, so a stronger machine handles bigger models more comfortably. But for keeping OpenCode use free, Ollama local models are the cleanest path.
Pro tip: Start with a free API tier to test how OpenCode behaves, then move to a local Ollama model once you know which model size your machine can run smoothly. You lose nothing by trying both, since neither costs money.
How Does BYOK Affect OpenCode Pricing?
BYOK means bring your own key. It is the route where a real bill can appear, but that bill comes from the AI provider, not from OpenCode. You pay the model maker directly for what you use.
With BYOK, you take an API key from a commercial provider such as OpenAI or Anthropic’s Claude, and connect it to OpenCode. From then on, every request you send uses that provider’s model, and the provider charges you for the tokens (the small chunks of text a model reads and writes). OpenCode adds no markup and takes no cut.
What you are paying for with BYOK
The payment is for commercial-model usage, and only that. The AI provider bills you, based on how much you use. The free OpenCode application is not part of that bill at all.
This matters for budgeting. A quiet week with little coding costs little. A heavy week of large tasks costs more, because token usage costs scale with how much the model reads and writes. You are renting the model by the token, while the tool that drives it stays free.
If you want to weigh a commercial model like Claude against the free routes, our claude guide breaks down where a paid model earns its cost and where a free model is enough.
What Is OpenCode Zen?
OpenCode Zen is an optional pay-as-you-go gateway for models, with no monthly fee. You add credit to a balance and pay per token, only for what you actually use. A quiet month can cost nothing.
Zen exists for people who like BYOK’s usage-based pricing but do not want to hunt down and manage keys from many providers. It gives you a curated set of benchmarked models through one connection, and it tops up your balance automatically when you run low. This is the second of OpenCode’s two optional paid add-ons, and it sits between full BYOK and a fixed subscription.
The important point for OpenCode pricing is that Zen is optional and usage-based. You are not locked into a monthly charge. If you stop coding, the meter stops with you.
Where Does OpenCode Go Fit Into OpenCode Pricing?
OpenCode Go is an optional $10 a month subscription. It gives you bundled, reliable access to a curated set of capable open-source models, with generous usage limits, so you do not have to source or meter your own keys. It is not required to use OpenCode.
Go is the subscription route. Where Zen charges you per token, Go charges one flat monthly price and hands you steady access to popular open coding models. You can use it with OpenCode or with other agents, top up credit if you need more, and cancel any time.
OpenCode Go at a glance
- Price: a flat $10 a month (see the pricing table below).
- Status: fully optional, never required to run OpenCode.
- What it gives you: bundled, reliable access to a curated set of open-source models with generous limits.
- Who it suits: people who code most days and want predictable cost without managing keys.
Common mistake: assuming “generous limits” means unlimited. Go has usage caps on its bundled models, and free tiers have their own caps too. Free and low-cost does not mean infinite. Match the plan to how much you actually code, not to the best-case headline.
Free vs BYOK vs Zen vs Go Compared
OpenCode pricing changes based on which AI-access route you pick, never on the app itself. The table below shows how the cost structure differs across all four routes. The software column stays $0 in every single row.
| Route | Software cost | AI access cost | Who bills you | Runs offline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free API tier | $0 | Free, within provider limits | No charge | No |
| Ollama local model | $0 | Free | No charge | Yes |
| BYOK commercial model | $0 | Pay per token | The AI provider | No |
| OpenCode Zen | $0 | Pay per token, prepaid balance | OpenCode (Anomaly) | No |
| OpenCode Go | $0 | Flat monthly subscription | OpenCode (Anomaly) | No |
Which Cost Route Fits Your Budget and Setup?
The right route depends on one question: do you want to pay for AI access at all, and if so, how? Here is a simple way to decide, based only on cost structure and setup, not on which model is “best”.
- Want a fully free route? Connect a free API tier such as Google Gemini or Groq, or run a local model with Ollama. Total cost stays $0.
- Want to use a specific commercial model? Use BYOK with your own key and pay that provider for token usage. Good when you already have an account with a provider.
- Want usage-based billing without managing keys? Use OpenCode Zen and pay per token from a prepaid balance. A quiet month can cost nothing.
- Want one predictable monthly bill? Subscribe to OpenCode Go for a flat monthly price and steady access to open-source models.
Notice the pattern. The more convenience and reliability you want, the more you move from free tiers toward a paid add-on. None of these routes changes the price of OpenCode itself. They only change how you feed it a model.
Important Cost Clarifications Before You Choose
Before you pick a route, clear up the three misunderstandings that trip people up most. Getting these right saves you from an unexpected bill or a plan you did not need.
- “Free” refers to the software. OpenCode being free means the app itself is $0. It does not promise that every model you connect is free.
- Commercial-model charges are separate. BYOK and Zen token usage costs are paid to the model side, and they sit entirely outside the free application.
- The add-ons are optional. Both OpenCode Zen and OpenCode Go are optional. You can ignore both and still use OpenCode fully for free.
The cleanest way to think about OpenCode pricing is this: the free application, plus whichever AI-access method you choose. The app is fixed at $0. The variable part is the model, and you control which one you use.
Our Honest Verdict
OpenCode pricing is refreshingly honest once you split it in two: the app is free, and the model is your choice. If you are happy to run a free API tier or a local Ollama model, you can code with a capable agent for $0, which very few rivals can match. The one caveat is convenience. Free routes come with provider limits and a little setup, so if you value steady, no-fuss access, OpenCode Zen or the $10 a month Go plan is a fair trade, not a tax. Start free, learn how you actually work, and only pay for a model once you know you need it. Use the pricing table above to decide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the OpenCode desktop app free?
Yes. The OpenCode desktop app and the terminal interface are both part of the free, open-source software, so they cost $0. The desktop app is still in beta on macOS, Windows and Linux. You only pay if you connect a paid AI model or choose an optional add-on.
Does OpenCode have paid editions or feature locks?
No. OpenCode has no paid edition of the software itself. There are no locked features and no required seat counts. The core tool is MIT-licensed and free for everyone. The only paid parts are optional model add-ons, OpenCode Zen and OpenCode Go, which cover AI model access, not the app.
Do teams need to pay for OpenCode seats?
No. OpenCode does not charge per seat for the software. Every team member can install and run the open-source tool for free. Your only shared cost is the AI model usage, which depends on whether you use a free model, your own paid API key, or a paid add-on like Zen or Go.
Does BYOK mean I pay OpenCode for token usage?
No. With BYOK, which means bring your own key, you pay the AI provider directly, not OpenCode. If you connect OpenAI or Anthropic’s Claude with your own key, that provider bills you for token usage. OpenCode takes no cut and adds no markup for a model you connect yourself.
What is the difference between OpenCode Zen and OpenCode Go?
OpenCode Zen is a pay-as-you-go gateway with no monthly fee, where you add credit and pay per token. OpenCode Go is a flat $10 a month subscription with generous usage limits on a curated set of open-source models. Zen suits light or spiky use. Go suits steady daily coding.
Can I use a free API tier instead of subscribing to OpenCode Go?
Yes. You do not need OpenCode Go to use OpenCode. You can connect a free API tier such as Google Gemini or Groq, or run a local model with Ollama. These routes let you use OpenCode at no cost, so Go stays fully optional and is only about convenience.
