Short answer: The best open source AI coding assistants in 2026 are Cline for VS Code, OpenCode and Aider for the terminal, goose for a general local agent, OpenHands for running agents you self-host, and Zed for an open-source AI editor. The Codex CLI from OpenAI is also open source.
Last updated: October 26, 2026
Looking for the open source AI coding assistants worth trying this year? This guide covers 7 tools listed on TrendingDevTools, with what each one does, who it suits and its pricing or free tier, checked on each vendor's own site in October 2026.
How we picked these tools
Every tool here is listed on TrendingDevTools. We read each vendor's own website and pricing page for the plan details below. Where a vendor does not publish a number, we say so instead of guessing. Prices can change, so check the vendor's site before you buy.
1. Cline
Cline is an open-source (Apache-2.0) coding agent for VS Code with Plan and Act modes and support for many model providers.
- Best for: An open-source agent inside VS Code
- Pricing: Free for individual developers; you pay your AI provider
- Website: cline.bot
2. OpenCode
OpenCode is an open-source (MIT) coding agent for the terminal, desktop and IDE that connects to 75+ model providers.
- Best for: Terminal, desktop and IDE with 75+ providers
- Pricing: Free and open source; optional paid model providers
- Website: opencode.ai
3. Aider
Aider is an open-source (Apache-2.0) AI pair programmer for the terminal that maps your repo and commits each change to git.
- Best for: Pair programming in git from the terminal
- Pricing: Free; you pay your LLM provider
- Website: aider.chat
4. goose
goose is an open-source AI agent originally built by Block that runs on your machine and works with any LLM.
- Best for: A local agent that works with any LLM
- Pricing: Free and open source; you pay your model provider
- Website: block.github.io/goose
5. OpenHands
OpenHands is an open-source (MIT) platform for running coding agents on your laptop or a shared VM, with your own LLM key.
- Best for: Self-hosted coding agents for teams
- Pricing: Free to self-host; Teams $499/month for up to 10 users (30-day trial)
- Website: www.openhands.dev
6. Zed
Zed is a fast, open-source code editor written in Rust with built-in AI agent features and multiplayer collaboration.
- Best for: An open-source editor with AI built in
- Pricing: Free forever with your own API keys; Pro $10/month
- Website: zed.dev
7. OpenAI Codex
OpenAI Codex is OpenAI's coding agent that runs in the ChatGPT app, an IDE extension, the open-source Codex CLI and cloud tasks.
- Best for: An open-source CLI backed by ChatGPT plans
- Pricing: Included in ChatGPT plans including Free, Go, Plus and Pro, with usage limits by plan
- Website: openai.com/codex
Quick comparison
- Cline: An open-source agent inside VS Code. Free for individual developers; you pay your AI provider.
- OpenCode: Terminal, desktop and IDE with 75+ providers. Free and open source; optional paid model providers.
- Aider: Pair programming in git from the terminal. Free; you pay your LLM provider.
- goose: A local agent that works with any LLM. Free and open source; you pay your model provider.
- OpenHands: Self-hosted coding agents for teams. Free to self-host; Teams $499/month for up to 10 users (30-day trial).
- Zed: An open-source editor with AI built in. Free forever with your own API keys; Pro $10/month.
- OpenAI Codex: An open-source CLI backed by ChatGPT plans. Included in ChatGPT plans including Free, Go, Plus and Pro, with usage limits by plan.
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FAQ
What is the best open source AI coding assistant?
Cline is a popular pick for VS Code, while OpenCode and Aider are strong choices for the terminal.
Are open source AI coding assistants free?
The tools themselves are free. You usually pay the model provider for API usage, or you can run a local model.
Can I use local models with open source coding agents?
Many of these tools let you connect different model providers, including local ones. Check each project's docs for supported setups.
Is OpenAI Codex open source?
The Codex CLI is open source under the Apache-2.0 license. The Codex service itself runs on OpenAI's models and is included in ChatGPT plans.