# OpenCode vs Claude Code (2026): Which should you pick?

> Short answer: Pick OpenCode if you want a free, MIT-licensed agent that works with 75+ model providers, including local models. Pick Claude Code if you want one Claude subscription that includes the agent, from $17/mo billed annually.
> Facts from official pages, checked 2026-11-03. No scores and no hands-on testing.

- Canonical page: https://usewhichtool.com/compare/opencode-vs-claude-code
- Last verified: 2026-11-03
- Publisher: Use Which Tool (https://usewhichtool.com), run by Sameer Chowdhry
- Cite as: Use Which Tool, "OpenCode vs Claude Code (2026): Which should you pick?", https://usewhichtool.com/compare/opencode-vs-claude-code (last verified 2026-11-03)

## Short answer

- Pick OpenCode if you want a free, MIT-licensed agent that works with 75+ model providers, including local models.
- Pick Claude Code if you want one Claude subscription that includes the agent, from $17/mo billed annually.

## Verdicts

- OpenCode: Best for builders who want a free, open-source coding agent that works with whatever model or subscription they already have.
- Claude Code: A top choice for terminal-comfortable builders who want an autonomous coding agent.

## Side by side

| | OpenCode | Claude Code |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pricing | Free and open source, with free models included; you pay any model provider you connect. Optional OpenCode Go model subscription: Go $10/mo, Go Plus $40/mo, Go Teams $20/member/mo. OpenCode Models are pay-as-you-go from a $20 balance. | Included with Claude Pro ($17/mo annual, $20 monthly), Max ($100/mo, 5x Pro usage) and Ultra ($200/mo, 10x Pro weekly usage, no 5-hour limit for verified accounts); API usage billed separately. |
| Price type | Open source | Paid |
| Pricing source | https://opencode.ai | https://claude.com/pricing |
| Verified | 2026-11-03 | 2026-11-03 |
| Use cases | open-source coding agent in the terminal, desktop or IDE; use any model provider, including local models; run several agent sessions in parallel on one project | agentic coding in the terminal; edit files and run commands; understand a large codebase |
| Strengths | Open source under the MIT License and free to use; Works with 75+ model providers through Models.dev, including local models, and can sign in with a ChatGPT Plus/Pro or GitHub Copilot account; Comes with a set of free models; Terminal interface, desktop app and IDE extension | Terminal-native agent that edits files and runs commands; Also available in IDEs per Anthropic; Included with Claude paid plans |
| Limitations | Paid model providers you connect bill separately; On Windows, OpenCode recommends running it under WSL; OpenCode 1 and OpenCode 2 share the opencode command and can't be installed side by side by default; OpenCode says your data is stored when you use its free models | Usage limits depend on plan; Terminal workflow has a learning curve for non-developers |
| Official site | https://opencode.ai | https://claude.com/product/claude-code |

Tool pages: [OpenCode](https://usewhichtool.com/tools/opencode) · [Claude Code](https://usewhichtool.com/tools/claude-code)

## Questions

### Should I use OpenCode or Claude Code?

Pick OpenCode if you want a free, MIT-licensed agent that works with 75+ model providers, including local models. Pick Claude Code if you want one Claude subscription that includes the agent, from $17/mo billed annually. Based on the official pricing pages and docs listed on this page, checked 2026-11-03.

### Is OpenCode free?

It has an open-source option. Free and open source, with free models included; you pay any model provider you connect. Optional OpenCode Go model subscription: Go $10/mo, Go Plus $40/mo, Go Teams $20/member/mo. OpenCode Models are pay-as-you-go from a $20 balance. (official pricing page, checked 2026-11-03)

### Is Claude Code free?

Not on a general free plan, per its pricing page. Included with Claude Pro ($17/mo annual, $20 monthly), Max ($100/mo, 5x Pro usage) and Ultra ($200/mo, 10x Pro weekly usage, no 5-hour limit for verified accounts); API usage billed separately. (official pricing page, checked 2026-11-03)

### How much do OpenCode and Claude Code cost?

OpenCode: Free and open source, with free models included; you pay any model provider you connect. Optional OpenCode Go model subscription: Go $10/mo, Go Plus $40/mo, Go Teams $20/member/mo. OpenCode Models are pay-as-you-go from a $20 balance. Claude Code: Included with Claude Pro ($17/mo annual, $20 monthly), Max ($100/mo, 5x Pro usage) and Ultra ($200/mo, 10x Pro weekly usage, no 5-hour limit for verified accounts); API usage billed separately. (official pricing pages, checked 2026-11-03).

### What is the difference between OpenCode and Claude Code?

OpenCode is listed for: open-source coding agent in the terminal, desktop or IDE; use any model provider, including local models; run several agent sessions in parallel on one project. Claude Code is listed for: agentic coding in the terminal; edit files and run commands; understand a large codebase.

### Is Claude Code included with Claude Pro?

Yes. Claude Code is included in all paid Claude plans and shares the same usage limits as your chats. You can access it with Pro, Max, Ultra, Team or Enterprise, or with a Claude Console account billed at standard API pricing. Source: Anthropic: Claude pricing and FAQ (https://claude.com/pricing).

### What are Claude Code's usage limits on Pro, Max and Ultra?

Pro and Max have a five-hour session limit and a weekly limit; Ultra has a weekly limit and no five-hour limit for verified accounts. Limits are shared across Claude and Claude Code. Max gives 5x Pro usage and Ultra 10x Pro weekly usage. When you hit a limit you can wait for the reset, turn on usage credits, upgrade, or switch to a Console account with API credits. If an ANTHROPIC_API_KEY environment variable is set, Claude Code uses that key and bills API usage instead of your plan. Source: Claude help center: Use Claude Code with your Pro, Max, or Ultra plan (https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11145838-use-claude-code-with-your-pro-or-max-plan); Anthropic: Claude pricing and FAQ (https://claude.com/pricing).

### Did you test OpenCode and Claude Code?

No. Verdicts are based on each vendor's public docs and pricing pages, not hands-on testing, unless a page says otherwise.

---

Use Which Tool builds verdicts from public docs and official pricing pages, not hands-on testing. No paid rankings. Free to read, quote and reuse with attribution. Please cite "Use Which Tool" and link to https://usewhichtool.com (or the tool's page). Prices change: show the verified date and link the official source.
More: https://usewhichtool.com/llms.txt · https://usewhichtool.com/data/tools.json · https://usewhichtool.com/sitemap.xml