# goose vs opencode: open-source coding agents compared (October 2026)

Canonical: https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/goose-vs-opencode · Last verified: 2026-10-26 · Published: 2026-10-25 · Author: Agentic Weekly (operated independently from Texas, US) · Evidence: Evidence: Tested (smoke test) for both tools on 2026-10-25 (America/Chicago), using a small local open-weight model (Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct, 4-bit, via Ollama 0.40.11) on a Linux box with no GPU. We tested the tools, not any vendor's hosted models. Licenses and release contents are Reported from each project's GitHub pages.

**Our pick:** Pick goose for people who want an Apache-2.0 agent with a desktop app and CLI; pick opencode for developers who want an MIT-licensed terminal agent. No overall winner: we have not benchmarked them against each other. **Updated:** 2026-10-26 (America/Chicago).

> goose (Apache-2.0, v1.56.0) and opencode (MIT, v1.19.4) are both open-source coding agents with a CLI and a desktop app that work with many model providers, and we smoke-tested both on 2026-10-25 with a small local model. goose's latest release adds resumable subagents and a concurrency limit; opencode's is mainly a runtime security upgrade. Neither test used a hosted frontier model, so this is not a quality ranking.

## What we measured

We ran both goose and opencode ourselves; the table links each full test log. These are smoke tests on one CPU-only machine, not benchmarks. Both ran the same task on the same local model, so the two results are comparable on that one task only. Model-driven runs used a small local Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct model.

Table: Our own tests for goose and opencode

| Test | goose | opencode |
|---|---|---|
| Hands-on test log (install and a real task) | Tested: goose 1.56.0, Oct 25, 2026: partly worked. goose 1.56.0 edited calc.py on the second headless run with a local 3B model (19.4 s); the first run called the edit tool but its text did not match, so the file did not… [Full test log](https://theagenticweekly.com/tests/goose) | Tested: opencode 1.19.4, Oct 25, 2026: partly worked. opencode 1.19.4 edited calc.py on the second headless run with a local 3B model; the first run tried the wrong path (src/calc.py) and failed. [Full test log](https://theagenticweekly.com/tests/opencode) |

How we test and label results: [methodology](https://theagenticweekly.com/methodology#testing-rig). All test logs: [test hub](https://theagenticweekly.com/tests).

## goose vs opencode at a glance

Table: goose and opencode side by side (GitHub pages and our test, 2026-10-25)

|  | goose | opencode |
|---|---|---|
| Project | aaif-goose/goose on GitHub (the project moved organizations, so older links may differ) | anomalyco/opencode on GitHub |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT, per the GitHub repository |
| Interfaces | CLI and desktop app | CLI and desktop app |
| Model providers | Works with many LLMs; you pick a provider | Works with many providers, including custom OpenAI-compatible ones |
| Latest version covered | v1.56.0 (released 2026-10-23) | v1.19.4 (released 2026-10-22) |
| What the latest release says | Resumable subagents, concurrency limit, automatic thinking level, Windows desktop installer, IO Intelligence provider | Bun runtime upgraded to 1.4.4 with network-stack security fixes; refreshed root certificates |
| Smoke test result | Edit worked with exact strings after a first failed attempt | Edit worked once the path was stated after a first attempt on the wrong path |
| Evidence on this site | Tested (smoke test) | Tested (smoke test) |
| Last verified | 2026-10-25 | 2026-10-25 |

## What we ran, and what we did not

On 2026-10-25 we ran both on a Linux x86_64 box with 8 CPUs and no GPU, with no vendor account or API key. Both were pointed at the same small local model, Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct (4-bit) on Ollama 0.40.11, and given the same style of task: change `a-b` to `a+b` in `calc.py`.

- **goose:** the official install script stopped because `bzip2` was missing, so we unpacked the same release archive by hand; `goose --version` printed 1.56.0. `goose run --no-session` with the Ollama provider: attempt 1 called the edit tool but the text did not match and the file stayed unchanged; attempt 2, with exact before and after strings, printed "Edited calc.py" and the file changed.
- **opencode:** installed `opencode-ai` 1.19.4 from npm and ran `opencode run` headless with a custom OpenAI-compatible provider pointing at the local model. Attempt 1 edited the wrong path (`src/calc.py`) and failed; attempt 2, with the path stated, edited `calc.py` and showed the diff.
- **Not tested:** goose subagents, resume and limits, and the desktop app; opencode's v2 installer, the `@opencode/cli` 2.x package, the desktop app and the Bun security fixes; any hosted frontier model.

This is not a benchmark. Both needed explicit instructions with a 3B model, and results with stronger models may differ. Full notes are on the [goose](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/goose) and [opencode](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/opencode) pages.

## Where they differ (Reported)

Table: Differences visible in each project's release notes

|  | goose | opencode |
|---|---|---|
| Recent focus | Subagents: resume failed or cancelled delegate subagents; limit concurrency with GOOSE_MAX_CONCURRENT_SUBAGENTS; view-only subagent sessions in the UI | Runtime hardening: the notes say the bundled Bun upgrade includes fixes for Brotli, TLS, HTTP/1.1, HTTP/2, HTTP/3, WebSocket and fetch |
| Desktop | Windows NSIS installer for the desktop app in v1.56.0 | README lists a desktop app cask |
| Install routes | Official download script (we hit a missing-bzip2 error and unpacked the archive), plus the desktop app | Install script, npm, Homebrew, desktop app cask; the README now points at a v2 installer |
| Release notes quality | Itemised by feature | Brief for v1.19.4 |
| Our rank on best AI coding agents | See [best AI coding agents](https://theagenticweekly.com/best/ai-coding-agents) | See [best AI coding agents](https://theagenticweekly.com/best/ai-coding-agents) |

Version numbers and dates come from each project's GitHub release page, read on 2026-10-25. Both projects ship quickly, so check the releases pages for newer versions.

## Cost

Both are free, open-source software. Neither charges for the tool itself; what you pay for is the model you connect. goose's release notes mention a new IO Intelligence provider and opencode works with many providers, so cost depends on which provider and model you choose. We ran both at no cost against a local model.

## Pick goose if / pick opencode if

- **Pick goose if** you want to delegate work to subagents with resume and concurrency limits, or you want a Windows desktop installer, and Apache-2.0 suits you.
- **Pick opencode if** you want an MIT-licensed terminal agent that is not tied to one model vendor and you want to wire up a custom OpenAI-compatible provider.
- **Expect to be specific.** In our runs both needed the file path or exact strings stated before a small local model made the edit.
- **Looking at paid or vendor-backed tools instead?** See [Claude Code vs Codex CLI](https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/claude-code-vs-codex-cli) and [what is an AI coding agent](https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is/ai-coding-agent).

## FAQ

### Is goose or opencode better?

We cannot rank them on quality. We smoke-tested both on 2026-10-25 using a small local model, and both needed explicit instructions. goose's latest release focuses on subagents; opencode's is a runtime security upgrade.

### Are goose and opencode free?

The software is free and open source: goose under Apache-2.0 and opencode under MIT. Model usage costs depend on the provider you connect.

### Do goose and opencode have a desktop app?

Yes, both offer a desktop app as well as a CLI. goose v1.56.0 added a Windows desktop installer. We did not test either desktop app.

### Can goose and opencode use local models?

In our test both worked with a local Ollama model: goose through its Ollama provider and opencode through a custom OpenAI-compatible provider. A 3B model needed exact instructions.

### Did you test goose and opencode?

Yes, a smoke test of each on 2026-10-25 with a small local model and no vendor account. We did not test goose subagents or either desktop app.

### What changed in goose v1.56.0 and opencode v1.19.4?

goose v1.56.0 added resumable subagents, a concurrency limit, subagent session links, automatic thinking level, a Windows desktop installer and an IO Intelligence provider. opencode v1.19.4 upgraded the bundled Bun runtime to 1.4.4 and refreshed root certificates.

## Sources

- [goose v1.56.0 release](https://github.com/aaif-goose/goose/releases/tag/v1.56.0) (fetched 2026-10-25)
- [goose repository (GitHub)](https://github.com/aaif-goose/goose) (fetched 2026-10-25)
- [opencode v1.19.4 release](https://github.com/anomalyco/opencode/releases/tag/v1.19.4) (fetched 2026-10-25)
- [opencode repository (GitHub)](https://github.com/anomalyco/opencode) (fetched 2026-10-25)

## Related

- [goose: test notes and changelog](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/goose)
- [opencode: test notes and changelog](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/opencode)
- [Claude Code vs Codex CLI](https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/claude-code-vs-codex-cli)
- [What is an AI coding agent?](https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is/ai-coding-agent)
- [Best AI coding agents](https://theagenticweekly.com/best/ai-coding-agents)

## Changelog

- 2026-10-25: First published. Facts read from the official pages listed under Sources on this date.

## How to cite

Agentic Weekly, "goose vs opencode: open-source coding agents compared (October 2026)", last updated 2026-10-26, https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/goose-vs-opencode