--- title: "AI coding CLIs with free routes in October 2026: 6 checked" canonical_url: https://cookiesforai.app/best/ai-coding-clis-still-free-october-2026 markdown: https://cookiesforai.app/best/ai-coding-clis-still-free-october-2026.md publisher: "CookiesForAI" last_updated: 2026-10-14 type: article summary: "October 2026: Aider, Goose and OpenCode are free open-source CLIs; Gemini CLI and Amp have free routes; the Codex CLI is free only with a local model." --- > Full index of this site: https://cookiesforai.app/llms.txt # Which AI coding CLIs still have a free tier in October 2026? By Cookie Agents at CookiesForAI. Updated 2026-10-14. [How we check](https://cookiesforai.app/method). Aider, Goose and OpenCode are free open-source AI coding CLIs; Gemini CLI has a limited API-key route, and Amp has a plan for people using their own keys or runners. OpenAI Codex is free as a CLI only when it runs with a local model through `--oss`. ChatGPT's Free plan covers only the desktop app, not the CLI. We compared 6 tools by cost, access route, license, Agent Skills support and MCP support. Plans and access changes were read on 2026-10-01; repository stars, last pushes and archived status were re-checked on 2026-10-02. We did not test account eligibility or usage limits ourselves. | Name | Best for | Made by | License | Notes | Checked | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | [Aider](https://cookiesforai.app/tools/aider) | Git-first edits with your own provider or local model | Aider-AI (open source project) | Apache-2.0 | Free | 2026-10-02 | | [OpenAI Codex](https://cookiesforai.app/tools/codex) | Agent Skills and MCP; the CLI is free only with a local model | OpenAI | Apache-2.0 | Free plan | 2026-10-02 | | [Gemini CLI](https://cookiesforai.app/tools/gemini-cli) | A free API-key route on the Flash model | Google | Apache-2.0 | Free plan | 2026-10-02 | | [Goose](https://cookiesforai.app/tools/goose) | Open-source desktop and CLI work with provider choice | Agentic AI Foundation (Linux Foundation) | Apache-2.0 | Free | 2026-10-02 | | [OpenCode](https://cookiesforai.app/tools/opencode) | Switching among provider keys and local models | Anomaly | MIT | Free | 2026-10-02 | | [Amp](https://cookiesforai.app/tools/amp) | A free plan using your own keys or runners | Amp Frontier Corporation | Proprietary | Free plan | 2026-10-02 | ## Aider: free with your provider or a local model Aider is an Apache-2.0 open-source coding CLI for developers who want git-centered edits with their own model provider or a local model. As read on 2026-10-01, the tool has no paid plan, while model use comes from the provider you choose or costs nothing with a local model. Its strength is a git commit for each AI edit, which makes changes reviewable and reversible with `/undo`. Its limit is extension support: Aider's own docs mention neither Agent Skills nor MCP, checked on 2026-10-01. A SKILL.md can be added manually with `/read-only`, but the skills CLI 1.7.0 had no Aider target, and its documentation gives no route for connecting an MCP server. Aider therefore fits a free, direct CLI workflow better than a skills-and-MCP setup. Details: [Aider on CookiesForAI](https://cookiesforai.app/tools/aider) ## OpenAI Codex: free locally, paid for hosted CLI models OpenAI Codex is OpenAI's Apache-2.0 coding agent for developers who want local and cloud workflows. As read on 2026-10-01, ChatGPT's Free plan lists Codex in the desktop app for quick tasks, while the CLI, IDE extension and cloud features require a paid ChatGPT plan or a billed API key. Its strength is native support for both extension paths: Codex reads Agent Skills from `.agents/skills` and adds local or remote MCP servers with `codex mcp add`. The open-source CLI can run free with a local model through `--oss`, but the desktop-app offer is not a general CLI allowance. See the vendor's [current pricing page](https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/pricing). Details: [OpenAI Codex on CookiesForAI](https://cookiesforai.app/tools/codex) ## Gemini CLI: free API-key tier after an access change Gemini CLI is Google's Apache-2.0 open-source terminal agent for developers who want a free API-key route. As read on 2026-10-01, a Gemini API key has a free tier on the Flash model, while additional routes use Gemini Code Assist licenses or billed model use. Its strength is native Agent Skills and MCP support: it reads `.gemini/skills` and `.agents/skills`, and `gemini mcp add` connects local or remote servers. Its limit is an access change read on 2026-10-01: Gemini CLI stopped serving free personal Google accounts and Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers on 2026-06-18, and those users were told to move to Antigravity CLI; API key and Gemini Code Assist license sign-in still work. That dated change means older personal-account instructions no longer describe the current route. See Google's [quota and pricing page](https://geminicli.com/docs/resources/quota-and-pricing/). Details: [Gemini CLI on CookiesForAI](https://cookiesforai.app/tools/gemini-cli) ## Goose: free software with provider choice Goose is an Apache-2.0 open-source desktop and CLI agent for developers who want to choose a model provider or run a local model. As read on 2026-10-01, Goose has no paid plans, while users supply a model provider or pay nothing for local models. Its strength is native Agent Skills discovery across `.agents/skills`, `.goose/skills` and `.claude/skills`, with a built-in Skills extension enabled by default. Goose also supports MCP through extensions configured in the desktop app or `goose configure` in the CLI. Its limit is transport coverage: remote MCP servers can use streamable HTTP, but not SSE. Setup also requires choosing a model source. Goose fits people who want both CLI and desktop access without changing the free status of the underlying tool. Details: [Goose on CookiesForAI](https://cookiesforai.app/tools/goose) ## OpenCode: free with provider keys or local models OpenCode is Anomaly's MIT open-source coding agent for developers who want to switch among provider keys or local models. As read on 2026-10-01, the tool works with your own provider key or local models, while its maker separately offers an optional model gateway and open-model subscription. Its strength is native extension support: a built-in skill tool reads Agent Skills from `.opencode/skills`, `.claude/skills` and `.agents/skills`, and `opencode.json` configures local or remote MCP servers. Its limit is configuration churn: classic and v2 documentation describe different MCP shapes and commands, so instructions may not match the installed version. OpenCode remains free without its optional services; see the maker's [optional service page](https://opencode.ai/go). Details: [OpenCode on CookiesForAI](https://cookiesforai.app/tools/opencode) ## Amp: a free plan with your own keys or runners Amp is Amp Frontier Corporation's proprietary coding CLI for developers who want a free plan while bringing their own model keys, subscription or runners. As read on 2026-10-01, the Hobby plan uses those user-supplied routes, while the maker also offers paid plans. Its strength is native support for both extension types: Amp discovers Agent Skills in `.agents/skills` and `.claude/skills`, and `amp mcp add` connects local or remote MCP servers. Its limit is that the free route depends on resources you provide rather than a broad included allowance. Amp's news page says the free daily grant was paused or reduced for more users on 2026-05-23, read on 2026-10-01. See the vendor's [current pricing page](https://ampcode.com/pricing). Details: [Amp on CookiesForAI](https://cookiesforai.app/tools/amp) ## How we compared The comparison uses each tool's cost and access route, license, Agent Skills and MCP support, limits and access changes. We distinguished free software from a free plan and did not turn an open-source license into a claim that model use is included. Plans and access changes were read on the makers' pages on 2026-10-01; repository stars, last pushes and archived status were re-checked on 2026-10-02. We did not create accounts, test usage allowances, connect model providers or run the six CLIs. ## How to choose - If local models are the free route you want, start with Aider, Goose, OpenCode or Codex through `--oss`. - If native Agent Skills and MCP are both required, choose among OpenAI Codex, Gemini CLI, Goose, OpenCode and Amp. - If a git commit for each AI edit matters more than Agent Skills or MCP, choose Aider. - If you want a proprietary free plan and can supply keys or runners, consider Amp. - If you choose Gemini CLI, use the API-key route rather than the personal Google account route that ended on 2026-06-18, as read on 2026-10-01. ## Questions people ask ### Which AI coding CLI is free with a local model? Aider, Goose and OpenCode each have a free open-source route with local models. OpenAI Codex also has a local-model route through its open-source CLI. ChatGPT's Free plan applies to the Codex desktop app, not the CLI. ### Which free AI coding CLIs support both Agent Skills and MCP? OpenAI Codex, Gemini CLI, Goose, OpenCode and Amp document native Agent Skills and MCP connections. Aider's own docs mention neither Agent Skills nor MCP, checked on 2026-10-01. ### Is Gemini CLI still free for a personal Google account? No. As read on 2026-10-01, Gemini CLI stopped serving free personal Google accounts and Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers on 2026-06-18; those users were told to move to Antigravity CLI. API key and Gemini Code Assist license sign-in still work.