OpenCode guide · providers, pricing, and config

OpenCode: Go, Zen, providers, plugins, and safe setup

An independent guide to the open-source coding agent: choose a billing surface, estimate a workload, validate your local configuration, and review plugin permissions before an agent can edit a repository.

Independent guide: not affiliated with OpenCode, Anomaly, OpenCode Go, OpenCode Zen, or oh-my-opencode. Prices and included models were checked July 28, 2026; confirm live terms before buying.

Keyword snapshot supplied for this brief: “opencode” US volume 40.5K, KD 58%, CPC $6.39, navigation intent; exact 7-day Trends mean about 12 with a July 21 peak, not a confirmed Breakout.

Provider and price comparison

Go, Zen, or bring your own provider

OpenCode itself is an open-source agent. The account or provider you connect controls model access, limits, retention, and billing. A subscription limit is not a token price.

Subscription

OpenCode Go

$5 first month · $10/month after

Current page snapshot lists Kimi K3, DeepSeek V4, GLM, Qwen, MiniMax, and other model access with rolling five-hour request limits. Kimi K3 is shown with a temporary 2× limit notice.

Official Go page

Pay as you go

OpenCode Zen

$20 balance + $1.23 card fee shown

Zen says pay per request with zero markups, spend limits, and US-hosted models. Exact model rates vary by selected model and were not copied into this guide; use the live rate card.

Official Zen page

Bring your own key

Provider / local model

Agent is free; model billing is separate

Connect Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, local OpenAI-compatible servers, or other supported providers. Provider prices, context limits, retention, and terms remain separate from OpenCode.

Provider docs

Token cost estimator

Switch provider and model before you commit

Go returns subscription cash outlay. Zen and direct providers require editable current USD per million-token rates because the live catalog can change and this page does not fabricate them.

ProviderModelRequests / monthInput tokens / requestOutput tokens / requestInput $ / 1M tokensOutput $ / 1M tokens

OpenCode Go · Kimi K3$10.00

Estimated monthly · $0.0100 per request

Go is subscription-priced; this is monthly cash outlay, not a token invoice.Re-check Go Re-check Zen

Local configuration checker

Validate opencode.json without uploading it

Strict JSON shape check for empty, malformed, oversized, and unknown-provider inputs. It accepts common provider/model IDs but does not authenticate, call an API, or prove that a model is available in your account.

Ready for a local check

Try an empty string, broken JSON, an unknown provider, or paste a large generated config to see clear failure states.

oh-my-opencode plugin

Install, update, and review the extra power

Install shape

# official OpenCode first
curl -fsSL https://opencode.ai/install | bash

# community plugin; review before running
bunx oh-my-opencode install
# or: npm install -g oh-my-opencode

Maintainer repository

Update and remove

npm update -g oh-my-opencode
opencode --version

# remove the plugin entry from opencode.json
# then inspect config and lockfiles

Installation guide

Risk review

It can add agents, hooks, MCPs, and shell-adjacent behavior. Pin versions, read the install script and release notes, run in a disposable repo first, deny secrets and unrestricted egress, and do not assume a third-party plugin is an OpenCode recommendation.

Workflow choices

OpenCode versus the surrounding agent stack

OpenCode vs Claude Code / Cursor contextCompare terminal control, IDE convenience, provider choice, and permissions.Aider vs OpenCode and Codex workflowsUse the broader comparison to separate harness behavior from model quality.Best AI coding toolsFilter CLI, IDE, cloud, and open-source surfaces.DeepSeek API pricingUse a direct provider when token economics matter.Kimi K3 benchmarkEvaluate a model without treating its score as a tool score.Aider official siteExternal reference for the Aider side of an Aider vs OpenCode trial.

Update practice: use the install channel that owns your binary, check `opencode --version`, read the changelog, and test plugins after upgrades. Avoid blindly copying commands from unofficial mirrors.

OpenCode docs

FAQ

OpenCode questions worth checking before install

What is OpenCode?

OpenCode is an open-source coding agent available through terminal, desktop, and IDE surfaces. It can use OpenCode-hosted options or a provider and model you connect; this page is an independent guide, not affiliated with OpenCode or Anomaly.

Is OpenCode free?

The OpenCode agent is open source, but model usage is not automatically free. OpenCode Go is a subscription, Zen is pay-as-you-go, and direct providers bill under their own account terms. Free model availability and promotions can change.

What is the difference between OpenCode Go and Zen?

Go is a low-cost subscription with usage limits and a current $5 first month / $10 monthly offer. Zen is a pay-per-request gateway with a balance and zero-markup pricing claim. They are different billing surfaces; do not compare a Go request allowance to a Zen token rate as if they were the same quota.

Is OpenCode safe?

Safety depends on the provider, prompt data, tools, plugins, permissions, and network boundary. Use plan mode or read-only permissions first, review plugin provenance, keep secrets out of prompts, and audit MCP or shell access before enabling writes.

How do I update OpenCode or oh-my-opencode?

Use the install method you chose for OpenCode and pin or review versions in CI. For oh-my-opencode, follow the maintainer's installation guide, use a newer OpenCode version, run the package manager update command, then inspect the resulting plugin and config diff.