Guide

Best Open Source AI Coding Tools

A practical roundup of open-source AI coding tools: Continue, Aider, Cline, OpenCode, and more for developers who value transparency and self-hosting.

By AI Coding Tools Directory•2026-02-28•9 min read
Last reviewed: 2026-02-28
ACTD
AI Coding Tools Directory

Editorial Team

The AI Coding Tools Directory editorial team researches and reviews AI-powered development tools to help developers find the best solutions for their workflows.

Open-source AI coding tools let you own your setup: choose models, self-host, and avoid vendor lock-in. This guide covers the best options.

Quick Answer

Top open-source picks: Continue (VS Code/JetBrains), Aider (terminal CLI), Cline (VS Code agent), OpenCode (Claude Code alternative). All support local models via Ollama and cloud APIs. See our Free & Open Source collection.

Open Source vs Commercial

Aspect Open source Commercial (Cursor, Copilot)
Cost Free (you pay APIs or local compute) Subscription
Privacy Full control; local models possible Check vendor policy
Customization Modify and extend Limited
Polish Varies; community-driven Polished UX

Tool Overview

Continue

  • VS Code and JetBrains extension.
  • Model-agnostic: Ollama, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, etc.
  • Chat, completions, and context from your codebase.
  • Continue

Aider

  • Terminal CLI; git-native with automatic commits.
  • 75+ providers; supports OpenAI, Claude, DeepSeek, Ollama.
  • Strong for terminal-first, SSH, and scripting workflows.
  • Aider

Cline

  • VS Code extension; agent-style workflow.
  • Open-source Claude Code alternative.
  • MCP support; runs with your API keys.
  • Cline

OpenCode

  • Claude Code–style agent; high adoption.
  • Desktop and workflow integrations.
  • OpenCode

Roo Code

  • Cline fork with community improvements.
  • Roo Code

Local Models with Ollama

Run inference on your machine with Ollama:

Model Size Use case
deepseek-coder-v2 ~16GB Strong code generation
codellama ~7GB Fast completions
qwen3-coder ~8GB Good balance of size and quality

Configure Continue or Aider to use Ollama; no API keys needed. See Ollama + Continue private setup.

When to Choose Open Source

Good fit Less ideal
Privacy-first, air-gapped, or compliance-heavy Want zero-config, plug-and-play
Prefer local inference Need latest cloud models immediately
Custom workflows, extensions Prefer vendor support

Next Steps

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Tools Mentioned in This Article

Aider

Open-source terminal pair programmer with git-native workflows

Open Source
→

Claude Code

Anthropic's terminal-based AI coding agent with 80.9% SWE-bench, Agent Teams, and GitHub Actions

Subscription
→

Cline

Open-source autonomous AI coding agent for VS Code with plan-and-act workflows

Open Source
→

Continue

Open-source, model-agnostic AI coding assistant for VS Code and JetBrains

Open Source
→

Cursor

The AI-native code editor with $1B+ ARR, 25+ models, and background agents on dedicated VMs

Freemium
→

Ollama

Run AI models locally with Docker-like simplicity, 200+ model families, and full API compatibility

Open Source
→

And 2 more tools mentioned...

Workflow Resources

Cookbook

AI-Powered Code Review & Quality

Automate code review and enforce quality standards using AI-powered tools and agentic workflows.

Cookbook

Building AI-Powered Applications

Build applications powered by LLMs, RAG, and AI agents using Claude Code, Cursor, and modern AI frameworks.

Cookbook

Building APIs & Backends with AI Agents

Design and build robust APIs and backend services with AI coding agents, from REST to GraphQL.

Cookbook

Debugging with AI Agents

Systematically debug complex issues using AI coding agents with structured workflows and MCP integrations.

Skill

Change risk triage

A systematic method for categorizing AI-generated code changes by blast radius and required verification depth, preventing high-risk changes from shipping without adequate review.

Skill

Configuring MCP servers

A cross-tool guide to setting up Model Context Protocol servers in Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, and VS Code, including server types, authentication, and common patterns.

Skill

Local model quality loop

Improve code output quality when using local AI models by combining rules files, iterative retries with error feedback, and test-backed validation gates.

Skill

Plan-implement-verify loop

A structured execution pattern for safe AI-assisted coding changes that prevents scope creep and ensures every edit is backed by test evidence.

MCP Server

AWS MCP Server

Open source MCP servers from AWS Labs that give AI coding agents access to AWS documentation, best practices, and contextual guidance for building on AWS.

MCP Server

Docker MCP Server

Docker MCP Gateway orchestrates MCP servers in isolated containers, providing secure discovery and execution of Model Context Protocol servers across AI coding tools.

MCP Server

Figma MCP Server

Official Figma MCP server that brings design context, variables, components, and Code Connect data into AI coding sessions for design-to-code workflows.

MCP Server

Firebase MCP Server

Experimental Firebase MCP server that gives AI coding agents access to Firestore, Auth, security rules, Cloud Messaging, and project management through the Firebase CLI.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best open-source AI coding tool?
Continue and Aider are widely used. Continue integrates with VS Code and JetBrains; Aider is terminal-first with git-native workflows. Cline and OpenCode offer agent-style experiences. Choose by your preferred interface.
Can I use open-source AI coding tools with local models?
Yes. Continue, Aider, and Cline support Ollama and other local providers. No cloud API required for inference; your code stays on your machine.
Are open-source AI coding tools as good as Cursor or Copilot?
For completions and chat, quality depends on the model (local or API). For agent workflows, Cursor and Claude Code are more polished. OSS tools excel at control, privacy, and cost flexibility.
Do I need a GPU for local AI coding?
Not required but helps. Smaller models (7B) run on 8GB RAM; larger ones (e.g. 70B) benefit from a GPU. See our [Ollama + Continue setup](/blog/ollama-continue-private-setup).

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