Agentic harness comparison
OpenCode vs Qwen Code
Compared on where each one runs, which editors it supports, how autonomous it is, and how it bills — the four things that actually decide OpenCode vs Qwen Code. Rankings reflect fit and trade-offs, not a single universal winner; partner links, when present, do not replace that methodology.
Details last verified October 25, 2026
OpenCode
OpenCode
Terminal, desktop beta, and IDE extensions · Agentic
Alibaba
Qwen Code
Terminal, IDE plugins, desktop, daemon · Agentic
| Specification | OpenCode | Qwen Code |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | ||
| Vendor | OpenCode | Alibaba |
| Runs in | ||
| Runs in | Terminal, desktop beta, and IDE extensions | Terminal, IDE plugins, desktop, daemon |
| Editor support | ||
| Editor support | Any (editor-agnostic), VS Code / Cursor / Windsurf / Zed extensions, Desktop app (beta) | Any (editor-agnostic), VS Code / JetBrains / Zed extensions, Qwen Code Desktop, Daemon (qwen serve) |
| Autonomy | ||
| Autonomy | Agentic | Agentic |
| Pricing model | ||
| Pricing model | Usage-based | Usage-based |
| Requires changing editor | ||
| Requires changing editor | No | No |
Dates refer to the linked source’s publication or capture unless it explicitly states when the benchmark was measured. Values we could not confirm are shown as “Not verified” rather than estimated.
OpenCode
MIT-licensed coding client with terminal, desktop beta and supported editor workflows, explicit provider connections and configurable Build/Plan agents. The free client can use BYOK/local providers, pay-as-you-go Zen or optional Go subscriptions.
Best for
- Terminal-first open-source workflows
- Multi-provider model flexibility
- Teams that want Plan mode before edits
Watch out
Zen is pay-as-you-go; Go costs $10/month and Go Plus $40, with the same model token rates and different per-model dollar allowances. Paid-model ceilings use 20% in five hours, 50% weekly and 100% monthly; temporary free models have separately stated terms. Optional Use balance falls back to paid Zen credits after Go limits. Current menus include MiMo V2.6 Flash/Pro, Muse Spark 1.3 Contributor and LongCat 2.5 Preview alongside other changing models (https://opencode.ai/docs/go/). Go's privacy table lists 30-day retention for Grok 4.7/4.6 and GPT-6/5.6 Luna, training for Muse Contributor, and a DeepSeek ZDR agreement currently valid through October 31, renewed monthly. Zen separately lists 30-day OpenAI/Anthropic retention and free/trial exceptions that can log data or use it for improvement; it is not universal ZDR (https://opencode.ai/docs/zen/). Build is permissive by default. The README describes Plan as denying edits, while current agent docs describe edit/bash as ask; inspect or explicitly configure permissions instead of assuming the Plan label prevents writes. --auto approves requests unless explicitly denied. No current numeric agent benchmark is asserted (https://opencode.ai/docs/agents/; https://opencode.ai/docs/permissions/; https://github.com/anomalyco/opencode). Go and Go Plus are restricted to single-member workspaces; a subscribed workspace cannot invite members. Model menus identify provider routes and do not prove an immutable underlying checkpoint or first-party API availability.
Qwen Code
Alibaba's Apache 2.0 coding-agent framework supports terminal, IDE plugins, desktop, daemon and SDK workflows with configurable hosted or local model providers. It began from Gemini CLI and now develops independently.
Best for
- Teams wanting a model-flexible open-source agent
- Qwen-Coder / open-weight model users
- Multi-protocol (OpenAI / Anthropic / Gemini / Qwen + local) workflows
Watch out
The Qwen OAuth free tier ended April 15, 2026 and is no longer an /auth choice; briefly working cached tokens do not establish a free offer. Current setup offers ModelStudio Coding Plan, Token Plan or standard API key, third-party providers and custom endpoints, with distinct regions/billing. Client licensing does not make self-hosted compute or hosted inference free. npm fallback requires Node 22+. Interactive Auto mode uses a classifier; Ask Permissions and headless defaults differ, and the quickstart's universal manual-approval sentence conflicts with mode docs. Linux executionSandbox is operator-configured, keeps model transport/auth on the host, permits broad reads and rejects ACP/daemon use; it is not a universal sandbox. Browser data can reach the chosen AI provider and remain in local records. Provider privacy/retention and optional client telemetry are separate. Current vendor harness comparisons have specific model/configuration premises, not an independent product-wide ranking.
Common questions
OpenCode vs Qwen Code
Answered from the verified figures on this page rather than general guidance.
Do I have to change editor to use OpenCode or Qwen Code?
How are OpenCode and Qwen Code priced?
Is OpenCode or Qwen Code better for large refactors?
Will my project rules transfer between OpenCode and Qwen Code?
Does OpenCode train on or store my code?
Do coding agents replace code review?
Should we harden MCP before rolling out a coding agent?
Is a “free” open-source agent actually free to run?
Next step
Which one fits
Autonomy and editor constraints decide this far more reliably than a benchmark score.
If most of your week is small, frequent edits, an assistive workflow beats delegation and an agentic harness sits idle while billing. If you regularly hand over work spanning many files, the reverse is true.
Where one tool requires changing editor and the other does not, that difference usually outweighs any capability gap across a team — rollouts fail on adoption, not capability.
“Open vendor” links use a first-party redirect for click counting. They are not commissionable partner placements unless a programme is active for that vendor. Affiliate disclosure.