5 AI coding agents you can run free before paying for APIs
The most common complaint about AI coding agents is that you have to hand over a credit card before you can tell whether they’re worth using. That’s changing. Five agents now offer genuine free model access, covering terminal, IDE, and cloud workflows.
Here’s the quick comparison, then the details on each:
| Agent | Free Access Via | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| OpenCode | OpenCode Zen free models | Best overall |
| Gemini CLI | Gemini free quota | Best free allowance |
| Kilo Code | Kilo Gateway free models | Best model variety |
| Cline | Cline Provider free models | Best for IDE users |
| Crush | Charm Hyper free tier | Best terminal experience |
OpenCode
OpenCode is a terminal-based coding agent that can explore repositories, edit files, run commands, and handle multi-step development tasks. Free model access comes through OpenCode Zen, which regularly includes capable models from providers including Muse Spark, Ling, and NVIDIA Nemotron, plus experimental and promotional releases. The free catalog changes over time. You need an OpenCode Zen account to get started.
Gemini CLI
Gemini CLI is Google’s open-source terminal agent. Install it, sign in with an eligible Google account, and you’re running Google’s latest Gemini models with no API credits required. The catch: free access is rate- and quota-limited. According to the author, it’s solid for testing and smaller tasks but not reliable for heavy, continuous work on large production repositories.
Kilo Code
Kilo Code runs across VS Code, JetBrains, the CLI, and Kilo’s cloud services, and supports hundreds of models. Search for free in the model picker to see what’s currently available at zero inference cost. The standout feature is kilo-auto/free, which automatically routes requests to the best available free model without requiring you to choose. Specific model availability shifts as providers and promotions change, and some carry upstream rate limits.
Cline
Cline is IDE-first. It inspects codebases, creates and modifies files, runs terminal commands, checks errors, runs tests, and iterates until it reaches a working result. It also shows you what the agent is doing before allowing it to make important changes. Free models appear through the Cline Provider, marked FREE in the model selector. These options rotate and carry usage limits.
Crush
Crush is built by Charm, the team behind Bubble Tea and Gum. It supports file editing, terminal commands, LSP integration, MCP servers, and multi-step coding tasks. Free access comes via Charm Hyper, which gives you 100 Hypercredits every month on the free plan. No API key setup required.
Which one to start with
If you’re undecided, OpenCode is the recommended starting point for a balance of agent capability, model flexibility, and free access. After that: Gemini CLI for the easiest path to Google’s models, Kilo Code for the widest free model selection, Cline if you prefer staying inside your IDE, and Crush for a polished terminal-first experience. Free tiers have real limits, but they’re enough to evaluate whether agentic coding fits your workflow before spending anything.
I’m founder of BizStack at Cagri Sarigoz LLC and a passionate advocate for entrepreneurs.
With over 14 years in tech, marketing, and AI, including my role as Head of SEO at CitizenShipper and co-founder of TaleBot at Intale AI, I’m dedicated to sharing genuine, useful product insights and tips.
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