OpenCode vs Claude Code: Which AI Development Assistant Is Right for You?
TL;DR OpenCode is an open-source AI coding assistant focused on transparency and customization, while Claude Code (Anthropic’s development tool) emphasizes safety, context understanding, and enterprise-grade reliability. Your choice depends on control requirements, budget, and workflow preferences. Choose OpenCode if you: Need full control over model selection (swap between GPT-4, Claude, or local LLMs) Want to self-host for data sovereignty or air-gapped environments Require custom prompt engineering for domain-specific tasks Have budget constraints (use your own API keys, no per-seat licensing) Work with specialized toolchains like Terraform, Ansible, or Kubernetes manifests Choose Claude Code if you: ...