Best AI coding tools
AI coding tools have split into two camps. Some sit inside your editor and suggest the next lines. Others are agents: you describe a change, and they read the code, edit files, run tests and come back with a result. This list covers the open-source side of both, from terminal agents to code review tools, ranked by how many developers have starred them.
Agent or assistant
An assistant is quick and low risk: it suggests, you accept. An agent is slower per task and can do far more, including the wrong thing across twenty files. Most developers end up using both, the assistant for small edits and the agent for well-defined changes with tests around them.
Open-source agents let you choose the model, including local ones, and see exactly what the agent sends. That matters if your code cannot leave your network.
Picking one
Try two on the same real task, not a demo. Compare how often you had to correct them, how well they followed the project's conventions, and what they cost in model fees for the session.
Watch the review step too. Agent-written changes still need a person to read the diff, and tools that show a plan before they edit make that review much faster.
Once you have one, the bigger gains come from what you connect to it. The AI tools for developers page lists the MCP servers and skills that give an agent your docs, your repo and a browser.
The list
From SkillScout's catalogue, counted on 27 October 2026: 413 entries matched this topic, and these are the 12 with the most GitHub stars, one per project, after a review for false matches. Descriptions are each project's own. Stars show popularity, not fit.
-
opencode
The open source coding agent.
Get the code, then follow its README:
git clone https://github.com/sst/opencode -
openinterpreter
A lightweight coding agent for open models like Deepseek, Kimi, and Qwen
Get the code, then follow its README:
git clone https://github.com/openinterpreter/openinterpreter -
OpenSpec
Spec-driven development (SDD) for AI coding assistants.
Get the code, then follow its README:
git clone https://github.com/Fission-AI/OpenSpec -
cline
Autonomous coding agent right in your IDE, capable of creating/editing files, executing commands, using the browser, and more with your permission every step of the way.
Get the code, then follow its README:
git clone https://github.com/cline/cline -
aider
aider is AI pair programming in your terminal
Get the code, then follow its README:
git clone https://github.com/Aider-AI/aider -
pi
AI agent toolkit: coding agent CLI, unified LLM API, TUI & web UI libraries, Slack bot, vLLM pods
Get the code, then follow its README:
git clone https://github.com/earendil-works/pi -
tabby
Self-hosted AI coding assistant
Get the code, then follow its README:
git clone https://github.com/TabbyML/tabby -
symphony
Symphony turns project work into isolated, autonomous implementation runs, allowing teams to manage work instead of supervising coding agents.
Get the code, then follow its README:
git clone https://github.com/openai/symphony -
crush
Glamourous agentic coding for all
Get the code, then follow its README:
git clone https://github.com/charmbracelet/crush -
Archon
The first open-source harness builder for AI coding. Make AI coding deterministic and repeatable.
Get the code, then follow its README:
git clone https://github.com/coleam00/Archon -
kilocode
Kilo is the all-in-one agentic engineering platform. Build, ship, and iterate faster with the most popular open source coding agent.
Get the code, then follow its README:
git clone https://github.com/Kilo-Org/kilocode -
DeepSeek-TUI
Coding agent for DeepSeek models that runs in your terminal
Get the code, then follow its README:
git clone https://github.com/Hmbown/DeepSeek-TUI
Questions
What is the best open-source AI coding agent?
The most-starred ones are at the top of this list, but the best for you depends on your editor, your language and which models you can use. Try the top two on a real task.
Can I run an AI coding agent with a local model?
Several agents here support local models through tools such as Ollama. Expect smaller local models to need more guidance than the largest hosted ones.
Related
- Best AI tools, sorted by role and task
- Best AI tools for developersMCP servers and skills that give a coding agent your repo, docs and tools.
- Best Claude Code skillsAgent skill collections and single skills, ranked by stars.
- Best open-source AI toolsThe most-starred open-source AI apps you can run yourself.
Your own list
This page ranks by popularity. SkillScout's scan ranks by fit: the AI you already use writes a short profile of how you work, and SkillScout scores about 22,000 AI tools against your gaps and hands back a short list with install steps. It is free, and the server never saves your profile.