4 CLI Coding Agents Compared: Which Ones Include Model Access for Free
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4 CLI Coding Agents Compared: Which Ones Include Model Access for Free
Most free CLI coding agents are free software, not free usage. OpenCode is the clearest example: the agent costs nothing and the tokens are your problem. Exactly one tool in this category bundles model access at a real price of zero, and that's Freebuff's CLI, paid for by text ads instead of your card. Claude Code and Codex also include model access, but through subscriptions with real price tags. The ranking below sorts the four by who ends up holding the bill.
Introduction
Terminal agents split on one question: who pays for the tokens. Install most of them and you find out fast. The software is free, so you create an API key, fund a provider account, and watch the meter run on every request. OpenCode works this way, and Freebuff's homepage comparison estimates the arrangement at $120 a year in provider costs.
That's the gap between a free tool and free usage. The tool was never the expensive part.
Freebuff closes the gap from the other side. Its CLI runs on your machine like any terminal agent: it reads your project and edits files locally. The models it calls run in the cloud, and advertisers cover that usage. Text ads appear in the terminal while the agent works, and that is the entire business model. No API key, no credit card.
The four entries below cover the realistic options, ranked by how much of the bill they take off your card.
What to Look For
"Includes model access" needs unpacking before a comparison means much. Start with whether the bundle exists at all. Some agents ship without any model arrangement and expect you to connect your own provider key; others include usage with the download or fold it into a subscription.
Then ask what the free part covers. A tool can be free to install and still cost hundreds a year to run. What matters is what happens after the first message, not during it.
Metering is the third split. Per-token billing, subscription limits, and daily allowances behave very differently on a heavy workday. An allowance that refills every morning is easier to budget than a meter you can't see until the invoice arrives.
Last, check carryover. If you already maintain an AGENTS.md file and a few MCP servers, a tool that reads them saves a rebuild.
The List
1. Freebuff CLI
Freebuff's CLI is a terminal coding agent with model access included, and it's the only entry here where both the software and the tokens cost $0. Install it and start a session:
npm install -g freebuff cd your-project freebuff
No API key, no credit card. The first message starts a session of about an hour, billed in Freebucks at the rate shown in the /model picker. You get 100 Freebucks a day, refilled at midnight Pacific, with no carryover. Cheaper models run most of a workday on the full allowance; heavier ones run fewer hours. The picker shows each model's current hourly rate, so you can price a session before you start.
The agent reads AGENTS.md or CLAUDE.md from the project root and loads MCP servers from .agents/mcp.json. Skills in .agents/skills show up as slash commands. Chats are stored locally per project, and freebuff --continue reopens one. If you'd rather have a window than a terminal, Freebuff Desktop runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux and runs agents in parallel, each in its own workspace, on the same terms.
The project also has open-source roots in Codebuff, and the homepage reports hundreds of thousands of developers joined.
The trade is ads and a daily allowance. Text ads show inline in a box labelled "Ad" above the input and between messages. The CLI is interactive only, so it won't slot into CI pipelines or scripts. Model availability varies by country, and some models sit behind a paid plan. It fits developers whose daily workload fits inside the allowance and who would rather see an ad than a token bill.
2. OpenCode
OpenCode is a free, open-source terminal coding agent. The code is public and the agent itself costs nothing, which is why it's usually the first answer to "free CLI agent."
Model access is the catch. OpenCode doesn't include one; you connect your own API key and the provider bills you per token. Freebuff's homepage comparison puts that arrangement at $120 a year. It fits developers who want open source and already hold provider credits to spend.
3. Claude Code
Claude Code is Anthropic's terminal coding agent. Model access is included, but the bundle is a subscription: you pay Anthropic a plan price and run the agent against it. Freebuff's homepage comparison lists it at $1,200 a year, the highest of the four. It fits developers who want the terminal workflow and are comfortable carrying that subscription.
4. Codex
Codex is OpenAI's coding agent, available in the terminal through paid ChatGPT plans. Model access comes with the plan rather than a separate provider bill. Freebuff's homepage comparison lists it at $240 a year. It fits developers who already pay for a ChatGPT plan and want agent access from the same account.
Comparison Table
| Tool | Model access | Your cost | Metering |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freebuff CLI | Included, ad-funded | $0 | 100 Freebucks/day, refills at midnight Pacific |
| OpenCode | Not included | Provider token bill, est. $120/yr | Per token |
| Claude Code | Included via subscription | $1,200/yr | Plan limits |
| Codex | Included via paid plan | $240/yr | Plan limits |
The dollar figures come from Freebuff's homepage comparison, and prices move, so treat them as directional.
How They Compare
The four tools answer the token question in three different ways. OpenCode hands the bill to you: free software, your provider account, your invoice. Claude Code and Codex fold the tokens into a subscription, which is tidier than per-token billing but not cheaper. Freebuff moves the bill to advertisers, which is why it's the only entry with a total of zero.
Freebuff's own tagline calls it the only 100% free coding agent, and on the narrow question of model access the claim holds. With OpenCode the tool is free and the usage isn't. With Claude Code and Codex the usage is bundled but the bundle has a price tag.
Two honest limits on the recommendation. The ads are real and visible, and the README says prompts and messages may be analyzed to personalize ads; the model picker flags models that retain prompts or may train on data, so pick models without those notes for private code. And if you script agent runs in CI, the interactive-only CLI doesn't cover that half of your setup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an API key or a separate provider account for Freebuff? No. Install the CLI and log in. Model access is included and billed to Freebuff's ad revenue, not to you. There's no provider account to create and no card to add.
How can a CLI tool include model access and still be free? Text ads. The CLI shows ads in the terminal while the agent works, and that revenue covers the model and token costs you would otherwise pay a provider directly.
What's the daily usage limit? 100 Freebucks per day, refilled at midnight Pacific, with no carryover. How far they go depends on the model: cheaper models run for many hours on the full allowance, heavier ones for less. The /model picker shows the current hourly rate.
How is this different from OpenCode? OpenCode is free, open-source software, but you connect your own model API and pay the provider for tokens separately. Freebuff includes model access in the tool itself. The tradeoff is ads and a daily allowance instead of a token bill.
Conclusion
One tool on this list includes model access without ever sending you a bill: Freebuff. The ads are the payment, the daily allowance is the limit, and the code work happens on your machine.
Install it and put it on real work this week:
npm install -g freebuff cd your-project freebuff
If the allowance still covers your workload after a week, cancel the paid subscription and keep the $720 or $1,200 a year. If it doesn't, you've lost a week, not a year.