# AI coding agents for the terminal

> Coding agents that live in your shell: they read the repo, edit files and run commands. The big four come from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and the OpenCode project. Three smaller ones are worth knowing if you want memory, a codebase you can read in an afternoon, or a harness you rewrite in Lua.

7 tools, in the order they appear in the Digidle Tools directory. This is not a ranking.

- Page: https://digidle.com/best/terminal-coding-agents/
- All best-of lists: https://digidle.com/best/

## Tools

- [Claude Code](https://digidle.com/tools/claude-code/): Anthropic's agentic coding tool that runs in the terminal and works across your codebase. Official site: https://www.anthropic.com/claude-code. Alternatives: https://digidle.com/alternatives/claude-code/.
  - [Claude Code vs OpenCode](https://digidle.com/compare/claude-code-vs-opencode/)
  - [Claude Code vs Cursor](https://digidle.com/compare/cursor-vs-claude-code/)
  - [Claude Code vs GitHub Copilot](https://digidle.com/compare/github-copilot-vs-claude-code/)
  - [Claude Code vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf)](https://digidle.com/compare/claude-code-vs-windsurf/)
  - [Claude Code vs OpenAI Codex CLI](https://digidle.com/compare/claude-code-vs-codex-cli/)
  - [Claude Code vs Google Gemini CLI](https://digidle.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-claude-code/)
- [OpenCode](https://digidle.com/tools/opencode/): Open-source AI coding agent for terminal, desktop and web, with multi-session agents and 75+ model providers. Official site: https://opencode.ai. Alternatives: https://digidle.com/alternatives/opencode/.
  - [OpenCode vs Claude Code](https://digidle.com/compare/claude-code-vs-opencode/)
  - [OpenCode vs Cursor](https://digidle.com/compare/cursor-vs-opencode/)
  - [OpenCode vs GitHub Copilot](https://digidle.com/compare/github-copilot-vs-opencode/)
  - [OpenCode vs OpenAI Codex CLI](https://digidle.com/compare/codex-cli-vs-opencode/)
- [OpenAI Codex CLI](https://digidle.com/tools/codex-cli/): OpenAI's open-source (Apache-2.0) coding agent that runs locally in your terminal: it reads your repo, edits files and runs commands, with codex exec for scripts and CI. Sign in with ChatGPT or use an API key. Official site: https://developers.openai.com/codex/cli. Alternatives: https://digidle.com/alternatives/codex-cli/.
  - [OpenAI Codex CLI vs Claude Code](https://digidle.com/compare/claude-code-vs-codex-cli/)
  - [OpenAI Codex CLI vs Cursor](https://digidle.com/compare/cursor-vs-codex-cli/)
  - [OpenAI Codex CLI vs GitHub Copilot](https://digidle.com/compare/github-copilot-vs-codex-cli/)
  - [OpenAI Codex CLI vs OpenCode](https://digidle.com/compare/codex-cli-vs-opencode/)
  - [OpenAI Codex CLI vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf)](https://digidle.com/compare/windsurf-vs-codex-cli/)
  - [OpenAI Codex CLI vs Google Gemini CLI](https://digidle.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-codex-cli/)
- [Google Gemini CLI](https://digidle.com/tools/gemini-cli/): Google's open-source (Apache-2.0) coding agent for the terminal: it reads and edits your codebase, runs shell commands, connects MCP servers and runs headless with gemini -p for scripts. Now built for Gemini Code Assist Standard and Enterprise teams and paid Gemini API or Vertex AI keys; free and Google AI Pro/Ultra users moved to Antigravity CLI. Official site: https://geminicli.com. Alternatives: https://digidle.com/alternatives/gemini-cli/.
  - [Google Gemini CLI vs Claude Code](https://digidle.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-claude-code/)
  - [Google Gemini CLI vs OpenAI Codex CLI](https://digidle.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-codex-cli/)
  - [Google Gemini CLI vs Cursor](https://digidle.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-cursor/)
- [Dropstone](https://digidle.com/tools/dropstone/): AI coding agent for the terminal and your IDE with one memory across chat, CLI and code: correct it once and it applies the lesson everywhere; runs on self-hosted models, plans from $5/month. Official site: https://www.dropstone.io. Alternatives: https://digidle.com/alternatives/dropstone/.
- [Hazzel](https://digidle.com/tools/hazzel/): Small, readable open-source (Apache-2.0) terminal coding agent in Python: bring your own key for one of eight providers or run Ollama locally, no subscription, every change shown as a diff before it touches disk, with undo, /review, /commit and per-turn token cost. Official site: https://github.com/mukundzha/hazzel. Alternatives: https://digidle.com/alternatives/hazzel/.
- [uji](https://digidle.com/tools/uji/): Small, lightweight terminal coding agent where everything is a module you can swap at runtime, even the core: every view is Lua you can rewrite, and you add plugins as you go. Install with a curl script or Homebrew; GPL-3.0. Official site: https://uji.sh. Alternatives: https://digidle.com/alternatives/uji/.

## At a glance

| Tool | Runs in | Models and sign-in | License | Price |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Claude Code](https://digidle.com/tools/claude-code/) | Terminal on macOS, Linux and Windows, plus VS Code, JetBrains, a desktop app, the web, Slack and mobile. | Claude models on a Claude plan or Anthropic Console account. The CLI also supports third-party providers. | Proprietary (Anthropic commercial terms) | Included with Claude Pro: $17/mo billed annually, $20 monthly. Max from $100/mo. Not on the free plan. |
| [OpenCode](https://digidle.com/tools/opencode/) | Terminal, desktop app, IDE extension and web. | 75+ providers through Models.dev, local models, free built-in models, or your GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT Plus/Pro login. | MIT | Free. Optional Go $10/mo or Go Plus $40/mo, or Zen pay as you go. |
| [OpenAI Codex CLI](https://digidle.com/tools/codex-cli/) | Terminal on macOS, Linux and Windows. The same plan covers the Codex IDE extension, desktop app and Codex cloud. | Sign in with ChatGPT, or use an API key, where model access follows your key. codex exec runs it in scripts and CI. | Apache-2.0 | Free to install. CLI use starts with ChatGPT Plus at $20/mo, or an API key at API rates. |
| [Google Gemini CLI](https://digidle.com/tools/gemini-cli/) | Terminal on macOS, Windows and Linux. VS Code companion, plus JetBrains and Zed through ACP. | Gemini models on a Gemini Code Assist Standard or Enterprise license, or a paid Gemini API or Vertex AI key. | Apache-2.0 | Code Assist Standard $19 per user a month on a 12-month term, $22.80 monthly. No free tier since June 18, 2026. |
| [Dropstone](https://digidle.com/tools/dropstone/) | Terminal and your IDE, with one memory across chat, CLI and code. | Open-weight models Dropstone hosts, on infrastructure you can run yourself. | Proprietary (Blankline) | Free tier. Lite $5/mo, Pro $15/mo, Max from $75/mo. |
| [Hazzel](https://digidle.com/tools/hazzel/) | Terminal. A small Python codebase. | Your own key for one of eight providers, including OpenAI and Anthropic, or Ollama locally with no key. | Apache-2.0 | Free. You pay your provider, and it shows the token cost every turn. |
| [uji](https://digidle.com/tools/uji/) | Terminal. Install with a curl script, Homebrew or Fedora COPR. | Built-in OpenAI and Anthropic APIs, sign-in by browser or API key, and any other provider added in Lua. | GPL-3.0 | Free. You pay your model provider. |

Checked 2026-10-30 on vendor pages: [Claude pricing](https://claude.com/pricing), [anthropics/claude-code license](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/blob/main/LICENSE.md), [Codex pricing](https://developers.openai.com/codex/pricing), [openai/codex on GitHub](https://github.com/openai/codex), [Gemini CLI on GitHub](https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli), [Code Assist pricing](https://cloud.google.com/products/gemini/pricing), [OpenCode](https://opencode.ai), [OpenCode Go](https://opencode.ai/go), [Dropstone pricing](https://www.dropstone.io/pricing), [Hazzel on GitHub](https://github.com/mukundzha/hazzel), [uji docs](https://docs.uji.sh).

## Pick it if

- [Claude Code](https://digidle.com/tools/claude-code/): You already pay for Claude and want one agent across terminal, IDE, desktop and browser.
- [OpenAI Codex CLI](https://digidle.com/tools/codex-cli/): You already pay for ChatGPT, or you want an open-source agent running headless in CI with codex exec.
- [OpenCode](https://digidle.com/tools/opencode/): You want to choose the model and the bill, run local models, or reuse a Copilot or ChatGPT login.
- [Google Gemini CLI](https://digidle.com/tools/gemini-cli/): Your team already licenses Gemini Code Assist on Google Cloud, or you want Gemini on a paid key.
- [Dropstone](https://digidle.com/tools/dropstone/): You want corrections to stick across sessions and surfaces, on open-weight models you can host.
- [Hazzel](https://digidle.com/tools/hazzel/): You want a terminal agent small enough to read end to end, with every diff shown before it writes.
- [uji](https://digidle.com/tools/uji/): You want to rewrite the agent itself, down to the screen, in Lua.

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Source: Digidle Tools (https://digidle.com/). Full index: https://digidle.com/llms.txt