I tried a Claude Code rival that's local, open source, and completely free - how it went
A free, open-source AI coding setup could replace costly services like Claude Code.
Deep Dive
A journalist tested a free, local AI coding setup combining Block's Goose agent framework, Ollama, and the Qwen3-coder model as a rival to the paid Claude Code. Initial setup on a Mac was straightforward but required a powerful machine and a 17GB model download. Early tests showed promise for coding tasks, though the system still faced issues with accuracy and required multiple retries to complete work correctly.
Why It Matters
This could democratize advanced AI coding assistance, making it accessible without subscription fees.