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OB-1 vs opencode
opencode is a strong open coding agent with a broad product surface, and it also ships free models with no key. OB-1 beats it on two things: persistent project memory and a self-checking test-passing loop, both in the free tier.
Choose OB-1 when you want an agent that remembers your project between sessions and runs your own checks after it edits, fixing failures until they pass instead of reporting a silent success.
Choose opencode when you want a larger multi-surface ecosystem with desktop, IDE, GitHub, and hosted model options.
| Question | OB-1 | opencode |
|---|---|---|
| Default route | Start free with built-in free cloud models | Free models advertised, plus provider/subscription connections |
| Open-source posture | Apache-2.0 CLI | Open-source agent ecosystem |
| Local models | Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp, vLLM, custom | Broad provider and local-model support |
| Persistent project memory | Facts, decisions, and file relationships stored locally in .ob1/, read back next session, inspectable with /memory | Session/project workflow features |
| Self-checking test-passing loop | Runs your typecheck, tests, lint, and build after editing, feeds failures back, and re-verifies until green; a verified failure escalates to best-of-N and keeps the candidate that passes | Not built in |
| Multi-agent shape | Solo, Fusion best-of-N, verified escalation, read-only subagents | Multi-session and built-in agents |
| Best search intent | Free local coding agent with memory | Open-source multi-surface coding agent |
Practical read
- opencode's current public copy advertises included free models, so the honest comparison is not 'free vs not free'.
- The difference is what happens after the first message: OB-1 keeps persistent project memory and runs a self-checking test-passing loop by default. Those two are the differentiators against opencode's free models.
- OB-1 should win users who care about a free path they control and memory that is visible rather than implicit.
- Both tools should be treated as provider-neutral alternatives to single-vendor agents.