Free Code is an open-source terminal-based coding agent developed by paoloanzn and maintained under the freecodexyz organization. Built to execute development workflows directly from the command line, it provides an interface for interacting with large language models to read, generate, and edit code across repositories. In daily use, Free Code runs in the developer's shell environment to inspect codebase structures, execute refactoring tasks, and automate programming routines. The tool incorporates support for multiple backend AI providers and models, including Anthropic's Claude models and OpenAI Codex-compatible endpoints, giving developers choice over the inference engine backing their coding sessions. What distinguishes Free Code is its explicit emphasis on open agent workflow guidelines and provider flexibility. The repository maintains dedicated agent configuration instructions (AGENTS.md and CLAUDE.md) alongside multi-provider routing logic designed to prevent vendor lock-in when switching between proprietary APIs. Free Code is distributed as a free, open-source project hosted on GitHub with an active community. It is suitable for developers seeking a lightweight, terminal-native agent harness without tied-in commercial platform subscriptions.
Multi-provider model support — Connects to different AI backends, including Anthropic Claude and Codex-compatible providers, without provider lock-in. - Terminal-native interface — Executes code inspection, script generation, and refactoring directly from the CLI. - Structured agent guidelines — Utilizes repo-level configuration specifications such as AGENTS.md and CLAUDE.md to steer agent execution rules. - Cross-platform build support — Includes build scripts tested across Windows, macOS, and Linux environments. - Automated file and directory manipulation — Manages automated code creation, path handling, and file updates within the target repository. - Open-source harness — Fully auditable codebase allowing custom extensions, scripts, and local provider integration.
Use cases
Use Case: Cross-Provider Terminal Code Generation A developer wants to execute terminal-driven refactoring tasks while switching between Anthropic Claude and Codex endpoints without modifying repository code.
Use Case: Repository-Guided Agent Automation A team maintains custom guidelines inside AGENTS.md to enforce specific coding standards and PR workflows during automated agent sessions.
Use Case: Scripted Workspace Maintenance An engineer runs Free Code in a local terminal to generate boilerplate, fix directory-specific build bugs, and update project documentation across multiple OS environments.
Who it is for
Free Code is built for developers who prefer working in terminal environments and want an open-source, multi-provider AI coding agent. It fits engineers who need full control over their LLM provider configurations and repo-level agent prompts. It is less suited for users seeking managed GUI applications or tightly integrated IDE extension ecosystems.
Install guide
Installation Clone the repository and build from source using Node.js/npm (standard build approach for the repository source): bash git clone https://github.com/freecodexyz/free-code.git cd free-code npm install npm run build
First Run Configure your provider API keys in your environment before launching the CLI agent: bash export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="your-anthropic-api-key" # Or configure alternative providers export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-openai-api-key" # Launch the agent ./bin/free-code
Example Session Execute a prompt to analyze and refactor a module according to project guidelines: bash free-code "Inspect src/index.ts, refactor directory creation logic, and follow guidelines in AGENTS.md"
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