Alternatives
============

.. meta::
   :description: Compare gptme with Claude Code, Claude Managed Agents, Aider, Cursor, Devin, OpenHands, and other AI coding agents. Open source, model-agnostic, terminal-native.
   :keywords: Claude Code alternative, Claude Managed Agents alternative, open source coding agent, Aider alternative, Devin alternative, AI coding assistant comparison, gptme vs Claude Code, gptme vs Aider

.. contents::
   :local:
   :depth: 2

gptme vs Claude Code vs Aider vs Cursor — Open Source AI Coding Agent Comparison
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Looking for an **open source Claude Code alternative** or an **AI coding agent** that runs in your terminal? gptme is a model-agnostic, extensible AI assistant for the terminal — and unlike most alternatives, it supports **persistent autonomous operation**, where agents run 24/7 with git-based memory.

This page compares gptme against the leading AI coding tools to help you pick the right one for your workflow.


What Makes gptme Different
---------------------------

Most AI coding tools focus on interactive pair programming. gptme does that too, but its real strength is what happens when you're not at the keyboard:

- **Persistent autonomous agents**: gptme powers agents that run thousands of sessions autonomously — writing code, submitting PRs, monitoring CI, and learning from their own mistakes.
- **Git as the brain**: Agent identity, memory, lessons, and workspace live in a git repo. Everything is versioned, auditable, and forkable.
- **Model-agnostic**: Works with OpenAI, Anthropic, local models, or any OpenAI-compatible API. You're never locked in.
- **Self-modifying workspace**: Agents write their own lessons and configuration, creating a self-improving feedback loop.
- **Extensible tool system**: Shell, Python, file editing, web browsing, vision, MCP — and you can add your own tools.
- **Open source**: MIT licensed, fully inspectable, forkable. Your agent, your rules.

The git-as-agent-brain approach has also been explored in Oxford's `Git Context Controller paper <https://arxiv.org/html/2508.00031v1>`_, which achieved SOTA on SWE-Bench using a similar architecture — storing agent context and memory in git repositories.


Feature Comparison
------------------

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   * - Feature
     - gptme
     - Claude Code
     - CMA
     - Aider
     - Cursor
     - OpenHands
     - Codex
     - Cline
     - OpenClaw
     - Devin
   * - Open source
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   * - Model-agnostic
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   * - Terminal-native
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   * - Autonomous mode
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   * - Git-based memory
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   * - Self-modifying config
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   * - Plugin/tool system
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     - MCP
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     - MCP
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     - MCP
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   * - Web UI
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     - N/A
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   * - Self-hosted
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   * - Price
     - Free
     - $20/mo+
     - pay-per-token
     - Free
     - $20/mo
     - Free
     - Free
     - Free
     - Free
     - $500/mo
   * - Runtime fee
     - $0
     - $0
     - $0.08/hr (~$58/mo)
     - $0
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     - bundled


Overview
--------

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   * -
     - Type
     - Focus
     - Hosting
     - Price
     - Funding
     - Open Source
   * - gptme
     - CLI
     - General purpose
     - Local
     - Free
     - Bootstrap
     - |check|
   * - Claude Code
     - CLI
     - Coding
     - Cloud
     - $20/mo+
     - VC
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   * - Claude Managed Agents
     - API
     - Autonomous agents
     - Cloud
     - $0.08/hr + tokens
     - VC
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   * - Aider
     - CLI
     - Coding
     - Local
     - Free
     - Bootstrap
     - |check|
   * - Cursor
     - IDE fork
     - Coding
     - Desktop
     - $20/mo
     - VC
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   * - OpenHands
     - CLI/Web
     - General purpose
     - Both
     - Free
     - VC
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   * - Codex
     - CLI
     - Coding
     - Local
     - Free
     - VC
     - |check|
   * - Cline
     - VS Code ext
     - Coding
     - Local
     - Free
     - Bootstrap
     - |check|
   * - OpenClaw
     - Gateway
     - Personal assistant
     - Local
     - Free
     - Sponsored
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   * - Lovable.dev
     - Web app
     - Frontend
     - SaaS
     - Credits
     - VC
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   * - Devin
     - Web app
     - Coding
     - SaaS
     - $500/mo
     - VC
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   * - Moatless Tools
     - CLI
     - Coding
     - Local
     - Free
     - Bootstrap
     - |check|


Projects
--------

gptme
^^^^^

gptme is a personal AI assistant that runs in your terminal, designed for coding, automation, and knowledge work. It supports persistent autonomous operation, where agents run continuously with git-based memory.

Key features:

- Runs in the terminal, with optional web UI
- Executes shell commands, Python code, and more
- Reads, writes, and patches files
- Web browsing and vision support
- Self-correcting behavior
- Support for any LLM provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, local models)
- Extensible tool and plugin system with MCP support
- Persistent autonomous mode with self-improving feedback loop
- Highly customizable — simple to fork and modify

First commit: March 24, 2023.

Claude Code
^^^^^^^^^^^

`Claude Code <https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/overview>`_ is Anthropic's agentic coding tool for the terminal. It is one of the most popular AI coding agents, with tight integration into Claude's capabilities.

Key features:

- Terminal-native with strong codebase understanding
- MCP support for extensibility
- CLAUDE.md project-level configuration
- Background agents and remote triggers
- Tight integration with Claude models

Differences to gptme:

- **Not open source** — cannot be inspected, forked, or self-hosted
- **Claude-only** — locked to Anthropic's models and pricing
- **No persistent autonomous mode** — background agents exist but lack git-based memory and self-improving lessons
- gptme's autonomous agents have been validated over thousands of production sessions

Released February 24, 2025.

Aider
^^^^^

`Aider <https://aider.chat/>`_ is AI pair programming in your terminal, with excellent git integration and strong SWE-Bench performance.

Key features:

- Deep git integration with automatic commits
- Code editing with search/replace blocks
- Repository map for context
- Scores highly on SWE-Bench
- Support for many LLM providers

Differences to gptme:

- Aider is more git-commit-focused; gptme is more general-purpose
- gptme has a wider array of tools (shell, Python, browser, vision)
- gptme supports persistent autonomous operation; Aider is interactive-focused

First commit: April 4, 2023.

Cursor
^^^^^^

`Cursor <https://cursor.sh/>`_ is an AI-native IDE (VS Code fork) with excellent tab completion and inline editing.

Key features:

- AI-native IDE experience
- Git checkpointing
- Great tab completion (from `acquiring Supermaven <https://coplay.dev/blog/a-brief-history-of-cursors-tab-completion>`_)
- MCP support for extensibility

Differences to gptme:

- Cursor is an IDE; gptme is terminal-native
- gptme is open source and model-agnostic
- gptme is extensible with custom tools, more general-purpose

OpenHands
^^^^^^^^^

`OpenHands <https://github.com/All-Hands-AI/OpenHands>`_ (formerly OpenDevin) is a leading open-source platform for software development agents, with strong benchmark performance.

Key features:

- Strong performance on SWE-bench
- Can do anything a human developer can: write code, run commands, browse web
- Support for multiple LLM providers
- Both CLI and web interface
- Docker-based sandboxed execution
- Large community

Differences to gptme:

- OpenHands uses Docker-based sandboxing; gptme runs directly on the host
- OpenHands has a richer web UI
- gptme supports persistent autonomous operation with git-based memory
- gptme is simpler to set up and customize

First commit: March 13, 2024.

Codex
^^^^^

`Codex <https://github.com/openai/codex>`_ is OpenAI's open-source coding agent for the terminal. It was OpenAI's response to Claude Code.

Key features:

- Open source (Apache 2.0)
- Terminal-native
- Sandboxed execution
- Multimodal support

Differences to gptme:

- Codex is OpenAI-only; gptme is model-agnostic
- gptme has more tools and is more general-purpose
- gptme supports persistent autonomous operation

Released April 16th, 2025. (Not to be confused with OpenAI's earlier Codex model.)

Cline
^^^^^

`Cline <https://cline.bot/>`_ is an open-source coding agent running as a VS Code extension. Similar to Cursor's agent mode, but not a full VS Code fork.

It also has a fork called `Roo Code <https://github.com/RooVetGit/Roo-Code>`_ (prev Roo Cline).

Key features:

- VS Code extension (works in standard VS Code)
- MCP support for tool extensibility
- Open source

Differences to gptme:

- Cline is IDE-based; gptme is terminal-native
- gptme is model-agnostic and more general-purpose
- gptme supports persistent autonomous operation

Devin
^^^^^

`Devin <https://devin.ai/>`_ is the first widely-known "AI software engineer" — a fully autonomous coding agent that works in a sandboxed cloud environment.

Key features:

- Autonomous software engineering in a cloud sandbox
- Full development environment (editor, browser, terminal)
- Can plan, implement, test, and deploy independently
- Web-based interface with session replay

Differences to gptme:

- Devin is a cloud SaaS ($500/mo); gptme is free and self-hosted
- Devin is closed source; gptme is open source
- gptme runs locally on your machine with direct access to your environment
- gptme is model-agnostic; Devin uses proprietary models

OpenClaw
^^^^^^^^

`OpenClaw <https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw>`_ is an open-source, self-hosted personal AI assistant that connects to 25+ messaging channels (WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Signal, and more).

Key features:

- Multi-channel messaging gateway (25+ platforms)
- Self-hosted, privacy-first architecture
- Large skill marketplace (ClawHub, 5,400+ community skills)
- Voice support with wake words
- Plugin SDK for custom integrations

Differences to gptme:

- **Different focus**: OpenClaw is a personal assistant messaging gateway; gptme is a coding agent
- OpenClaw excels at messaging orchestration across platforms
- gptme excels at code generation, shell execution, and autonomous development
- Both are open source and self-hosted
- Minimal competitive overlap — they solve different problems

Moatless Tools
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

`Moatless Tools <https://github.com/aorwall/moatless-tools>`_ is an AI coding agent optimized for `SWE-Bench <https://www.swebench.com/>`_ performance.

Key features:

- Various specialized tools for different tasks
- Focus on specific development workflows
- Scores highly on SWE-Bench

Lovable.dev
^^^^^^^^^^^

`lovable.dev <https://lovable.dev>`_ (previously GPT Engineer) lets you build webapps fast using natural language.

Key features:

- Builds frontends with ease, just by prompting
- LLM-powered no-code editor for frontends
- Git/GitHub integration
- Supabase integration for backend support

Differences to gptme:

- Lovable is a no-code web app builder; gptme is a terminal coding agent
- gptme is much more general-purpose
- Lovable is better at building polished frontends quickly

Disclaimer: gptme author Erik was an early hire at Lovable.


Claude Managed Agents
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

`Claude Managed Agents <https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/managed-agents/overview>`_ is Anthropic's hosted platform for running autonomous agents with sandboxed execution, built-in tools, and state management. Released April 8, 2026.

Key features:

- Cloud-hosted sandbox execution (no local setup required)
- Built-in tool suite (web search, code execution, file management)
- State management across tool calls within a session
- REST API for programmatic control

Differences to gptme:

- **Model lock-in**: Claude Managed Agents only runs Claude; gptme works with any provider
- **Runtime cost**: $0.08/hr for 24/7 agents (~$58/mo per agent) on top of token costs; gptme has no runtime fee
- **No self-hosting**: Cloud-only platform; gptme runs on your own machine
- **Memory still in preview**: Cross-session memory is a "research preview" feature; gptme agents have full git-based persistent memory out of the box

.. note::

   CMA launching validates the autonomous agent category. If Anthropic thinks managed
   agents are worth building, the open-source, model-agnostic alternative matters more.


Other Claude Products
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Anthropic offers several AI products beyond Claude Code and Claude Managed Agents:

- **Claude Projects**: Upload files and chat with them in a project context. Released Jun 25, 2024.
- **Claude Artifacts**: Preview HTML and React components inline — like a mini Lovable.dev. Released Aug 27, 2024.
- **Claude Desktop**: Desktop client with MCP support for extensibility. Released October 31, 2024.


Other OpenAI Products
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

- **ChatGPT Code Interpreter**: One of the early inspirations for gptme. Gives ChatGPT access to a Python sandbox. Released July 6, 2023.
- **ChatGPT Canvas**: OpenAI's response to Claude Artifacts. Released October 3, 2024.


Open Interpreter
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

`Open Interpreter <https://github.com/OpenInterpreter/open-interpreter>`_ is another open-source terminal AI assistant, similar in spirit to gptme.

Key features:

- Runs code locally in your terminal
- General-purpose assistant capabilities
- Support for multiple LLM providers

Differences to gptme:

- gptme has a more comprehensive tool system
- gptme supports persistent autonomous operation
- Both are open source and terminal-native
