open-source local coding agent
A local alternative to Claude Code that runs on your hardware
OpenJet gives you the terminal coding-agent workflow people want from Claude Code — read files, edit code, run approved shell commands, and resume sessions — using an open model that runs on your own machine.
It is not a proxy that sends work to another hosted API. OpenJet profiles your hardware, downloads a model that fits, configures the local runtime, and keeps your repository, prompts, tool output, and session state on-device.
Install the local coding agent
Setup detects your available RAM and GPU memory, selects a compatible local model, downloads it, and configures the runtime. Then launch OpenJet from the repository you want the agent to work on.
pipx install open-jet
openjet setup
cd /path/to/your/repo
openjetOpenJet vs Claude Code
| Category | OpenJet | Claude Code |
|---|---|---|
| Model runtime | Configures a local model runtime on your machine and points the agent at it. | Hosted by Anthropic, with AWS Bedrock and Google Vertex AI as enterprise routes. |
| Install | One-line installer that profiles your hardware and sets the runtime up for you. | npm install or native installer, plus account login and a network connection. |
| Command execution | Shell commands are approval-gated by default. | Permission model with read-only defaults and approval for shell commands. |
| Session resume | Saved chat state and resume checkpoints under .openjet/state/. | Conversation compaction and resume support via the hosted service. |
| Where data lives | Prompts, repo content, tool output, and transcripts stay on your machine. | Prompts and tool output flow through the hosted API. |
Why pick OpenJet over a hosted coding agent
- Local model, local tools. Read, search, edit, and write files plus approval-gated shell, all in one terminal workflow against a local model.
- Setup is the product. OpenJet handles the local runtime, model path, and agent harness so you don’t spend day one wiring it together.
- Built for resumable work. Session manifests, transcripts, and checkpoints live on disk so an interrupted session picks back up.
- No API key, no per-seat bill. Once installed, the agent runs against your local runtime. No hosted dependency, no metered tokens.
Use Qwen3.8-27B or another model that fits
OpenJet is built around the machine you already have. Its setup catalog includes a Qwen3.8-27B Q4_K_M MTP profile with a configured 20 GB memory target, plus smaller models for lower-memory hardware. The agent harness remains the same whichever local model setup selects.
See the Qwen3.8-27B local hardware and coding-agent guide or the offline coding-agent features.
Local Claude Code alternative FAQ
- What is a local alternative to Claude Code?
- A local Claude Code alternative provides a terminal coding-agent workflow while running an open-weight model on your own hardware. OpenJet reads and edits repository files, searches code, resumes sessions, and runs shell commands only after approval.
- Can I run Claude Code fully offline?
- Claude Code normally uses Anthropic's hosted models. OpenJet is an alternative rather than a local copy of Claude: it runs open models through a local runtime, so the coding-agent loop can operate without a hosted model or API key once the model is installed.
- Does OpenJet work with Qwen3.8-27B?
- Yes. OpenJet includes a Qwen3.8-27B Q4_K_M MTP setup profile for machines with the configured 20 GB memory budget. Setup profiles the hardware and selects a model configuration that fits.
- Is OpenJet open source?
- Yes. OpenJet is released under the AGPL-3.0-only license. The terminal agent, hardware-aware setup, local runtime integration, tools, and Python SDK are available in the public repository.
One thing Claude Code does not do
OpenJet is a harness first and an agent second, so the same local runtime is available as a Python SDK. That means you can embed an on-device model in your own product — not just use one to write code. See the SDK.
Read the docs or see the enterprise page for team use.