Goose alternatives (2026)
Goose is a coding tool: Extensible open-source AI agent that installs, runs, edits and tests code on your machine with any LLM and MCP extensions. Pricing, as the maker states it: Open source. Its GitHub repo has 55,347 stars. We found 141 tools in the directory that do overlapping work (writing code, connecting tools with MCP, testing apps); 106 of them are open source and 9 list a free or freemium plan. Below are the 10 closest, ranked by how many tasks and sub-tasks they share with Goose, then by GitHub stars.
- Strix (Open source + cloud): Open-source AI agents that run penetration tests on your app to find and help fix security vulnerabilities. Consider it because it also covers penetration and security testing; it has more GitHub stars (69,022 vs 55,347).
- MobileBuildMCP (Open source): Sentry's MCP server and CLI that gives coding agents build, test and run tools for iOS and macOS projects. Consider it because it also covers MCP servers and terminal and CLI agents.
- ripwire (Open source): Zero-dependency CLI and MCP server that gives coding agents a ranked call graph, blast radius and tests-to-run before and after edits. Consider it because it also covers voice and phone agents and MCP servers.
- Cypress Cloud MCP (See site): Cypress's MCP server that brings Cypress Cloud test results and accessibility reports into AI coding workflows. Consider it because it also covers MCP servers and workflow automation.
- opencode (Open source): Open-source terminal coding agent that works with many model providers. Consider it because it also covers terminal and CLI agents; it has more GitHub stars (213,329 vs 55,347).
- CC Switch (Open source): Desktop manager for Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, OpenClaw and other coding agents that switches API providers in one click and manages MCP servers, skills and prompts. Consider it because it is ready to use without building anything; it also covers computer and desktop control and MCP servers; it has more GitHub stars (145,685 vs 55,347).
- OpenAI Codex CLI (Open source): OpenAI's open-source coding agent for the terminal; also runs in the cloud. Consider it because it also covers terminal and CLI agents; it has more GitHub stars (129,112 vs 55,347).
- Gemini CLI (Open source): Google's open-source terminal agent powered by Gemini. Consider it because it also covers terminal and CLI agents; it has more GitHub stars (107,334 vs 55,347).
- code-review-graph (Open source): Local code knowledge graph built with Tree-sitter that serves compact review context over MCP, so coding agents read only the files a change touches. Consider it because it also covers codebase context and code search and local and self-hosted.
- PentAGI (Open source): Autonomous multi-agent system for running penetration testing tasks. Consider it because it also covers penetration and security testing and multi-agent orchestration.
Goose vs alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Pricing | Open source / licence | GitHub stars | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goose | Open source | Apache License 2.0 | 55,347 | writing code, connecting tools with MCP |
| Strix | Open source + cloud | Apache License 2.0 | 69,022 | writing code, agent security and safety |
| MobileBuildMCP | Open source | Yes | 6,488 | writing code, coding in the terminal |
| ripwire | Open source | Yes | 2,455 | writing code, coding in the terminal |
| Cypress Cloud MCP | See site | No | — | writing code, automating workflows |
| opencode | Open source | MIT | 213,329 | writing code, coding in the terminal |
| CC Switch | Open source | Yes | 145,685 | writing code, coding in the terminal |
| OpenAI Codex CLI | Open source | Apache License 2.0 | 129,112 | writing code, coding in the terminal |
| Gemini CLI | Open source | Apache License 2.0 | 107,334 | writing code, coding in the terminal |
| code-review-graph | Open source | Yes | 32,229 | writing code, connecting tools with MCP |
| PentAGI | Open source | MIT | 30,728 | writing code, building multi-agent systems |
More: Goose listing · All coding tools · All alternatives pages
Related searches: Free AI coding agents · Open-source AI coding agents · AI coding agents for the terminal (CLI) · Free AI testing agents
Alternatives are picked from directory data only: same category plus shared tasks and sub-tasks. Pricing is as each maker states it; GitHub stars as recorded on each listing.