# OpenClaude | Artificialus > For the complete content index, see [llms.txt](https://artificialus.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of all pages are available by appending `.md` to any URL. - Home - / - Agents - / - OpenClaude OP # OpenClaude An open-source coding-agent CLI that runs anywhere and uses any model provider. Gitlawb Open source Since 2026 Visit Website Repository Docs Download Share X Facebook Reddit Telegram Bluesky Email An open-source, multi-provider AI coding agent CLI that runs anywhere and uses anything — OpenAI-compatible APIs, Gemini, GitHub Models, Codex, Ollama, and more. One terminal-first workflow with prompts, tools, agents, MCP, slash commands, and streaming output. ## + Pros - Runs anywhere, uses anything — total model/provider flexibility - 28k GitHub stars in 2 months — explosive community adoption - Built-in VS Code extension for launch integration - Agent routing: assign different models to different agent roles - MCP server support for extensible tool ecosystem - Provider profiles with guided /provider setup - Headless gRPC server for CI/CD and custom integrations - Web search with DuckDuckGo fallback and Firecrawl support - Open-source with active development (674+ commits) - Compatible with OpenAI, Gemini, GitHub Models, Codex, Ollama, and more ## − Cons - Young project (launched April 2026) — still maturing - Custom license — not MIT or Apache - Tool quality varies significantly across providers and models - Smaller local models struggle with long multi-step tool flows - Requires API keys for most providers — not self-contained - Some Anthropic-specific features are not available on other providers ## Introduction OpenClaude is an open-source coding-agent CLI that gives developers total freedom over their LLM provider. Launched in April 2026, it exploded to 28k GitHub stars in under 2 months — one of the fastest-growing AI coding tools. Its tagline says it all: > runs anywhere, uses anything OpenClaude works with OpenAI, Gemini, GitHub Models, Codex, Ollama, or any OpenAI-compatible provider, delivering a consistent terminal-first workflow with prompts, tools, agents, MCP, and streaming output. ## Key Features ### Multi-Provider Architecture OpenClaude supports OpenAI-compatible APIs, Gemini, GitHub Models (via interactive onboarding), Codex OAuth, Codex CLI, Ollama (local), Atomic Chat, Gitlawb Opengateway, Xiaomi MiMo, and more. The /provider command provides guided setup and saved provider profiles. You can switch providers mid-session without restarting. ### Agent Routing OpenClaude lets you route different agents to different models through settings-based routing. Route the Explore agent to a cheaper model (DeepSeek) while routing the Planner agent to a more capable one (GPT-5). This enables cost optimization and workload splitting without changing your workflow. ### Tool-Driven Workflows OpenClaude provides a comprehensive tool suite: bash execution, file read/write/edit, grep, glob, agents, tasks, MCP, and slash commands. It handles multi-step tool loops with model calls, tool execution, and follow-up responses. Support for images (URL and base64) is available for vision-capable providers. ### Headless gRPC Server OpenClaude can run as a headless gRPC service, enabling integration with CI/CD pipelines, custom UIs, and other applications. The server uses bidirectional streaming for real-time text chunks, tool calls, and permission requests. A lightweight CLI client is included, and the proto file lets you generate clients in any language. ### VS Code Extension A bundled VS Code extension provides launch integration, a provider-aware control-center UI, and theme support — bringing OpenClaude's capabilities directly into your editor. ## Use Cases OpenClaude excels as a universal coding agent CLI for developers who want to decouple their workflow from a single provider. It is ideal for teams that need flexibility across cloud APIs and local models, cost optimization through provider selection, and CI/CD integration via the gRPC server. Agent routing makes OpenClaude valuable for complex workflows where different tasks benefit from different models. ## Verdict OpenClaude fills a genuine gap: the need for a provider-agnostic coding agent CLI. Its explosive 28k-star growth in 2 months validates that developers want freedom from vendor lock-in. Agent routing, MCP support, and the gRPC server are differentiating features. However, it is young — expect rough edges, variability in tool quality across providers, and a rapidly evolving codebase. For developers who value provider flexibility above all else, OpenClaude is the most promising option in this category. ## Further Reading - GitHub Repository - Documentation & Setup Guide - Release Notes & Downloads Best for Developers who want a single, provider-agnostic coding agent CLI that works with any LLM backend Capability Multi-provider support: OpenAI, Gemini, GitHub Models, Codex, Ollama, Atomic Chat, and more · Provider profiles with /provider command · Tool-driven coding: bash, file read/write/edit, grep, glob · Agent routing: different agents to different models · MCP server support · VS Code extension · Web search and fetch · Headless gRPC server · 28k GitHub stars in 2 months Runs on CLI · VS Code Extension · gRPC Server ## More in this Space SO ### Sourcery Closed source AI code review platform for the AI era. 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