What is Goose and how does it differ from Claude Code?

Goose is a free, open-source AI coding agent that runs locally on your machine, offering features similar to paid services like Claude Code but without subscription fees or cloud dependency.

Why are developers rebelling against AI coding tools like Claude Code?

Developers are frustrated with the high costs, restrictive usage limits, and opaque pricing models of commercial AI coding tools, seeking more autonomy and privacy.

What are the hardware requirements for running Goose locally?

Running Goose locally with open-source models requires substantial RAM (32GB recommended) and processing power, though smaller models can run on 16GB RAM.

Home / Technology / Goose: The Offline AI Coding Agent Developers Crave

Goose: The Offline AI Coding Agent Developers Crave

20 Jan

•

Summary

Open-source Goose offers free, offline AI coding, challenging paid services.
Developers revolt against expensive, limited AI coding tools like Claude Code.
Goose runs locally, ensuring user data privacy and unrestricted access.

Goose: The Offline AI Coding Agent Developers Crave

Developers are increasingly opting for free, open-source AI coding agents like Goose, developed by Block, as a rebellion against the high costs and limitations of commercial tools such as Anthropic's Claude Code. Goose offers autonomous code writing, debugging, and deployment capabilities that run entirely on a user's local machine, ensuring data privacy and offline access.

The dissatisfaction with Claude Code stems from its tiered pricing, ranging from $20 to $200 per month, and restrictive prompt limits. These limitations, particularly the vague token-based "hours," have frustrated developers who find them insufficient for intensive work.

Goose's popularity has surged, evidenced by its significant GitHub star count and active development. By running locally using open-source models, Goose eliminates subscription fees and usage caps. This approach provides developers with complete control over their AI-powered workflow, a stark contrast to cloud-dependent commercial solutions.