head to head · open source
OpenCode vs Hercules
OpenCode has 208,150 GitHub stars, 27,350 forks, 5,727 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Hercules has 1,158 stars, 189 forks, 39 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. OpenCode leads on adoption by 17,875% (208,150 vs 1,158 stars). OpenCode is written in TypeScript under MIT; Hercules is written in Python under AGPL-3.0. OpenCode has attracted 13% as many forks as stars, Hercules 16%. OpenCode was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
← all 8884 open source comparisons
Side by side
| OpenCode | Hercules | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 208K | ★ 1.2K |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-08-04 |
| Forks | ⑂ 27K | ⑂ 189 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick OpenCode if
- You weight community size — 208K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Hercules if
- You want the Hercules feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and Hercules fits your workflow better
About OpenCode
OpenCode is an open source AI coding agent designed to operate across terminal, IDE, and desktop environments. It integrates directly into developer workflows to assist with writing, editing, and understanding code using natural language prompts. Built in TypeScript and licensed under MIT, it runs locally or via a desktop app and supports multiple languages and platforms.
read the full OpenCode overview →
About Hercules
Hercules is an open source, AGPL 3.0 testing agent that turns plain Gherkin feature files into automated end to end UI, API, security, accessibility and visual tests for QA engineers, developers and platform teams who need browser level coverage without writing or maintaining test code.
read the full Hercules overview →
More in Developer Tools
Related comparisons
More AI Assisted Coding projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the AI Assisted Coding field.
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenCode or Hercules more popular?
OpenCode has 208,150 GitHub stars and Hercules has 1,158. OpenCode has the larger community by that measure.
Are OpenCode and Hercules free?
Both are open source. OpenCode is licensed under MIT and Hercules under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between OpenCode and Hercules?
OpenCode is written in TypeScript and Hercules in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, OpenCode or Hercules?
Choose OpenCode if you want the larger community (208,150 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Hercules if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.