head to head · open source
OpenCode vs rtk
OpenCode has 208,243 GitHub stars, 27,369 forks, 5,727 open issues and last shipped yesterday. rtk has 80,883 stars, 5,130 forks, 1,642 open issues and last shipped yesterday. OpenCode leads on adoption by 157% (208,243 vs 80,883 stars). OpenCode is written in TypeScript under MIT; rtk is written in Rust under Apache-2.0. OpenCode has attracted 13% as many forks as stars, rtk 6%. 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.
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Side by side
| OpenCode | rtk | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 208K | ★ 81K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 27K | ⑂ 5.1K |
| 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 rtk if
- You want the rtk feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and rtk 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 rtk
rtk is an Apache 2.0 Rust CLI proxy that sits between an AI coding agent and the shell, filtering and compressing command output so 60 90% fewer tokens reach the model, and it is built for developers running agentic coding tools such as Claude Code, Cursor, or Codex against real repositories.
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Frequently asked questions
Is OpenCode or rtk more popular?
OpenCode has 208,243 GitHub stars and rtk has 80,883. OpenCode has the larger community by that measure.
Are OpenCode and rtk free?
Both are open source. OpenCode is licensed under MIT and rtk under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between OpenCode and rtk?
OpenCode is written in TypeScript and rtk in Rust. 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 rtk?
Choose OpenCode if you want the larger community (208,243 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose rtk if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.