Looking for an alternative to OpenCode Zen?
OpenCode Zen, now called OpenCode Console in its docs, is OpenCode's pay-per-token catalog of models it has tested for coding agents, where you pick each model and pay its list price; Standard Compute is a monthly plan whose router sends each step to the cheapest model that can do it, frontier models included.
TL;DR
Stay on OpenCode Zen for light or irregular use where per-token billing is cheapest. Switch when your agents run enough that a monthly budget with cost routing beats paying list price per token.
What OpenCode Zen offers
Pay per token at list prices from a prepaid credit balance, with optional auto-recharge and budgets per workspace and member. Each credit purchase carries a processing fee of 4.6% + $0.31. Example prices per million input and output tokens: Claude Sonnet 5.5 $2 and $10, Claude Opus 5 $5 and $25, Kimi K3 $3 and $15, GLM 5.3 $1.40 and $4.40. Several models are free for a limited time, in OpenCode only. (Verified on OpenCode's Zen page and Console models docs, 2026-11-07.)
- A curated catalog of Claude, GPT and open models tested for coding agents
- Published per-token prices, and you pay only for what you use
- Works from any SDK or agent with an API key, or keyless with OIDC
- Zero retention by default with some exceptions, a choice of request regions, and team budgets, policies and SSO
Why people look for an alternative
- Per-token metering: a heavy agent month has no fixed price
- You pick each model yourself, so routine steps cost what your chosen model costs
- A processing fee on every credit purchase
- Free models are temporary and only work inside OpenCode
OpenCode Zen vs OpenCode Go vs Standard Compute
Zen is pay as you go at list price; Go is OpenCode's low-cost subscription with per-model limits. Standard Compute is a monthly plan with frontier and open models on one budget and a router that picks per step.
| Option | Price | How the limit works | Model choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenCode Zen | Pay per token, plus a fee on each credit purchase | Your prepaid balance and any budgets you set | You pick each model; Claude, GPT and open models |
| OpenCode Go | $10 or $40 (Go Plus) | A dollar allowance per model, with 5-hour and weekly shares of it | Mostly open models plus light closed ones |
| Standard Compute | From $19, $19 compute budget | One monthly budget for every model; stops at 100%, no overage | The router picks the cheapest capable model per step, or pin a model ID |
Checked November 7, 2026 on OpenCode's Console models docs; OpenCode Go prices checked October 14, 2026 (linked).
Which one fits your work
| Pick | When |
|---|---|
| Standard Compute | A fixed monthly price for agent work that would run up a per-token bill |
| Routing that sends routine steps to cheaper models and only hard ones to Claude or GPT, without picking per request | |
| Opt-in Europe or US rules per company, team or key, with no training on or storing of prompts | |
| Business accounts with a key per developer on one invoice | |
| OpenCode Zen | Light or irregular use, where paying per token costs less than a plan |
| You want to choose exact models from a tested list with published per-token prices | |
| You use OpenCode and want its free preview models |
Switching takes one config change
Standard Compute is OpenAI-compatible, so any tool or SDK that lets you set a custom base URL migrates in minutes:
Base URL = https://api.stdcmpt.com/v1 API key = your Standard Compute key Model = standardcompute
Setup guides for OpenClaw, Hermes, OpenCode, Cursor, Cline, Aider and more are on the integrations page.
FAQ
Is OpenCode Zen the same as OpenCode Console?
Yes. OpenCode's docs now call its pay-per-token catalog OpenCode Console, and the old Zen docs point there. Billing is per token from a prepaid balance.
OpenCode Zen or OpenCode Go?
Go is a fixed $10 or $40 subscription with a dollar allowance per model and 5-hour and weekly windows, mostly on open models. Zen bills each request at list price and includes Claude and GPT. Pick Go for cheap open-model coding, Zen for occasional frontier use.
What is the best OpenCode Zen alternative?
If you like paying per token, other pay-as-you-go gateways work the same way, several with larger catalogs. If you want a fixed monthly price, Standard Compute: the router sends each step to the cheapest model that can do it, providers are vetted for price, uptime and speed with automatic fallback, and opt-in Europe or US rules apply per company, team or key. In OpenCode you add it with /connect.
Is OpenCode Zen or Standard Compute cheaper?
For light use, Zen is: you pay only for the tokens you use. Standard Compute plans cost $19 to $249 a month for a fixed compute budget, which wins once a busy agent would spend more than that at list price, and the router stretches the budget by sending routine steps to cheaper models.
Sources: OpenCode Zen; OpenCode Console models and pricing; OpenCode Go docs
