Block, Inc. launches a powerful free coding tool in early 2026. The open-source Goose agent pairs with the Ollama and Qwen3-coder model.
It gives developers a local AI coding assistant. This zero-cost option challenges paid tools like Claude Code and OpenAI Codex.
Goose Coding Agent: How Goose Works as a Coding Agent
Goose acts like a junior developer. It reads code repositories, edits files, runs tests, and executes commands.
All work happens on your own device. No cloud needed. No monthly fees. The tool uses Ollama to run Qwen3-coder:30b model locally.
Key features:
- Fully local processing – no data leaves your machine
- Plans, edits, tests, and verifies code changes
- Runs on high-spec hardware (e.g., M4 Max Mac with 128GB RAM)
- Apache 2.0 license – free and open-source
- Nearly 29,600 GitHub stars and 373+ contributors
Jack Dorsey praised the combo last year with a simple X post: “goose qwen-coder wow”. Since then, Goose gains huge popularity.
Also read about: Vibe Coding: Cognizant Unleashes AI Innovation
Performance, Accuracy, and Benefits
Tests show Goose works well on strong machines. Response times match cloud tools. It needs about 17GB storage for Qwen3-coder model. Accuracy needs work.
A simple WordPress plugin took five tries to get right. Users give detailed prompts for better results. Corrections build over rounds.
Benefits:
- Zero cost – no $100–$200 monthly fees
- Full privacy – code stays on your device
- No usage limits or tokens
- Great for startups with sensitive code
Goose offers a strong free alternative. It suits developers who want control and no bills. The tool grows fast in 2026. More users test it daily.
More News To Read: