free-pi vs Claude Code
free-pi puts a coding agent in your terminal for $0, with no card and no API key. Type one command, sign in with GitHub, and you are coding before your coffee cools.
Facts checked on from official sources
Why developers pick free-pi
Free from the first keystroke
no card, no API key, and a free daily allowance that refills every day.
Web search and live library docs, built in
free-pi can search the web and pull current docs for the library you are using, with no API keys to set up.
Coding in seconds
run npx free-pi-cli, sign in with GitHub, and start.
Open source you can read
the CLI is MIT licensed, so you can inspect it, fork it, and bend it to your workflow.
Ads stay out of your model's head
ads appear in the terminal only, and a sandbox test in the open-source code enforces that ad text never enters the model's context.
Lean and extensible
free-pi is built on Mario Zechner's pi agent harness, with MCP servers, a todo list for long tasks, and a model picker.
A catalog you can browse
pick from a catalog of models, and yes, you can even pick Claude models like Haiku 5.5 and Sonnet 5.5.
Lighter from the first request
in our October 2026 test, free-pi sent about 3,400 tokens of instructions and tool definitions on a fresh request; Claude Code sent about 10,000.
At a glance
| free-pi | Claude Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Tokens of instructions and tools on a fresh request (our test) | Yes~3,400 | ~10,000 |
| Price | Yes$0 to start | NoFrom $17/mo (Pro, billed annually) or $20 monthly; Max from $100/mo; or pay-per-token API billing |
| Works on a free account | YesYes | NoNot included in the free claude.ai plan |
| Card needed | YesNo | NoPaid plan or API billing required |
| Open-source CLI | YesMIT license | NoProprietary ("All rights reserved") |
| Claude models available | YesHaiku 5.5 and Sonnet 5.5 in the catalog | YesYes |
| MCP servers | YesYes | YesYes |
| Get started | Yesnpx free-pi-cli, then GitHub sign-in | Pick a paid plan or API account, then log in |
Zero to coding in one command
Most tools ask you to pick a plan before you write a line of code. free-pi flips the order. You run npx free-pi-cli, click through a GitHub sign-in, and your agent is ready. There is no checkout page, no key to copy, and no billing dashboard to babysit.
Once you are in, there is plenty to play with. Type /reverse-engineer-anything and free-pi loads 200+ REA reverse-engineering tools in one command. Hook up your MCP servers. Keep a todo list so long tasks stay on track. Switch models from the picker when you want a change of scenery. If you ever want more room to run, optional credit packs ($5 and $10) are there, but you never need to pay to begin.
Claude Code, by comparison, requires a Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise, or Console account. The free claude.ai plan does not include it. For a lot of developers, that is a lot of paperwork before the first prompt.
Which one should you use?
Pick free-pi if…
- You want to start coding right now, with no card and no key.
- You like tools you can read, fork, and trust because the code is open (MIT).
- You want a lean harness you can extend with MCP servers and your own tweaks.
- You want a model picker, including Claude models, in one terminal.
- You would like your money to stay in your pocket.
Try it in one command
Pick Claude Code if…
- You'd rather spend $240 a year than $0.
- You prefer paying for stuff because you don't like free stuff.
- You enjoy comparing plan tiers the way other people enjoy crosswords.
- You like your license terms to say "All rights reserved."
- You think "Console account" sounds like a fun first step.
FAQ
Is Claude Code free?
Not on the free claude.ai plan, which does not include it. Claude Code needs a Pro plan ($17 a month billed annually, or $20 monthly), a Max plan (from $100 a month), or pay-per-token API billing. free-pi is free to start, with no card.
Can I use Claude models in free-pi?
Yes. free-pi's model catalog includes Claude Haiku 5.5 and Claude Sonnet 5.5, so you can pick Claude models right from the model picker.
How does free-pi stay free?
Ads in your terminal (never inside the model's context) and session data that helps train better models. That's the deal that keeps it free.
What do I need to run free-pi?
Node 22.19 or newer. Then run npx free-pi-cli and sign in with GitHub.