# Zero > Source: > Published: 2026-09-15 13:00:00+00:00 Open Source Alternative to: Last 30 days Last commit Repository age Version License Self-hosted Repository Zero is a terminal coding agent built for developers who want full control over their AI tooling. It reads your repo, edits files, runs commands, and stores every session locally on your disk. No cloud sync, no telemetry, no vendor lock-in on the model side. The model choice is genuinely open. Zero connects to 25+ providers including OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Mistral, Groq, DeepSeek, Bedrock, Vertex AI, and local options like Ollama and LM Studio. You can switch providers mid-session with `/model`, or point it at any OpenAI- or Anthropic-compatible endpoint. Permissions are explicit and visible. Every side effect (file writes, shell commands, network access) is gated, with OS-level sandboxing. Autonomy is an opt-in, not the default. That makes it practical to run in CI as well as interactively. Key capabilities: Sessions live in `~/.config/zero/` and API keys are stored in an encrypted local store. Unlike some [other terminal agents](https://openalternative.co/cline), Zero ships as a single Go binary that runs on macOS, Linux, and Windows (x64 and arm64). Twelve contrast-audited themes are included. It's MIT licensed. You pay your model provider, or nothing at all with a local model. Every Sunday we deconstruct one proprietary app and pick the best open source alternatives worth switching to. Stars Compare with