A Free, Local AI Coding Stack: Revolution or Just Another Hype Train?

Hey there, fellow tech enthusiasts! It’s Jorge here, and I’m back with some thoughts on the latest buzz in the coding world. If you’ve been following along, you know that AI-powered coding tools like Claude Code and OpenAI’s Codex have been making waves, promising to supercharge your development workflow. But let’s be real—those fancy features come with a price tag, and for some of us, it’s just not worth the investment. That’s why I’m intrigued by this new AI stack that’s completely free and runs locally on your machine. Sounds too good to be true? Maybe, but let me break it down.

So, what exactly are we talking about here? The stack is made up of three main components: Goose, Ollama, and Qwen3-coder. Goose acts as the agent that plans and applies changes to your codebase. Think of it as the strategic brain behind the operation. Ollama is the runtime environment that hosts the model locally on your machine—no cloud required. And then there’s Qwen3-coder, which is the actual large language model (LLM) focused specifically on generating code.

The idea of having a local setup is pretty appealing, especially if you’re concerned about security or privacy. With Claude Code and Codex, everything happens in the cloud, which means your code is being sent over the internet and processed on someone else’s servers. That’s a risk some developers aren’t willing to take, especially when working on sensitive projects. Ollama changes that by keeping everything on your local machine, which could be a game-changer for those who prioritize security.

Another big selling point is the cost—or lack thereof. While Claude Code and Codex offer limited free tiers or cheap entry points, they start getting expensive as you scale up. If you’re doing heavy-duty coding, you could easily find yourself paying upwards of $100 or even $200 a month just to keep your token limits from capping out. With this new stack, all those costs disappear since it’s completely free and open-source.

But here’s where I get a little skeptical. The article mentions that Goose can help you do “four years of product development in four days,” which sounds like the kind of hyperbole we’ve come to expect from tech PR. Don’t get me wrong, AI-powered coding tools are revolutionary in their own right, but let’s keep our feet on the ground here. No tool is going to replace the creativity and problem-solving skills that a good developer brings to the table.

That said, I do think there’s some real potential here. If you’re someone who likes to tinker with code or work on personal projects, this stack could be a fantastic resource. It’s also a great way to avoid vendor lock-in, since everything is open-source and runs locally. You’re not tied to any specific company or service, which gives you more control over your workflow.

One thing I’m curious about is how user-friendly this setup is for someone who isn’t deeply technical. The article mentions that it’s “local, open source, and completely free,” but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy to set up or use. If the learning curve is too steep, it might not be accessible to everyone, especially those who are just starting out with AI-powered coding tools.

I also wonder about the long-term viability of this project. Open-source initiatives can be fragile if they don’t gain enough traction or support. Will there be a strong community behind this stack to keep it updated and secure? Only time will tell, but for now, it’s worth keeping an eye on.

In conclusion, while I’m not ready to crown this new AI stack as the ultimate replacement for Claude Code and Codex just yet, I do think it’s an interesting development that’s worth exploring. The combination of local runtime, open-source accessibility, and zero cost makes it a compelling option for developers who want more control over their tools and workflows.

Read the full article at https://mangrv.com/2026/02/05/want-local-vibe-coding-this-ai-stack-replaces-claude-code-and-codex-and-its-free.