goosevsQwen Code
Generated from the two spec rows. Green marks the better value where a spec has a clear direction. Everything else is just different.
goose
Agentic AI Foundation (originally Block) · Terminal agent
#13OSSMCP
Panel
6.83 spec wins
- Reliability
- 6.3
- Usefulness
- 6.5
- Cost
- 6.8
- Longevity
- 7.3
“Block gave it to the Linux Foundation, which is the one exit strategy that cannot be un-acquired.”
Qwen Code
Alibaba Cloud (Qwen) · Terminal agent
#19OSSMCP
Panel
6.80 spec wins
- Reliability
- 6.5
- Usefulness
- 6.8
- Cost
- 7.3
- Longevity
- 6.3
“Ships a Java SDK, which tells you precisely which enterprises Alibaba expects to pay for it.”
Spec by spec
| Spec | goose | Qwen Code |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | ||
| Category | Terminal agent | Terminal agent |
| Runs | local | local |
| Platforms | macos, linux, windows | macos, linux, windows |
| Context window | not documented | not documented |
| Protocols | ||
| MCP client | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server | Yes | No |
| Capabilities | ||
| Runs terminal commands | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-file edits | Yes | Yes |
| Git operations | Yes | Yes |
| Browser control | YesThe built-in Computer Controller extension drives macOS apps including the browser through the Peekaboo CLI, rather than via a dedicated CDP or Playwright tool. | YesThe first-party @qwen-code/chrome-bridge extension tunnels cdp_* frames from the `qwen serve` daemon into chrome.debugger so the agent drives a real Chrome tab, but console/network/screenshot/click tools need an external CDP MCP adapter set via QWEN_CDP_MCP_COMMAND, since none is bundled. |
| Sandboxed execution | Yes`goose session|run --container <id>` executes extensions inside an existing Docker container; goose itself runs unsandboxed on the host otherwise. | YesTwo real isolation modes - macOS Seatbelt via sandbox-exec (default `permissive-open` profile) and container-based Docker/Podman with a published sandbox image (https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs/en/users/features/sandbox/). |
| Multi-agent orchestration | Yes | Yes |
| Headless / CI mode | Yes | Yes |
| Models | ||
| Backbone | Claude, GPT, Gemini, Ollama (local), OpenRouter, Azure OpenAI, Amazon Bedrock | Qwen3-Coder, OpenAI-compatible, Claude, Gemini |
| Bring your own model | Yes | Yes |
| Local models | Yes | Yes |
| Cost | ||
| Pricing model | byok | byok |
| Starts at | $0/mo | n/a |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Bring your own key | Yes | Yes |
| Openness | ||
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| GitHub stars | 54,860 | 28,271 |
Which one would each critic pick
| Critic | goose | Qwen Code | Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Juez | — | — | not enough reviews |
| El Amigo | 7.3 | 7.0 | goose — A free, open, local agent under the Linux Foundation that talks to any model and any MCP server; you will spend a weekend tuning it and then own it. |
| El Crítico | 6.5 | 6.3 | goose — A local agent with terminal execution whose Docker isolation is a --container flag you have to remember, a foundation instead of a vendor, and a bill that depends entirely on which model you point it at. |
| El Profesor | 6.5 | 6.0 | goose — Extensions-as-MCP is the cleanest extensibility model on the board; the agent's capability is a feature list with no number attached. |
| La Inversora | 5.3 | 6.8 | Qwen Code — Alibaba killed the Qwen OAuth free tier on 2026-04-15, the classic subsidy-to-subscription turn, and 27,000 stars now have to pay someone. |
| La Jefa | 5.8 | 5.8 | no preference |
| El Hacker | 9.3 | 8.8 | goose — Rust, Apache-2.0, every extension an MCP server in YAML, Ollama on my box, a foundation instead of a vendor; this is the one I would build if I had the time. |
Picks are derived from each critic's own scores. Humans vote on matchups on the duels page.