Agents Comparisons

Opencode

• Pros:
  • Javascript based. The nix closure is not so large: 186MB!
• Cons:
  • Javascript based. The memory consumption of open a new opencode instance: ~500MB
  • Use Esc instead of Ctrl-C to interrupt.
• Summary: Its quality is not comparable to neovim, though it declares "OpenCode is built by neovim users ...".

Crush

• Pros:
  • Go lang based.
    • Small nix-closure.
    • Small memory consumption: crush instance that have several conversations: ~70MB
• Cons:
  • It's Ok for me now Token inefficiency: 300 line system prompt and cannot fully customize, only supports system prompt prefix.
  • The input line support Home, End key, but does not support Ctrl+Left/Right.
  • It's Ok for me now Does not support terminal scrollback.
  • It's Ok for me now Notification cannot click and jump to the corresponding terminal.
  • I need auto generating skill, so this is unnecessary now Does not support explicit skill: https://github.com/charmbracelet/crush/discussions/2505 and no discussions!
  • Generate .crush/ in every folder where crush launched

Aider

• Pros:
  • Support script
  • Token efficiency
    • Test Prompt: Introduce yourself
      • Aider: 2.3k
      • Crush: 15K
  • Native input line support: scrollback, Ctrl-Left/Right, ...
• Cons:
  • Python based, large codebase: nix closure > 2GB
  • Does not support skill, memory.
  • Models are out of date, e.g.: minimax 2.5, while latest is 2.7

Codex

• Cons:
  • Latest versions only support wire_api = "responses", does not support completion. So does not support deepseek, minimax, .... Fine!
  • 603k source lines of rust, a pile of xxxx.

Code (Codex Fork)

• Pros:
  • Support wire_api = "chat"
• Cons:
  • A fork that always needs to rebase.

Forgecode

• Pros:
  • Moved to AAIF at Linux Foundation: more stable, more reliable
• Cons:
  • Claims being #1. Really?
  • Fixed: The global local is /forge/, really!? I doubt the project's taste of tech.
  • Does not support prompt injection, e.g. hook scripts.
    • The pull request is stale
      • https://github.com/tailcallhq/forgecode/issues/2562
      • https://github.com/tailcallhq/forgecode/pull/2757
  • Does not support ACP, and the pull request is stale.

Goose

• Cons:
  • Fixed: Why goose does not saved in nix binary cache, and 1.23.2 cannot build in x86-64 Linux: checkPhase failed!? Why the compiling time so long 7min+?
  • Fixed: Why the output color render bug remain unsolved? VERY IMPORTANT: Oh, I guess this project focus on desktop, instead of cli.
  • zsh cursor sometimes disappear?
  • goose configure cannot configure kimi, minimax successfully, only by manually add a custom_xxx.json
  • minimax is still 2.5
    • https://github.com/aaif-goose/goose/pull/7981
  • cannot switch model during conversation
    • https://github.com/aaif-goose/goose/pull/8747
  • the context length is wrong
    • goose/2026-05-13-custom-provider-context-limit-bug.md

Hermes

• Cons:
  • Declare able to self-improvement (auto skill generating), but does not support per-project skill yet!? https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/issues/4667 In my humble opinion, a auto-generating-skill skill is enough!
  • Why CLI+TUI? Why not unify them? split experience, split community?
    • TUI
      • scroll glitch
      • does not filter configured providers/models when selecting them, however CLI does.
    • CLI
      • resize => re-render
      • resume does not support selection UI, but TUI does.
  • Too many bugs that influence my experience, see my patches.

VTCode

• Pros:
  • Author response very quickly.
• Cons:
  • Single person maintained
  • ctrl-g does not run async
  • config files in a mess: ~/.config/vtcode/config.toml, ~/.config/vtcode/vtcode.toml, ~/.vtcode/

pi

• Pros:
  • minimalist
• Cons:
  • minimalist: lack of many features
    • lack of high-quality plugins such as memory, plan, subagents.
  • typescript-based

pi_agent_rust

• Cons:
  • Single developer, thus less reliable.

nvim

Avante.nvim

• Pros:
  • Leverages Neovim muscle memory
• Cons:
  • No skills support Supported by ACP agents.
  • Uses plenary.nvim (curl without keepalive or auto-retry)
    • Frequent network issues cause interruptions that disrupt workflow
  • Second class ACP support: does not support ACP model switch.
    • Latest version add AvanteACPModels. Why not reusing AvanteModels? The implementation is not CLEAN!
  • The build is complicated (nixpkgs vim plugins non-generated), which has not updated for 3 months.

Codecompanion.nvim

• Pros:
  • Leverages Neovim muscle memory
  • Minimal/Clean UI
  • Support more ACP capabilities than Agentic.nvim: fs.readTextFile, fs.writeTextFile And it explicitly state support of ACP capabilities in doc!
  • build is simple
• Cons:
  • No skills support Supported by ACP agents.
  • Use plenary.nvim, the same to Avante.nvim.: Use ACP agent!
  • Codecompanion-history does not support ACP session restore.: If ACP client supports, we can use /resume!
  • tool calls display are trunct to 60 chars, and no way to configure it.

Agentic.nvim

• Pros:
  • simple and only cares about ACP
• Cons:
  • does not support any ACP capabilities, including fs.readTextFile, fs.writeTextFile, terminal. And it does not mentioned not support above ACP capabilities in doc.
  • Bugs:
    • when enter slash command like /skill, there is high, narrow auto completion floating window.
    • Cannot disable insert by default
    • Cannot hide winbar (need to edit source code)

TODO: zot

• https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48319524
• Pros:
  • extensions in any language via subprocess + json-rpc
• Cons:
  • Does not support ACP
  • Does not support MCP

TODO: zerostack

• https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48164287
• Cons:
  • The discussions/plans are the explicit: e.g. Make zerostack extensible
  • Does not support hooks
  • Does not support per-model context window
  • ACP support incomplete: session resume, model switch
  • Explicitly state that skills is not supported. It prefer prompts.