Privacy-First Coding: Running OpenCode with Local Models
Keep your code on your machine: A step-by-step guide to connecting OpenCode to local LLMs like Llama 3 and DeepSeek-Coder.
Why Run Agents Locally?
In the enterprise world of 2026, data privacy is paramount. While cloud-based agents like Claude Code offer incredible reasoning, many organizations have strict policies against sending source code to external servers.
OpenCode solves this by allowing you to point its agentic logic at locally hosted models. This ensures that your files, reasoning steps, and final outputs never leave your secure local environment.
Prerequisites
- 1Ollama or vLLM: You'll need a model server running locally. Ollama is recommended for its ease of use on macOS and Windows.
- 2High-Performance Hardware: For smooth agentic behavior, we recommend at least 32GB of RAM and a dedicated GPU (Apple Silicon M-series or NVIDIA RTX).
Configuration Guide
Once OpenCode is installed, follow these steps to switch to a local provider:
Step 1: Start your local model
Step 2: Configure OpenCode
Run the setup command and select "Local/Ollama" as your provider.
Performance Tip
Agentic tasks require high reasoning capabilities. While smaller models like Llama 3 8B are fast, they may struggle with complex refactoring. For best results, use models with at least 30B+ parameters.
The Trade-off: Local vs Cloud
| Metric | Local (OpenCode) | Cloud (Claude Code) |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy | Maximum (Zero-leak) | High (Secure Cloud) |
| Reasoning | Dependent on hardware | State-of-the-art |
| Cost | Free (Infinite usage) | Pay-per-token / Subscription |
Start Coding Privately
OpenCode empowers you to use the latest AI advancements without compromising your security. Join the privacy-first revolution today.
OpenCode Main Guide