A no-subscription GitHub Copilot · Cursor · Claude alternative — repo-aware chat, an autonomous agent that edits files & runs commands, a DeepSeek V4 model switcher with thinking mode, vision (screenshot → component), MCP plugins, project memory, and staff-engineer code review. Bring your own key, pay only cents — or plug in GPT / Claude / any model via an OpenAI-compatible URL.
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Free Repo Agent brings a Claude/Cursor/Cline-style agent into VS Code. It indexes your whole repository, writes and edits code with inline Keep / Undo, runs terminal commands with your approval, verifies its own work (typecheck/build → then fixes the errors), lets you switch models (DeepSeek V4 Pro / V4 Flash with thinking mode, or any OpenAI-compatible model), tunes effort (fast → max reasoning), reads images (paste a UI → build the component), extends itself with MCP plugins (local & remote), learns your codebase, remembers your project, and runs a staff-engineer pre-commit code review — all on the affordable DeepSeek API with no monthly subscription.
Looking for a free Copilot alternative · Cursor alternative · Claude / ChatGPT coding agent · Cline / Continue / Aider alternative? This is the lightweight, bring-your-own-key one.
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Ask anything about your codebase. It indexes your project and injects the most relevant files into every answer — no copy-pasting context. |
Give it a task — it reads files, edits across many files, and runs commands step by step. Every change is reviewed inline with ✓ Keep / ✗ Undo. |
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After editing it runs your typecheck/build, reads the errors, and fixes them before saying "done" — no more code that doesn't compile. |
Paste a UI screenshot/mockup and say "build this component." Free by default via Google Gemini (or local Ollama). Falls back to OCR for screenshots of code/errors. |
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One-click tools the agent can use — GitHub, web search, Postgres, Playwright, filesystem & more — via the Model Context Protocol. Add any custom server. |
Reviews staged changes / files / branches, reads the full files, runs a second audit pass, and reports Critical · Quality · Architecture · Testing. Enforces your own rules. |
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Switch models from the footer, Claude-style: DeepSeek V4 Pro / V4 Flash with thinking mode (deep reasoning that works with tool calls), or point at OpenAI / OpenRouter / Gemini for GPT/Claude/Llama. |
A dial from fast & cheap → max reasoning. Higher effort = more tool steps, longer answers, more context, and deeper V4 thinking — you decide speed vs. quality per task. |
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One-click tools — GitHub, web search, Postgres, Playwright, filesystem & 20+ more — via the Model Context Protocol. Install from npm/GitHub, a custom command, or a remote URL. |
Prefer the shell? Run the same autonomous agent in your terminal — live checklist, file edits, command running, approvals — with no VS Code open. Ships with the extension. |
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One click generates a knowledge brief of your project (architecture, conventions, key files) that's injected into every prompt — plus a |
Every reply has Copy · 👍 · 👎. A 👎 saves what was wrong as a rule the agent follows from then on — and offers a one-click Retry. Works with no folder open too. |
1. Get a DeepSeek API key → platform.deepseek.com/api_keys — pay-as-you-go, a few dollars lasts a long time.
2. Add it to VS Code → Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → Agent: Set DeepSeek API Key (stored in VS Code SecretStorage, never in your repo).
3. Open chat → press Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + A, or click the Repo Agent </> icon to dock it beside your code — and start.
💡 Type / in the chat for quick commands: Plugins, Memory, Reindex, Auto-accept, Vision and more.
Describe a task and watch it work end-to-end:
"Add a
/healthroute and a test for it, then run the tests."
- 📖 Reads the relevant files (from the repo index).
- ✍️ Proposes edits inline in your files with green highlights and ✓ Keep / ✗ Undo.
▶️ Asks to Run any terminal command in a visible Repo Agent terminal.- ✅ Auto-verifies — runs your typecheck/build and fixes errors before finishing.
- ☑️ A live checklist ticks each step
pending → in-progress → ✓ done. Hit Stop anytime.
Prefer working in the terminal, like Claude Code? The same agent runs as a CLI — no VS Code needed. It plans a live checklist, reads and edits files, and runs commands in your current directory, asking before anything that changes them.
◆ Repo Agent v0.10.0 · deepseek-v4-flash · medium effort
› add a /health route and a test for it
▶ Add the /health route
○ Add a test
○ Run the tests
● Read src/server.ts
● Edit src/server.ts
✎ Edit src/server.ts
Approve? [y]es / [n]o / [a]lways:
Setup — the CLI ships inside the extension (v0.10.0 or later), so once Repo Agent is installed just point an alias at it:
# add to ~/.zshrc (or ~/.bashrc), then restart your terminal
alias repo-agent='node "$(ls -dt ~/.vscode/extensions/sumitkumarsingh.free-repo-agent-*/dist/cli.js | head -1)"'export DEEPSEEK_API_KEY=sk-... # or just run it and paste your key when asked
repo-agent # interactive session in the current folder
repo-agent "add a /health route" # run one task, then keep going| Options | -m, --model <id> · -e, --effort low|medium|high|max · -C, --cwd <dir> · --base-url <url> (any OpenAI-compatible provider) · -y, --yes (auto-approve) · --login (re-enter your key) |
| In-session | /login · /model <id> · /effort <lvl> · /clear · /cwd · /help · /exit |
| Controls | Approve each change with y / n / always · Ctrl-C stops a run, again quits |
Your key comes from
DEEPSEEK_API_KEYor~/.repo-agent.json(writtenchmod 600, only if you opt in). Pasted the wrong one?repo-agent --login.The CLI keeps its own key store — the extension's key lives in VS Code SecretStorage, which a program outside VS Code can't read.
Switch the model from the 🧠 chip in the chat footer (or the ⚙︎ Options menu), just like Claude:
| Model | Best for |
|---|---|
DeepSeek V4 Pro (deepseek-v4-pro) |
Hardest code & reasoning — top quality |
DeepSeek V4 Flash (deepseek-v4-flash) |
Fast & affordable, 1M context — the default |
R1 / V3 (deepseek-reasoner / deepseek-chat) |
Legacy models |
- Thinking mode — on the V4 models the agent uses DeepSeek's built-in deep reasoning that works with tool calls, so it thinks before it edits. It's wired to the ⚡ Effort dial: off at Low (fast/cheap), then low → high → max reasoning at Medium → High → Max.
- Not just DeepSeek — the extension speaks an OpenAI-compatible API, so set a custom model id + point
repoAgent.deepseek.baseUrlat OpenAI, OpenRouter, Gemini, or any provider to run the agent on GPT-4o, Claude, Llama, Qwen and more.
Run Agent: Learn This Codebase (or / → Learn this codebase) and it indexes your repo and writes a thorough knowledge brief — purpose, stack, architecture, key files, data models, conventions, build/run/test — to .repo-agent/knowledge.md. That brief is injected into every prompt, so the agent knows your project instantly. Re-run anytime to refresh.
DeepSeek is text-only, so image understanding uses a separate, free-by-default vision model.
/ → 👁️ Vision → choose a provider:
• Google Gemini — FREE (no credit card) ← default
• Ollama / LM Studio — local, no key
• OpenRouter (free models) · OpenAI · Custom
Then paste a screenshot/mockup into the chat and ask "build this as a React component." The vision model turns the image into a precise implementation spec, and the agent builds the files. No key? Images fall back to OCR — perfect for screenshots of errors or code.
Open the 🧩 Plugins panel (or type / → Plugins) and add tools with one click. Built on the Model Context Protocol — the same plugin standard Claude uses — so the entire MCP ecosystem works here. Add from the built-in catalog, npm/GitHub, a custom command, or a remote URL.
📖 Full guide: how to use plugins →
| Plugin | What the agent can do | |
|---|---|---|
| 📁 | Filesystem | Read/write/search files in a folder you allow |
| 🐙 | GitHub | Search repos/issues, read files, open PRs & issues |
| 🦊 | GitLab | Repos, issues, merge requests |
| 🔎 | Web Search (Brave) | Search the web for up-to-date info |
| 🦅 | Tavily | AI-grade web search & page extraction |
| 🌐 | Fetch | Fetch a URL as clean text/markdown |
| 🎭 | Playwright | Drive a real browser: click, fill, scrape, screenshot |
| 🐘 | Postgres · 🗃️ SQLite | Query your databases |
| 🪜 | Sequential Thinking | Structured step-by-step reasoning |
| 📚 | Context7 | Up-to-date docs & snippets for any library |
| 🧠 | Memory | A knowledge graph the agent reads/writes across tasks |
| 🗺️ | Google Maps · 💬 Slack | Places/directions · channels & messages |
➕ Add any MCP server — from npm/GitHub (paste
@scope/serverorowner/repo), a custom command, or a remote URL (hosted servers over Streamable HTTP, with an optional bearer token). Keys are stored securely in VS Code SecretStorage. Full guide → docs/PLUGINS.md
Type / → Memory to create a memory.md at your repo root. Its contents are injected into every chat and agent prompt, so the agent always remembers your project:
# Project Memory
## Project
- Stack: React + TypeScript + Vite, Node/Express API, Postgres
- Run: `npm run dev` · Tests: `npm test`
## Conventions
- 2-space indent, single quotes, named exports.
- Always add types and a test. Never commit secrets or use `any`.Delete the file to turn memory off. (You can also drop a .agent.md / .claude.md — it reads those too.)
Stage changes (git add …) → Agent: Review Staged Changes (also in the Source Control title bar). Findings appear in the Problems panel, the Review Results sidebar, and inline — each with Fix with AI, Ignore, and Commit Anyway.
Make it enforce YOUR standards. Run Agent: Create Review Guidelines to scaffold a system-design.md. The reviewer reads it before every review and flags any change that breaks a rule — quoting the rule:
# Review Guidelines & System Design
## Architecture
- UI → services → data access. UI must not import data-access directly.
## Review rules
- No `console.log` in committed code — use the logger.
- Every new exported function ships with a test.
- No secrets in source; read them from config/secret storage.On first run, Repo Agent indexes your repository — symbols, structure, and optional AI per-file summaries — into a local cache (.agent-cache/). Every question then pulls in the most relevant files automatically, so answers fit your codebase. Re-run anytime with Agent: Reindex Repository, and tune what's indexed via repoAgent.indexing.* and how many files are injected via repoAgent.retrieval.maxFiles.
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → type "Agent:"
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
Agent: Chat / Open Chat (beside editor) |
Open the chat panel |
Agent: Generate Code |
Describe code to generate |
Agent: Run Agent (autonomous) |
Run a task that edits files & runs commands |
Agent: Review Staged Changes / Review Current File |
Pre-commit / file review |
Agent: Create Review Guidelines |
Scaffold a system-design.md of review rules |
Agent: Learn This Codebase |
Generate a persistent project knowledge brief |
Agent: Edit Memory |
Edit the always-on memory.md |
Agent: Choose Vision Provider |
Pick a vision backend (Gemini free / Ollama / …) |
Agent: Reindex Repository / Explain Architecture |
Index & architecture tools |
Agent: Set / Clear DeepSeek API Key |
Manage your key |
All settings live under repoAgent.* — click to expand
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
deepseek.model |
deepseek-v4-flash |
Active model (switch it from the 🧠 footer chip) |
effort |
medium |
Speed vs. reasoning depth: low · medium · high · max |
deepseek.baseUrl |
https://api.deepseek.com |
API base URL — point at any OpenAI-compatible provider |
deepseek.maxTokens |
4096 |
Max tokens per response (auto-raised for V4) |
vision.baseUrl / vision.model |
Gemini free | OpenAI-compatible vision endpoint |
review.guidelinesFile |
system-design.md |
Your custom review-rules file |
review.deepAudit |
true |
Second audit pass for fewer false positives |
indexing.maxFiles |
1500 |
Index size cap |
indexing.generateSummaries |
true |
AI per-file summaries (set false for $0 indexing) |
retrieval.maxFiles |
8 |
Relevant files injected per prompt |
plugins.autoRun |
true |
Run plugin tools without a confirm prompt |
review.autoOnSave |
false |
Auto-review files on save |
- Your keys stay secret. DeepSeek/vision keys and any plugin or remote‑MCP tokens live in VS Code SecretStorage — never in your code, settings, or the extension's storage, and never logged.
- No telemetry. Zero analytics/tracking. The only network calls go to endpoints you configure — your AI provider, your vision provider, and any MCP servers you add. Your code/context is sent to your AI provider only when you make a request.
- The agent stays in your project. File edits are blocked from absolute paths and
..traversal; commands run in a visible terminal with your approval; edits show inline with Keep / Undo. - Plugins run third‑party code — add only servers you trust. Plugin tools ask before running by default (
plugins.autoRunis off); enable it only for trusted plugins. - Sensitive generated files?
memory.mdand.repo-agent/knowledge.mdare injected into prompts and committed by default — add them to.gitignoreif private:.agent-cache/ .repo-agent/ memory.md
| Free Repo Agent | Copilot | Cursor | Claude / Cline | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 🟢 Free (BYO key) | 💲 Subscription | 💲 Subscription | 💲 Sub / BYO |
| Repo-aware multi-file agent | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Runs terminal commands | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Self-verifies (build/typecheck) | ✅ | — | ◐ | — |
| Vision: screenshot → code | ✅ free | — | ✅ | ✅ |
| MCP plugins | ✅ | — | ✅ | ✅ |
| Code review + custom rules | ✅ | ◐ | — | — |
| Project memory file | ✅ | ◐ | ◐ | ✅ |
A free alternative to GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude, Codex, Cline, Continue, Codeium, Windsurf, Tabnine, Cody, Aider & Roo Code — a lightweight, bring-your-own-key agent that edits code, self-verifies, and reviews diffs inside VS Code.
Is it really free?
Yes — the extension is free and open. You only pay DeepSeek's low pay-as-you-go API usage (your own key).
Is it a good Copilot / Cursor / Claude / Cline alternative?
Yes — repo-aware chat, an autonomous agent that edits files and runs commands, visible reasoning, vision, MCP plugins, and pre-commit code review — the same core workflow, no subscription.
Does it fix its own mistakes?
Yes — after editing it runs your typecheck/build, reads the errors, and fixes them before finishing.
Can I add plugins / MCP servers?
Yes — open the 🧩 Plugins panel and add GitHub, web search, Postgres, Playwright and more with one click, or any custom MCP server (needs Node/npx).
Does my code leave my machine?
Only the context needed for a request is sent to the DeepSeek API when you ask. Your key never leaves SecretStorage; the index is cached locally under
.agent-cache/.Found a bug or have an idea? Open an issue → — you'll get a guided bug report or feature request form. Please include your extension version, VS Code version, steps to reproduce, and any error from View → Output → "Repo Agent". Browse existing reports on the Issues page.
⭐ If Free Repo Agent saves you time, star it and leave a review — it helps others find it.
MIT licensed
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