kitio.aiQwen Code vs Butterfish
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Qwen Code starts at Free and Butterfish starts at Free. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Terminal agent
- Long-context support
- OpenAI-compatible providers
- Subagents
- Apache 2.0 license
- AI prompts inside bash and zsh
- Shell history as context
- Command autocomplete from AI
- Goal mode agent
- Neovim plugin
| Feature | Qwen Code | Butterfish |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Open-source terminal coding agent tuned for Qwen models | Open-source shell wrapper that adds AI prompts to bash and zsh |
| Category | Coding | Coding |
| Pricing model | Free | Free |
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes, fully free | Yes, fully free |
| Made by | Alibaba Qwen Team | Peter Bakkum |
| Based in | China | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Qwen Code starts at Free and Butterfish starts at Free. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Qwen Code
- Free and open source
- Works with cheap open models
- Familiar Gemini CLI workflow
- No longer has a free hosted tier
- Best results need Qwen models
Butterfish
- Free and MIT licensed
- No copy and paste between tools
- Keeps your existing shell setup
- Needs your own OpenAI-compatible API key
- No Windows support
- Agent mode can run commands on your system
Which one should you choose?
Choose Qwen Code if you want:
- Free and open source
- Works with cheap open models
- Familiar Gemini CLI workflow
Watch out: no longer has a free hosted tier.
Choose Butterfish if you want:
- Free and MIT licensed
- No copy and paste between tools
- Keeps your existing shell setup
Watch out: needs your own openai-compatible api key.
Qwen Code vs Butterfish FAQ
What is the difference between Qwen Code and Butterfish?
Qwen Code: Open-source terminal coding agent tuned for Qwen models. Butterfish: Open-source shell wrapper that adds AI prompts to bash and zsh. Both are coding tools.
Is Qwen Code or Butterfish cheaper?
Qwen Code starts at Free and Butterfish starts at Free. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Qwen Code and Butterfish have free plans?
Qwen Code: Yes, fully free. Butterfish: Yes, fully free.
Who makes Qwen Code?
Qwen Code is made by Alibaba Qwen Team, based in China.
Who makes Butterfish?
Butterfish is made by Peter Bakkum.
Which should I choose, Qwen Code or Butterfish?
Choose Qwen Code if you value free and open source and works with cheap open models. Choose Butterfish if you value free and mit licensed and no copy and paste between tools.