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OpenCode "1.18.0 or Newer Is Required to Use the Free Tier": Fix
OpenCode says '1.18.0 or newer is required to use the free tier'? How to check your version, upgrade the documented way, and what to try if it still fails.
7 min read
Error string and fix checked Oct 31, 2026 in OpenCode’s pinned free-tier issue anomalyco/opencode #59387, written by an OpenCode team member, and in OpenCode’s install docs and v1 migration guide. User reports of the same string: SuperAppMan/mix #1 and winmin/evil-opencode #8 (both verified Oct 31, 2026). Every source is listed at the bottom. No affiliate links on this page (how we work).
The exact error: OpenCode 1.18.0 or newer is required to use the free tier
If you picked a free model and got this back:
OpenCode 1.18.0 or newer is required to use the free tierthat’s word for word one of the six free-tier errors OpenCode lists in its pinned issue #59387 (verified Oct 31, 2026). In an app that wraps OpenCode, it can arrive with a prefix, like Error from provider (Console): OpenCode 1.18.0 or newer is required to use the free tier in SuperAppMan/mix #1, where the app shipped OpenCode 1.17.8.
The one-line answer (as of Oct 31, 2026): your OpenCode is too old for the free models. Update, and update to v2, not just to 1.18.
That second half matters. The error says “1.18.0 or newer”, but OpenCode’s own issue says “Most free tier reports come from OpenCode v1 (versions 0.x and 1.x, for example Desktop or CLI 1.19.5). v1 no longer supports free models and only gets fixes for critical bugs.” So jumping from 1.17 to 1.19 can leave you with the same wall. The latest v2 release listed in that issue is 2.2.1 (verified Oct 31, 2026).
It’s Grampa Simpson’s “Old Man Yells at Cloud” headline, except the cloud is right this time.
Step 1: check your version
From OpenCode’s pinned issue (verified Oct 31, 2026):
- Terminal (TUI or CLI): run
opencode --version - Desktop app: Settings → About
If it starts with 0. or 1., you’re on v1. Skip straight to step 2. If it starts with 2. and you still see the error, jump to “Still blocked after updating” below.
Step 2: update the documented way
One trap first, in OpenCode’s own words: “The v1 Desktop app’s built-in updater keeps you on 1.x.” Clicking “update” in the old Desktop app won’t get you to v2. Download v2 from opencode.ai/v2/docs instead.
Second trap: v1 and v2 both use the opencode command. The migration guide says to “Remove a package-managed V1 installation before installing V2; the V2 curl installer replaces the V1 binary.” For npm, the pinned issue gives npm uninstall -g opencode-ai as the example.
Then install v2 with whichever method you use. All commands are from OpenCode’s install docs and pinned issue (verified Oct 31, 2026):
| Install method | Update command |
|---|---|
| curl (macOS/Linux) | curl -fsSL https://opencode.ai/v2/install | bash |
| Homebrew CLI | brew install anomalyco/tap/opencode-v2 |
| Homebrew Desktop | brew install --cask opencode-desktop |
| npm | npm install -g @opencode/cli |
| Bun | bun install -g --trust @opencode/cli |
| pnpm | pnpm add -g --allow-build=@opencode/cli @opencode/cli |
| Yarn | yarn global add @opencode/cli |
| Vite+ | vp install -g @opencode/cli |
| AUR | paru -S opencode-beta |
| mise | mise use -g opencode |
Sources: OpenCode install docs and issue #59387, verified Oct 31, 2026.
A few platform notes from the same pages:
- mise: needs mise 2026.10.9 or later. “older versions install OpenCode 1.” Which is exactly the problem you’re trying to escape.
- Windows: “Windows package managers are not supported.” Chocolatey and Scoop don’t carry v2. Use the Desktop app, npm, or a standalone binary from the install page.
- Desktop on any OS: download the v2 build for macOS, Windows or Linux from the install page.
- Docker: images use versioned tags, for example
ghcr.io/anomalyco/opencode:2.0.0, so bump the tag rather than re-pulling the old one.
After installing, run opencode --version again and confirm it starts with 2..
Will v2 break my setup?
Mostly no, per the migration guide (verified Oct 31, 2026). “Existing supported V1 configuration is intended to keep working”, and “The V1 config format remains supported.” Three intentional breaks:
- Plugins use a new plugin API. “V1 plugin implementations do not run in V2.”
- The server API and clients have new contracts, so integrations that call the v1 server API need porting.
- Terminal client settings move from
tui.json(c)files to one globalcli.json.
OpenCode recommends you “Keep a copy of your V1 setup while validating the migration”, because v1 and v2 use the same configuration locations.
Still blocked after updating
If opencode --version says 2.x and the free model still refuses, OpenCode’s pinned issue lists these checks (verified Oct 31, 2026):
- You’re outside OpenCode. “Free models only work inside OpenCode. Other clients, proxies and direct API calls can’t use them.” That includes wrapper apps and forks, like the ones in the two third-party reports above. The Console docs say the same: “Free-tier chat models require OpenCode; use paid models or Go from other clients.”
- You hit the daily limit instead. That’s a different message, like
Free usage limit reached. Wait for the reset time shown, subscribe to Go, or connect another provider with/connect. Full walkthrough: OpenCode free usage limit reached. - You pay for Go but get free-tier errors. Run
/connect, sign in with OpenCode Console in your browser, authorize the workspace that has your Go subscription, then pick anopencode-go/...model with/modelsrather than aopencode/...-freeone. - Pick an actual free model. The free models list in the Console docs had 10 entries on Oct 31, 2026, and each is free on OpenCode “for a limited time”, so check the one you picked is still there.
Still broken on the latest v2? OpenCode asks you to comment on #59387 with your version (and whether it’s Desktop, TUI, CLI or web), OS, the free model, the exact error, when it started and the reset time you were shown, and whether you have Go or Console credits. For account or billing problems, email [email protected]. Don’t post account details in the public issue.
An error that says “1.18.0 or newer” when v1 no longer gets free models at all is a mixed message, and a v1 Desktop updater that only updates you to more v1 makes it worse. OpenCode did pin a clear explainer, which helps. A version number in the error that actually works would help more.
Do you need to pay after updating?
No. OpenCode itself is open source and free models still exist in v2, each free “for a limited time” with a daily limit whose size OpenCode doesn’t publish. If you outgrow them, the paid options are OpenCode Go ($10 a month, Go Plus $40, Go Teams $20 per member, verified Oct 31, 2026 on the Go docs) or Console pay-as-you-go. For the limits, see OpenCode Go plan limits. For every plan, the OpenCode pricing tracker. For how it stacks up, OpenCode vs Claude Code and AI coding tools compared.
Here’s what I’d do
Run opencode --version. If it starts with 1, uninstall the v1 package, install v2 with the same package manager (or the curl script), and check the version again. If you’re on the Desktop app, download v2 from the install page instead of trusting the built-in updater. If you’re on 2.x and inside OpenCode and it still fails, it’s probably the daily limit, not the version, and the reset time in the error is your answer.
For what the free tier includes once you’ve updated, see Is OpenCode free?.
A “Model not found” or ProviderModelNotFoundError is covered in OpenCode Model not found.
FAQ
What does OpenCode 1.18.0 or newer is required to use the free tier mean?
Your OpenCode build is too old to use the free models; OpenCode says v1 builds no longer support free models, so update to v2.
How do I update OpenCode? Remove the v1 package if you used a package manager, then install v2, for example with curl -fsSL https://opencode.ai/v2/install | bash or npm install -g @opencode/cli.
Is updating to OpenCode 1.19 enough? Not per OpenCode’s pinned issue, which names 1.19.5 as a v1 build and says v1 no longer supports free models.
Why didn’t the OpenCode Desktop updater fix it? OpenCode says the v1 Desktop app’s built-in updater keeps you on 1.x, so download v2 Desktop manually from opencode.ai/v2/docs.
Is OpenCode still free? Yes, the app is open source and v2 still offers free models for a limited time with a daily limit OpenCode doesn’t size publicly.
Do I need OpenCode Go after updating? No, Go is optional; you only need it or Console credits if you want paid models or more usage than the free daily limit.
Sources
- OpenCode pinned free-tier issue #59387 (error list incl. the 1.18.0 string, v1 vs v2, version check, install commands, Desktop updater note, Go /connect fix, [email protected]): https://github.com/anomalyco/opencode/issues/59387 (verified 2026-10-31)
- OpenCode install docs (CLI, Desktop, mise and Windows notes, Docker tags): https://opencode.ai/v2/docs/ (verified 2026-10-31)
- OpenCode, Migrate from V1 (remove v1 first, breaking changes): https://opencode.ai/v2/docs/migrate-v1/ (verified 2026-10-31)
- OpenCode Console models (free models list, free models require OpenCode): https://opencode.ai/v2/docs/console/models/ (verified 2026-10-31)
- OpenCode Go docs (Go, Go Plus, Go Teams prices): https://opencode.ai/v2/docs/console/go/ (verified 2026-10-31)
- SuperAppMan/mix issue #1 (user report, “Error from provider (Console)” prefix, OpenCode 1.17.8): https://github.com/SuperAppMan/mix/issues/1 (verified 2026-10-31)
- winmin/evil-opencode issue #8 (user report of the same string in a fork): https://github.com/winmin/evil-opencode/issues/8 (verified 2026-10-31)