Error: OpenCode 1.18.0 or newer is required to use the free tier

you're on a pre-1.18 v1 build. We reproduced it on a clean npm setup and fixed it on screen:

https://youtu.be/C8hHTSLNcYs

What we tested (Oct 31, 2026, npm on Linux, free model opencode/glm-5.3-flash-free)

• OpenCode 1.17.20: failed with the error above (exit code 1)
• OpenCode 1.18.0 and 1.19.5: still answered on the free tier in our test
• OpenCode v2 (2.2.5): answered "PONG", exit code 0

OpenCode's maintainers say v1 "no longer supports free models and only gets fixes for critical bugs", so moving to v2 is the safe fix even if you're on 1.18 or later.

The fix (npm, as tested)

opencode --version            # check what you have
npm uninstall -g opencode-ai  # remove v1 (v1 and v2 both use the "opencode" command)
npm i -g @opencode/cli        # install v2
opencode --version            # should show v2
opencode run -m opencode/glm-5.3-flash-free "Reply with just the word PONG"

Other install methods (curl script, bun, Homebrew, the v2 Desktop app) are listed by OpenCode; we didn't reproduce those. OpenCode says the v1 Desktop app's updater keeps you on 1.x, so download v2 manually from the OpenCode v2 docs. Using plugins or custom clients? Read Migrate from V1 first.

Sources

• OpenCode issue #59387 (pinned): Free tier issues
• OpenCode v2 free models
• OpenCode v2.2.5 release

Comparing AI coding agents? See our best AI coding agents picks.

As of Oct 31, 2026. Picks are editorial and unpaid. This is Episode 1 of What Broke This Week by Lali Publications: one real AI coding tool break, reproduced and fixed, every Friday.