[key points]

Key points

• •Free AI tools Goose and Qwen3-coder offer a local, open-source alternative to paid coding assistants like Claude Code.
• •Setting up Goose and Qwen3-coder requires a powerful local machine but is relatively straightforward.
• •Initial tests show promise, but accuracy and the need for retries remain challenges.
• •The author details the installation process for Goose, Ollama, and Qwen3-coder on a Mac, noting it can also be done on Windows or Linux.
• •The author shares initial impressions, comparing the performance of this local setup to cloud-based alternatives and plans further testing with a larger project.