Qwen Code

Name: Qwen Code
Author: Qwen (Alibaba)

Qwen (Alibaba)

Free

Get Open in MLX Node

MLX Score3.0

PriceFreeno paid plan

RunsMac or cloud

DeveloperQwen (Alibaba)

LicenceOpenApache-2.0

CategoryCoding

MacMacCommand line

Qwen Code is a coding agent for the terminal, with a desktop app, a web UI, editor plugins and chat integrations. It has memory, skills, subagents and MCP support, and switches between providers at run time.

Install it with the standalone script, npm (Node.js 22 or later) or Homebrew, then run qwen and /auth in your project.

The tool is free. Its free sign-in tier ended on 15 April 2026, so you now bring an Alibaba Cloud Coding Plan, an API key, or a local model through Ollama or vLLM.

How to Get It

Terminal

curl -fsSL https://qwen-code-assets.oss-cn-hangzhou.aliyuncs.com/installation/install-qwen-standalone.sh | bash

npm

npm install -g @qwen-code/qwen-code@latest

Homebrew

brew install qwen-code

WebsiteVisit

Official downloads only. MLX never re-hosts an app, and never runs a command for you.

MLX Score

3.0out of 5

Homebrew installs (90 days)ahead of 58%

GitHub starsahead of 36%

npm / PyPI downloads (30 days)ahead of 58%

GitHub: 28,892 stars, last push 2026-11-02 · read 2026-11-02Homebrew: 12,405 installs in 90 days · read 2026-11-02npm: 327,247 downloads (30 days) · read 2026-11-02

Ranked against the coding agents listings, from real public data only. How the score works.

Pairs Well With

OllamaRun locally

Qwen3 Coder 30B A3B InstructModels

Information

Developer: Qwen (Alibaba)
Category: Coding agents
Price: Free (Free and open source. The free Qwen OAuth tier ended on 15 Apr 2026; use an Alibaba Cloud Coding Plan or an API key.)
Your data: On your Mac or in the cloud
Licence: Apache-2.0
Mac: Runs on a Mac (no minimum stated)
iPhone and iPad: —
Links: Website · GitHub
Facts checked: 2026-11-01