DSCode

DSCode is an open source coding agent that runs entirely from your terminal, using DeepSeek V4 Flash as its default model while supporting a broad roster of providers including OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, and OpenRouter. It automates planning, editing, testing, and review directly inside real repositories, storing sessions locally as JSONL files and running commands in an OS level sandbox that blocks network access by default. The result is a transparent, cost aware coding assistant you can trust with your actual codebase.

The problem it addresses is familiar to anyone who has tried to bolt an AI onto their development workflow. Cloud hosted agents often feel like black boxes, sessions vanish when the browser tab closes, and cost tracking is an afterthought. DSCode flips those defaults. Sessions persist locally so you can resume, branch, or replay them. Every tool execution runs in a sandbox with explicit escalation required for risky operations. Token counts, cache hits, and estimated spending are visible in the status panel at any time, so you always know what you are burning through.

Under the hood, DSCode connects to your repository, reads any AGENTS.md or CLAUDE.md project instructions you have defined, and delegates tasks through a TUI or one shot prompt mode. It supports parallel execution with up to four agents running simultaneously in isolated Git worktrees, which is useful for exploratory coding where you want multiple approaches tried at once. Each successful edit creates a conflict safe checkpoint, so you can roll back without losing work. The sandbox uses Seatbelt on macOS and Docker on Linux and Windows, with network access gated behind an explicit flag.

It is aimed at developers who want local control over their agent sessions, teams that need transparent usage reporting for budgeting, and anyone who prefers open source tooling they can audit and extend. If you have been using Claude Code or Codex and want something self hosted with DeepSeek pricing, DSCode is a direct alternative.

What sets it apart is the combination of multi provider routing, local first persistence, and OS level sandboxing in a single open source package. Most competing agents lock you into one provider or require cloud accounts for session storage. DSCode keeps everything on your machine, routes to whichever model you configure, and exposes hooks, MCP support, and an RPC mode for IDE integration. A VS Code extension exists for local use, though it is not yet on the Marketplace.

Access is free under the MIT license. You install via npm, connect your DeepSeek or other provider API key, point at a repository, and start delegating. DeepSeek costs are reflected in the runtime with disk prefix caching, so you benefit from their one million token context and aggressive cache pricing. It is an early project with a smaller community than the big commercial agents, but the core workflow is solid and the codebase is readable if you want to contribute.