Qwen Code

// Overview

Qwen Code is an open-source AI coding agent that runs in your terminal. It is built and tuned for the Qwen series of models, and it helps you understand large codebases, automate repetitive work, and write and refactor code without leaving the command line. It is a fork of Google's Gemini CLI, with parser-level changes that make it work better with Qwen-Coder models.

It is flexible about which model you connect to. You can use OpenAI-, Anthropic-, or Gemini-compatible APIs, the Alibaba Cloud Coding Plan, providers like OpenRouter or Fireworks AI, or your own API key. You can also point it at a local model running through Ollama or vLLM, so no cloud account is required. Models, keys, and defaults are all configured in a single settings file at ~/.qwen/settings.json.

Beyond the interactive terminal UI, Qwen Code can run headless for scripts and CI, integrate with VS Code, Zed, and JetBrains IDEs, run as a shared local daemon, and be driven from TypeScript, Python, and Java SDKs.

// What it does

• Terminal-first agent that understands large codebases, refactors functions, and generates tests through chat
• Works with many providers: OpenAI-, Anthropic-, and Gemini-compatible APIs, OpenRouter, Fireworks AI, the Alibaba Cloud Coding Plan, or your own key
• Runs local models through Ollama or vLLM with no cloud account or API key needed
• Headless mode (qwen -p) for scripts, automation, and CI/CD pipelines
• IDE integration for VS Code, Zed, and JetBrains, plus TypeScript, Python, and Java SDKs
• Daemon mode (qwen serve) exposes one shared agent over HTTP+SSE so several clients reuse the same session

// Getting started

Qwen Code needs Node.js 22 or later. Install the CLI, start an interactive session, and pick an authentication method on first run.

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

cd your-project/
qwen

{
  "modelProviders": {
    "openai": [
      {
        "id": "qwen3.6-plus",
        "name": "qwen3.6-plus",
        "baseUrl": "https://dashscope.aliyuncs.com/compatible-mode/v1",
        "envKey": "DASHSCOPE_API_KEY"
      }
    ]
  },
  "env": { "DASHSCOPE_API_KEY": "sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxx" },
  "security": { "auth": { "selectedType": "openai" } },
  "model": { "name": "qwen3.6-plus" }
}

cd your-project/
qwen -p "your question"

Commands and code are distilled from the project's own documentation — always check the official repo for the latest.

// When to use it

• Explore an unfamiliar codebase by asking what the project does and how its structure is laid out
• Refactor functions and generate unit tests directly from the terminal
• Automate code tasks in CI/CD pipelines with headless single-prompt runs
• Run a fully local coding agent against Qwen models served by Ollama or vLLM, with no cloud account
• Drive the agent programmatically from TypeScript, Python, or Java SDKs in your own tools

// How Qwen Code compares

Qwen Code alongside other open-source autonomous coding agents tools AI/TLDR tracks, ranked by GitHub stars.