Forge review
A broad free coding agent for VS Code, with local models, planning, recovery, and security scanning.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Nov 2026
Forge is a local-first AI coding assistant for developers who want code completion, chat, agent actions, and codebase understanding in VS Code. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux through desktop and self-hosted deployment options. The assistant can read, write, and edit files, perform Git operations, index a codebase for semantic search, and work through console or graphical workflows. Its Community plan is suited to solo developers and small teams seeking a free starting point, while broader company-size support extends through enterprise-oriented capabilities.
The free Community plan includes a full local AI assistant, all 60 commands and 28 tools, nine-layer security, voice input and output, web search, and unlimited tokens. Pro adds Genome persistence and sync, team genome sharing, Shipwright release management, and smart auto-commit. Power adds enterprise mode, audit export, a fleet analytics dashboard, HIPAA and SOC2 compliance reporting, and priority support. This structure makes the free tier unusually broad for individual development, while the paid tiers focus on continuity, collaboration, release workflows, and organizational oversight.
Forge’s ecosystem is practical but focused: its VS Code extension provides inline completions and chat, while integrations include Ollama, OpenAI, Anthropic, web search, and Git. Security scanning, threat logging, automatic context recovery, and model-assurance features add control around agent activity. The main trade-off is platform breadth: the documented IDE support centers on VS Code, so teams seeking a wider editor strategy should look elsewhere. Forge fits developers and organizations that value local execution, guarded workflows, and codebase tools; it is less suitable for buyers who prioritize many native IDE integrations or support beyond community and documentation channels.
Questions about Forge
What does Forge run on? Windows, macOS and Linux. It runs self-hosted and as a desktop app.
What does Forge integrate with? 5 integrations: Ollama, OpenAI, Anthropic, web search and Git.
Who is Forge built for? Solo users, small businesses, mid-market companies and enterprises (our editorial estimate).
Forge pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Community includes all 60 commands, 28 tools, and unlimited tokens.
- Planning includes test and lint verification gates plus error recovery.
- Runs locally or connects to Ollama, OpenAI, and Anthropic.
- Where it doesn't
- Its documented IDE support is centered on VS Code.
- Paid tiers are needed for sync, team sharing, and release management.
- Support channels are limited to community resources and documentation.
Forge fact sheet, pricing and score →
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