opencode ships built-in remote access — and we’re glad
When we started Cloud Link, reaching your machine from your phone meant paying for a connector. That is over: opencode v2.0.29 now pairs devices straight from the CLI or from Settings → Pairing, andopencode pair --remote exposes your machine through an OpenTunnel address for anyone using opencode. No subscription required.
We are genuinely happy about it. A missing feature that gets filled upstream is the best outcome for a gap, and it makes the whole ecosystem stronger. So: welcome, and congratulations to the opencode team. Here is the honest picture of what changed, and where Cloud Link still earns its place.
What opencode now does
opencode pairprints a one-time link and QR code; links work once and expire in five minutes.opencode pair --remoteexposes the server through a remote OpenTunnel address. The first run warns that it exposes your server and asks for confirmation;--yesskips the prompt for non-interactive use (added in v2.0.27).- The desktop app can do the same from Settings → Pairing(added in v2.0.29).
- Access requires your server password; sessions last 30 days, and changing the password signs every session out.
opencode serveruns the same server standalone for always-on or shared hosts, and an SSH port-forward covers the local-only case.
The comparison
opencode pair --remote | OpenCode Cloud Link | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free, part of opencode | €2.99/month via the App Store or Google Play |
| Setup | CLI command, or Settings → Pairing on the desktop, plus a confirm prompt | Install the app and pair from the tray |
| Pairing security | One-time link/QR with a five-minute expiry | Five-minute single-use QR plus approval on your machine before the tunnel starts |
| Access model | One shared server password; 30-day sessions | Per-phone signed, machine-scoped credentials that expire, plus a separate regenerable password for remote browsers |
| Address | Random OpenTunnel route hostname | Stable, opaque m-xxxx.opencodecloud.link across re-pairs and upgrades |
| Beyond OpenCode | The OpenCode server | Also exposes local services by path — dev servers, APIs, dashboards — private by default |
| Reliability | Background service you manage; changing a setting stops it until you start it again | Supervised: login, reboot, and network recovery, capped retries, wedged tunnels replaced |
| When you are away | The machine must stay awake | Optional Keep awake holds off idle sleep while agents run or you are connected — battery-aware, and it never overrides a closed lid |
| Interface | CLI-first | Tray app with the managed OpenCode web UI in its own window, a global config editor (MCP, language servers, plugins, raw JSON), and opt-in start at login |
| Toolchain | Your opencode install plus OpenTunnel | SHA-256-pinned OpenCode and cloudflared bundled into every installer |
Use both, seriously
Cloud Link installs alongside opencode and does not fight the built-in path. You can even adopt an existing OpenCode server you already trust instead of the managed one. Nothing needs uninstalling to try it.
The security difference, precisely
Both paths ship traffic over TLS. The practical difference is access control: the built-in path protects everything with a single server password that signs every session out when rotated, while Cloud Link gates the tunnel behind a local approval step, issues expiring, machine-scoped credentials per phone, and lets you invalidate browser access by regenerating one password in the tray — without touching your phone.
Where each fits
- Built-in remote is a great fit if you live in the terminal, want a free quick connection, and do not need approvals, service exposure, or a durable address.
- Cloud Link is for keeping a machine reachable every day without a terminal: managed supervision, approval-gated pairing, per-device credentials, exposed local services, and an address that stays put.
Whether you use one, the other, or both, we are glad this space has options now. If you want the managed version — approvals, local services, and an address that stays put — Cloud Link is ready.
Sources: opencode v2.0.29 (October 14, 2026) introduced remote device pairing; v2.0.27 (October 12, 2026) added the --remoteconfirmation prompt. Details in theopencode changelogand theweb and remote access docs.