Open-source coding models have improved a lot over the past year, and it feels like there's now a model for almost every workflow. Whether it's code generation, debugging, refactoring, or documentation, developers seem to have very different favorites.
I've been exploring different models lately using LekhAI's model directory, and it made me realize just how many options are available now. That got me wondering what everyone is actually using in their day-to-day work.
A few questions for the community:
- Which open-source coding model has become your go-to in 2026?
- What programming languages or frameworks do you mainly use it for?
- Are you running it locally or accessing it through an API?
- Has a smaller model (7B–14B) surprised you with its performance?
- What features or capabilities matter most to you when choosing a coding model?
I'm more interested in real-world experiences than benchmark scores. Sometimes the model that feels the most reliable in daily development isn't the one at the top of every leaderboard.
Looking forward to hearing what everyone is using and what has worked best for your workflow.