Freedom251 › AI Coding Assistants
Forge
What Forge is
Forge is a local AI coding assistant and language-model evaluation tool available through a VS Code extension. It provides inline completions, chat, a coding agent, codebase indexing, terminal access, context management, automatic error recovery, voice input and output, and plugins. Forge also evaluates models with 74 adversarial scenarios across eight categories, including safety, exfiltration, prompt injection, tool misuse, and context integrity. Its behavioral reports are described as Ed25519-signed and linked in a tamper-evident SHA-512 hash chain for independent verification. The assistant can run locally with Ollama or connect to OpenAI and Anthropic; listed model options also include API-accessible and locally hosted systems served by vLLM and llama.cpp. Forge says local models keep code on the user’s machine and telemetry is off by default. Full offline use requires a local model. Community is free forever with unlimited tokens; Pro is $19 a month and Power is $79 a month.
Who it suits
Forge suits VS Code users wanting local coding assistance and teams evaluating model behavior. Its audit features also fit organizations needing signed assessment reports.
What it does well
- VS Code extension offers completion and chat
- Includes coding agent and terminal access
- Runs adversarial tests across eight categories
- Reports use Ed25519 signatures and SHA-512 chaining
- Community tier has unlimited tokens
What to know first
- Paid tiers require initial internet license activation
- Full offline use requires a locally installed model
- Supported IDE listed as VS Code
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | Cancel anytime · 3 seats · Genome persistence and sync · Team genome sharing · Shipwright release management · Smart auto-commit | $19 a month |
| Power | Cancel anytime · 10 seats · Enterprise mode and audit export · Fleet analytics · HIPAA/SOC2 compliance reporting · Priority support | $79 a month |
| Community | Free forever · Full local AI assistant · 60 commands · 28 tools · unlimited tokens | Free |
| Pro | One-time payment · 3 seats · Genome persistence and sync · Team genome sharing · Shipwright release management · Smart auto-commit | $199, paid once |
| Power | One-time payment · 10 seats · Enterprise mode and audit export · Fleet analytics · HIPAA/SOC2 compliance reporting · Priority support | $999, paid once |
As forge-nc.dev lists them, read 9 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
Forge combines everyday coding assistance with structured language-model testing and verifiable reports. Choose it when local operation, VS Code integration, or model assessment is central to your workflow.
Facts from Forge's own pages
- Coding agent
- Yes · forge-nc.dev, 22 Sept 2026
- Audit delivery
- The maker says an audit typically takes one to three business days including intake, analysis, and report generation, depending on model count and engagement complexity. · forge-nc.dev, 9 Oct 2026
- Audit pricing
- The maker lists Deployment Assessment at $3,000, Startup Model Certification at $7,500, Enterprise Model Certification at $30,000, and Continuous Monitoring at $1,500 per month. · forge-nc.dev, 9 Oct 2026
- Chat assistance
- Yes · forge-nc.dev, 22 Sept 2026
- Codebase indexing
- Yes · forge-nc.dev, 22 Sept 2026
- Code completion
- Yes · forge-nc.dev, 22 Sept 2026
- Coding features
- The coding assistant includes inline completions and chat through a VS Code extension, context management, automatic error recovery, voice input and output, and a plugin system. · forge-nc.dev, 9 Oct 2026
- Community limits
- The Community tier is described as free forever, with no trial, time limit, feature walls, or usage cap on tokens. · forge-nc.dev, 9 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · forge-nc.dev, 22 Sept 2026
- Integrations
- Forge runs locally with Ollama and can connect to OpenAI and Anthropic; its audit page also lists API-accessible models and locally hosted models such as those served by vLLM and llama.cpp. · forge-nc.dev, 9 Oct 2026
- Internet requirement
- The maker says paid tiers require a one-time internet connection for initial license activation. · forge-nc.dev, 9 Oct 2026
- Model testing
- Forge advertises 74 adversarial scenarios across eight attack categories, including safety, exfiltration, prompt injection, tool misuse, and context integrity. · forge-nc.dev, 9 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- The maker says local model use keeps code on the user's machine, telemetry is off by default, and full offline use requires a locally installed model. · forge-nc.dev, 9 Oct 2026
- Product
- Forge is a local AI coding assistant that also tests language models and produces signed behavioral assessment reports. · forge-nc.dev, 9 Oct 2026
- Report verification
- Forge says its reports are Ed25519-signed and sealed in a tamper-evident SHA-512 hash chain that can be independently verified. · forge-nc.dev, 9 Oct 2026
- Support
- The Power plan includes priority support. · forge-nc.dev, 9 Oct 2026
- Supported IDEs
- VS Code · forge-nc.dev, 22 Sept 2026
- System requirements
- The project lists Windows 10/11, Linux Ubuntu 20.04 or later, and macOS 12 or later as supported operating systems. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Terminal access
- Yes · forge-nc.dev, 22 Sept 2026
Where Forge stands on Freedom251
- AI Coding Assistants#35 of 103