OpenCode vs PearAIUpdated 2026-03-16

SUMMARY

OpenCode (CLI) uses markdown configuration while PearAI (Editor) uses markdown. They differ on 4 of 11 compared features. Both tools provide AI-assisted development but take different approaches to project configuration.

FEATURE COMPARISON

FeatureOpenCodePearAI
Config formatmarkdownmarkdown
Hierarchy support
Global config
Project config
Subdirectory scoping
File inclusion / imports
Ignore file
IDE integrationCLIEditor
Schema / structureFree-form (Markdown)Free-form (Markdown)
Git committed
EncodingUTF-8UTF-8

FILE MAPPING

PurposeOpenCodePearAI
Project instructionsAGENTS.mdAGENTS.md

SIDE-BY-SIDE CODE SAMPLES

OpenCode
AGENTS.md
markdown
# Project Instructions

## Overview
This is a TypeScript monorepo using pnpm workspaces.

## Code Style
- Use strict TypeScript with no implicit any
- Prefer functional components with hooks
- All exports should be named (no default exports)

## Architecture
- /packages/core — shared business logic
- /packages/ui — React component library
- /apps/web — Next.js frontend

## Build & Test
Run tests with: pnpm test
Build all packages: pnpm build
All PRs must have >80% coverage on changed files.

## Conventions
- Use conventional commits (feat:, fix:, chore:)
- Prefer composition over inheritance
- See @docs/api-guidelines.md for API design patterns

PearAI
.pearai/rules
markdown
# PearAI Project Rules

## Framework
- Next.js 15 App Router with TypeScript
- Drizzle ORM with PostgreSQL
- TailwindCSS v4 for styling

## Patterns
- Use server actions for mutations
- Colocate loading.tsx and error.tsx with page routes
- Prefer RSC; add "use client" only when needed

## Naming
- Components: PascalCase (UserProfile.tsx)
- Utilities: camelCase (formatDate.ts)
- Database tables: snake_case

## Dependencies
- Do NOT add new dependencies without asking
- Use date-fns for date manipulation
- Use zod for all validation

## Commands
- Dev: pnpm dev
- Build: pnpm build
- Lint: pnpm lint

KEY DIFFERENCES

1. Hierarchy support

OpenCode: Supported. PearAI: Not supported.

2. Global config

OpenCode: Supported. PearAI: Not supported.

3. Subdirectory scoping

OpenCode: Supported. PearAI: Not supported.

4. IDE integration

OpenCode: CLI. PearAI: Editor.

WHICH SHOULD I USE?

Recommendation

Choose based on your IDE/CLI preference. If you use OpenCode, configure AGENTS.md. If you use PearAI, configure .pearai/rules. Many projects include config files for multiple tools so each team member can use their preferred editor.

PORTABILITY TIP

sync-instructions.sh
bash
# Maintain a single source of truth:
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md CLAUDE.md
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md .cursorrules
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md AGENTS.md

SEE ALSO

agentconfig.ing2026-03-16COMPARE(1)