Goose: Pick it and plan

This is the first of eight pages for Goose, and it helps you decide whether Goose fits you before you install anything. It covers who Goose suits, which models it can use and what they cost, and the catches you should know about first.

These pages are for you if you chose Goose instead of Agent Zero. Goose is a free agent made by Block, and it is now run by the Agentic AI Foundation, part of the Linux Foundation.

Goose is a normal app on your real computer. Agent Zero runs in a container, but Goose does not, so it works directly on your real files. That is why the safety steps on the next page matter more than anything else in these pages.

Pick this if

• You want a normal desktop app on your real Windows 11 PC or Mac, and you do not want to set up Docker.
• You do not need to text the agent from your phone.
• You want the easiest install. Goose got the best install score of the six agents this guide compared: 20 out of 25 points.

The big catch is that when you first install it, Goose runs in Autonomous mode. The Goose docs say that in this mode it "can modify files, use extensions, and delete files without requiring approval." You will turn that off before the first job.

Goose came fifth of six overall, with 63.5 points out of 100. Its install score was high, but its safety score was the lowest of the six, 2 out of 20, because Autonomous mode is the default, and its phone score was low too. The full scoring is in the landscape chapter.

Before you start

The Goose program is free, but the model is a separate choice. Read Pick your model and budget if you have not already, because it has the full price table.

The Goose docs give two ways to start for free:

• A Google Gemini key from Google AI Studio, which does not need a card. Google may use free-tier prompts to improve its products.
• A Groq key from Groq Console.

This guide could not confirm how much free use either key gives you in November 2026. Whichever you pick, use your everyday account on the computer, not an administrator account.

The models Goose supports and what they cost

Goose does not come with a model, so the first thing it asks you for is a provider. The providers table in the Goose docs listed 47 named providers on 14 November 2026, including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, Groq, and OpenRouter.

Here is how the cost works for each kind of model:

• A free key. Google Gemini and Groq both have a free tier that the Goose docs describe, and this guide starts you on Gemini. Every free tier has a rate limit, so a long day of jobs can run out of answers.
• A paid key. Anthropic, OpenAI, and the other cloud providers bill pay-as-you-go, by the token. The docs say Goose "currently works best with Claude 4 models," which cost money, so set a spend limit at the provider before you paste a paid key.
• A local model. Goose can use Ollama and LM Studio, which run local models at no charge per use. A local model needs plenty of RAM, and one that cannot use tools can only chat, because the docs say all Goose extensions must then be turned off.
• An account sign-in. The welcome screen also offers ChatGPT Subscription, which connects Goose to a ChatGPT plan instead of a key. Read Subscription sign-ins before you choose it.

For dollar amounts, use the table in Pick your model and budget rather than any number on this page, because prices change often.

The catches

• Autonomous is the default. Until you change it, Goose can change and delete your real files without asking.
• No folder lock. Goose works on your real computer, as you, and the new folder is only where you ask it to work.
• Approval is a judgment call. Goose asks only for actions it thinks are writes, and the model makes that call, so read every request.
• Prompt-injection protection is off. Goose has a prompt-injection detection setting, but it starts off, so stay logged out of accounts that matter.
• No dollar limit inside Goose. Any limit is the one you set at your provider.
• Free models are weaker. The docs say Goose works best with Claude 4 models, which cost money, and a model that cannot use tools can only chat.
• Phone is weak. It is only an experimental Telegram gateway, and the computer has to stay on for it to answer.
• Version labels do not match yet. The download buttons use "stable" files from 10 November 2026, while the newest numbered release is v1.59.1. This guide could not confirm which version is in the stable files.
• Some things this guide could not confirm: the lowest Windows or macOS version Goose needs, whether the desktop app runs on Windows ARM PCs, and how much free use the Gemini and Groq keys give you.
• Full browser control is a separate skill you install. The built-in web search can look things up, but clicking around websites for you needs another add-on.
• Old names remain. On Windows, Goose's settings folder is still named Block\goose, and the Homebrew name is still block-goose.

Sources

Checked 14 November 2026.

• Goose research notes.
• Landscape and scores.
• Goose install guide, which lists the welcome-screen choices, including ChatGPT Subscription.
• Goose permission modes.
• Goose providers, for the provider count, the free tiers, local models, and "works best with Claude 4."
• Goose environment variables.
• Goose updating guide.
• Telegram gateway (experimental).
• Goose GitHub releases.

Next

Next: Install and first job.