HelixML

Qwen Code

Run the open-source Qwen Code agent against any OpenAI-compatible model inside a Helix sandbox.

Qwen Code is an open-source coding agent built around the Qwen models, but its harness is provider-agnostic: it talks OpenAI-compatible JSON, so any model served behind that API (including non-Qwen ones) works. Helix runs the qwen CLI as a custom ACP agent inside the sandbox desktop, surfaced through Zed's agent panel.

Pick Qwen Code when you want a fully open-source agent stack, you're running local models on a Helix runner, or you need to point the agent at an OpenAI-compatible endpoint that isn't Anthropic or OpenAI proper.

Selecting Qwen Code for a project

Set the runtime to qwen_code and choose a model:

apiVersion: helix.ml/v1alpha1
kind: Project
metadata:
  name: my-app
 
spec:
  description: "App using Qwen Code"
 
  repositories:
    - url: "https://github.com/org/my-app"
      branch: main
      primary: true
 
  agent:
    name: "Qwen Coder"
    runtime: qwen_code
    model: qwen3-coder-480b
    provider: helix

How the model is wired up

Helix routes the agent through its own /v1 proxy in OpenAI-compatible mode, prefixing the model name with the provider you chose. That gives you one consistent path regardless of where the model actually lives:

  • Local models — point provider at a Helix runner running Qwen, Llama, or any other supported model. Traffic never leaves your infrastructure.
  • Hosted OpenAI-compatible providers — Together, OpenRouter, Groq, vLLM, anywhere that speaks the standard.
  • OpenAI proper — works the same way; just set provider: openai.

Configure providers under Account → AI Providers.

When to pick Qwen Code

  • You want a fully open-source agent harness, not a vendor CLI.
  • You want to run the agent against local models for data-privacy or air-gapped reasons.
  • You're already invested in OpenAI-compatible tooling and want the agent to match.

See Claude Code if you want Anthropic's official agent with Claude models, Goose for project-scoped recipes, or Zed Agent for the built-in in-editor agent.