Reges Code · LIKE A KING INC.

A free local-first AI code editor that checks whether the agent actually did the work

A free local-first AI code editor for Windows that checks whether its agent actually did the work.

It is 11 p.m. and you ask your coding agent to fix a failing test. It answers: "Done! Files created, app ready at :5173." You open the folder. Nothing changed. No file was written and no command ran. The agent described work it never did, and you only found out because you looked.

That scene is the starting point for Reges Code, a free AI code editor we at LIKE A KING INC. build and ship for Windows. This post explains what it is, how it behaves, what it costs, and where it is still rough.

What is Reges Code?

Reges Code is, in the site's own words, "the AI code editor that runs on your machine." It is a desktop editor that works with local models first, falls back to free cloud models when you want them, and includes a built-in team of models called Reges Swarm. It is free while in beta. The current version is 1.0.21.

It keeps the editor you know. It supports Open VSX extensions, so themes, language support, debuggers and Git tooling carry over. It also ships built-in MCP servers, including one for Swarm, and lets you add any MCP server through your config.

What problem does it solve?

Two problems, really.

The first is cost and privacy. Hosted AI editors send your prompts and code to someone else's servers and often put the good models behind a credit meter. If you already own a GPU and run models locally, you want an editor that starts from that machine, not from a login screen.

The second is trust. Agents sometimes announce work they never did. Reges Code compares what a reply claims with the tools the turn actually ran. If a reply says "files created" but the turn wrote no files and ran no commands, the editor says so, right under the reply.

How does it work?

Local first. On launch it looks for LM Studio, Ollama, vLLM, llama.cpp, Jan and Lemonade on your machine and picks up the models you already have. With a local model, your code does not leave the computer.

Free fallback, in a fixed order. If a free cloud model is rate-limited, it moves to the next free option and tells you. The order is the OpenRouter free router, then other free models, then your local model. When OpenRouter's daily free limit is reached, it goes straight to your local model. It never switches you to a paid model on its own. Paid routers are used only if you choose them.

Reges Swarm. Instead of one model guessing, five roles work in a pipeline, in parallel, or as a debate: an architect plans, a coder writes, a reviewer and a security pass read the result, and a judge picks. Presets exist for build, code review and research. By default Swarm uses only loaded local models and free models, unless you allow paid ones.

The honesty check. The site shows two examples. In the first, an agent says "Done! Files created, app ready at :5173" and the editor adds a warning: this turn wrote no files and ran no commands. In the second, a fix arrives with evidence attached: the agent read math.ts, wrote the change (a - b to a + b), ran the test, and add(2, 3) = 5 passed.

A CLI too. From 1.0.17, typing reges in any terminal starts the same agent. It finds local models automatically, can use a free cloud model with no key, and asks before every edit, command and web fetch. Presets are reges free, cheap, best and local.

Updates. The app downloads updates in the background, checks the SHA-256 of each file and installs on the next restart.

Who is it for?

Developers who already run local models, or who want to start without paying for tokens. It also suits people who are wary of agents that overstate their work, and anyone who wants a team-of-models workflow without wiring it up themselves. It targets Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit.

How much does it cost?

It is free while in beta. Local models and free cloud models cost nothing. There is no account. The site does not publish a post-beta price. A separate company page, regescore.pro, lists "Reges Code Pro" among planned paid plans "as they ship", so you should expect paid tiers later, not a promise that today's free beta lasts forever.

How is it different from the obvious alternatives?

Hosted-first editors such as Cursor or GitHub Copilot are built around cloud models and an account. Reges Code starts from the model on your own machine and treats the cloud as the fallback.

VS Code with a local-model extension gives you a similar local setup. The difference we are betting on is the bundle: automatic detection of six local runtimes, a defined free-model fallback chain, the Swarm pipeline, and the claim check, all built in.

Running Ollama or LM Studio directly gives you a model server and a chat window. Reges Code sits on top of those servers and adds the editor, agent tools and checks.

None of these is wrong. They optimize for different starting points.

What it can't do yet

• Windows only. Linux and macOS builds are "in progress", not available.
• The installer is not code-signed. Windows SmartScreen will show "Publisher: Unknown". You choose More info, then Run anyway. Updates installed from inside the app do not show the warning.
• It is a beta. Pricing after beta is not published.
• Source code is not linked on the site, so we do not claim it is open source.
• The honesty check compares claims with tool calls. It does not prove the code is correct. Run your tests.

What's next?

Linux and macOS builds are in progress. Paid tiers are signposted on the company site, with no dates given.

The business behind it

Reges Code is one product in the Reges family from LIKE A KING INC., a small New York software studio. The market logic is simple: developers are adopting AI assistants quickly, and many have capable GPUs and strong privacy preferences. The wedge is a free, local-first editor with no account and no credit wall. Distribution is direct download from regescode.com with background updates. The revenue model is stated as plan, not result: a free beta now, with paid tiers listed on the company site as they ship. We are not publishing user numbers, revenue or growth figures here because we have nothing verified to cite. What we can point to is the product itself, which you can install and judge.

FAQ

Is Reges Code free?

Yes, while in beta. Local and free cloud models cost nothing, and it never switches to a paid model on its own.

Does my code leave my computer?

Not with a local model. If you choose a cloud model, only the prompts you send go to that provider.

What happens when a free model is rate-limited?

It tries the next free option, then your local model, and tells you.

Which operating systems work?

Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit) today. Linux and macOS are in progress.

Why does Windows show a warning?

The beta installer is not code-signed yet.

Does it have a terminal version?

Yes, reges, included from 1.0.17.

Try it: https://regescode.com

Written with AI assistance and reviewed by the LIKE A KING INC. team. LIKE A KING INC. is a software studio in New York.