fix(models): sort free models by launch priority

packages/app/src/components/dialog-manage-models.tsx

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { popularProviders } from "@/hooks/use-providers"
 import { useLanguage } from "@/context/language"
 import { useDialog } from "@opencode-ai/ui/context/dialog"
 import { DialogSelectProvider } from "./dialog-select-provider"
+import { sortModels } from "@/utils/model-sort"
 
 export const DialogManageModels: Component = () => {
   const local = useLocal()
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ export const DialogManageModels: Component = () => {
         key={(x) => `${x?.provider?.id}:${x?.id}`}
         items={local.model.list()}
         filterKeys={["provider.name", "name", "id"]}
-        sortBy={(a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name)}
+        sortBy={sortModels}
         groupBy={(x) => x.provider.id}
         groupHeader={(group) => {
           const provider = group.items[0].provider

packages/app/src/components/dialog-select-model.tsx

@@ -12,9 +12,7 @@ import { List } from "@opencode-ai/ui/list"
 import { Tooltip } from "@opencode-ai/ui/tooltip"
 import { ModelTooltip } from "./model-tooltip"
 import { useLanguage } from "@/context/language"
-
-const isFree = (provider: string, cost: { input: number } | undefined) =>
-  provider === "opencode" && (!cost || cost.input === 0)
+import { isFreeModel, sortModels } from "@/utils/model-sort"
 
 type ModelState = ReturnType<typeof useLocal>["model"]
 
@@ -44,7 +42,7 @@ const ModelList: Component<{
       items={models}
       current={model.current()}
       filterKeys={["provider.name", "name", "id"]}
-      sortBy={(a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name)}
+      sortBy={sortModels}
       groupBy={(x) => x.provider.name}
       sortGroupsBy={(a, b) => {
         const aProvider = a.items[0].provider.id
@@ -58,7 +56,7 @@ const ModelList: Component<{
           class="w-full"
           placement="right-start"
           gutter={12}
-          value={<ModelTooltip model={item} latest={item.latest} free={isFree(item.provider.id, item.cost)} />}
+          value={<ModelTooltip model={item} latest={item.latest} free={isFreeModel(item)} />}
         >
           {node}
         </Tooltip>
@@ -73,7 +71,7 @@ const ModelList: Component<{
       {(i) => (
         <div class="w-full flex items-center gap-x-2 text-13-regular">
           <span class="truncate">{i.name}</span>
-          <Show when={isFree(i.provider.id, i.cost)}>
+          <Show when={isFreeModel(i)}>
             <Tag>{language.t("model.tag.free")}</Tag>
           </Show>
           <Show when={i.latest}>

packages/app/src/components/settings-models.tsx

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { useLanguage } from "@/context/language"
 import { useModels } from "@/context/models"
 import { popularProviders } from "@/hooks/use-providers"
 import { SettingsList } from "./settings-list"
+import { sortModels } from "@/utils/model-sort"
 
 type ModelItem = ReturnType<ReturnType<typeof useModels>["list"]>[number]
 
@@ -39,7 +40,7 @@ export const SettingsModels: Component = () => {
     items: (_filter) => models.list(),
     key: (x) => `${x.provider.id}:${x.id}`,
     filterKeys: ["provider.name", "name", "id"],
-    sortBy: (a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name),
+    sortBy: sortModels,
     groupBy: (x) => x.provider.id,
     sortGroupsBy: (a, b) => {
       const aIndex = popularProviders.indexOf(a.category)

packages/app/src/utils/model-sort.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test"
+import { sortModels } from "./model-sort"
+
+function model(input: { id: string; name: string; release_date: string; cost?: number }) {
+  return {
+    id: input.id,
+    name: input.name,
+    release_date: input.release_date,
+    provider: { id: "opencode" },
+    cost: { input: input.cost ?? 0 },
+  }
+}
+
+describe("sortModels", () => {
+  test("pins Big Pickle before free models sorted by release date", () => {
+    expect(
+      [
+        model({ id: "older-free", name: "Older Free", release_date: "2026-01-01" }),
+        model({ id: "paid", name: "Paid", release_date: "2026-05-01", cost: 1 }),
+        model({ id: "newer-free", name: "Newer Free", release_date: "2026-05-01" }),
+        model({ id: "big-pickle", name: "Big Pickle", release_date: "2025-10-17" }),
+      ].sort(sortModels).map((item) => item.id),
+    ).toEqual(["big-pickle", "newer-free", "older-free", "paid"])
+  })
+})

packages/app/src/utils/model-sort.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+type SortableModel = {
+  id: string
+  name: string
+  release_date: string
+  provider: { id: string }
+  cost?: { input: number }
+}
+
+export function isFreeModel(model: { provider: { id: string }; cost?: { input: number } }) {
+  return model.provider.id === "opencode" && (!model.cost || model.cost.input === 0)
+}
+
+export function sortModels(a: SortableModel, b: SortableModel) {
+  const aFree = isFreeModel(a)
+  const bFree = isFreeModel(b)
+  if (aFree && !bFree) return -1
+  if (!aFree && bFree) return 1
+  if (aFree && bFree) {
+    if (a.id !== b.id) {
+      if (a.id === "big-pickle") return -1
+      if (b.id === "big-pickle") return 1
+    }
+    return b.release_date.localeCompare(a.release_date) || a.name.localeCompare(b.name)
+  }
+  return a.name.localeCompare(b.name)
+}

packages/opencode/src/cli/cmd/run/footer.command.tsx

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { RunFooterMenu, createFooterMenuState, type RunFooterMenuItem } from "./
 import { formatBindings } from "./keymap.shared"
 import type { RunFooterTheme } from "./theme"
 import type { FooterKeybinds, FooterSubagentTab, RunCommand, RunInput, RunProvider } from "./types"
+import { sortModelOptions } from "@/cli/util/model-sort"
 
 type PanelEntry = RunFooterMenuItem & {
   category: string
@@ -25,6 +26,8 @@ type ModelEntry = PanelEntry & {
   providerID: string
   modelID: string
   providerName: string
+  releaseDate: string
+  free: boolean
   current: boolean
 }
 
@@ -674,9 +677,10 @@ export function RunModelSelectBody(props: {
           .map(([modelID, model]) => {
             const title = model.name ?? modelID
             const current = props.current()?.providerID === provider.id && props.current()?.modelID === modelID
+            const free = model.cost?.input === 0 && provider.id === "opencode"
             const footer = current
               ? "current"
-              : model.cost?.input === 0 && provider.id === "opencode"
+              : free
                 ? "Free"
                 : title !== modelID
                   ? modelID
@@ -688,6 +692,9 @@ export function RunModelSelectBody(props: {
               category: provider.name,
               display: title,
               footer,
+              title,
+              releaseDate: model.release_date,
+              free,
               keywords: `${provider.id} ${provider.name} ${modelID} ${title} ${footer ?? ""}`,
               current,
             }
@@ -704,7 +711,7 @@ export function RunModelSelectBody(props: {
           return name
         }
 
-        return a.display.localeCompare(b.display)
+        return sortModelOptions(a, b)
       }),
   )
   const items = createMemo<ModelEntry[]>(() => match(query(), entries()))

packages/opencode/src/cli/cmd/tui/component/dialog-model.tsx

@@ -70,20 +70,25 @@ export function DialogModel(props: { providerID?: string }) {
           entries(),
           filter(([_, info]) => info.status !== "deprecated"),
           filter(([_, info]) => (props.providerID ? info.providerID === props.providerID : true)),
-          map(([model, info]) => ({
+          map(([model, info]) => {
+            const free = info.cost?.input === 0 && provider.id === "opencode"
+            return {
               value: { providerID: provider.id, modelID: model },
               title: info.name ?? model,
-            releaseDate: info.release_date,
               description: favorites.some((item) => item.providerID === provider.id && item.modelID === model)
                 ? "(Favorite)"
                 : undefined,
               category: connected() ? provider.name : undefined,
               disabled: provider.id === "opencode" && model.includes("-nano"),
-            footer: info.cost?.input === 0 && provider.id === "opencode" ? "Free" : undefined,
+              footer: free ? "Free" : undefined,
+              modelID: model,
+              releaseDate: info.release_date,
+              free,
               onSelect() {
                 onSelect(provider.id, model)
               },
-          })),
+            }
+          }),
           filter((x) => {
             if (!showSections) return true
             if (favorites.some((item) => item.providerID === x.value.providerID && item.modelID === x.value.modelID))
@@ -172,14 +177,23 @@ export function DialogModel(props: { providerID?: string }) {
   )
 }
 
-export function sortModelOptions<T extends { footer?: string; releaseDate: string; title: string }>(
+export function sortModelOptions<
+  T extends { footer?: string; releaseDate: string; title: string; modelID?: string; free?: boolean },
+>(
   options: T[],
   newestFirst: boolean,
 ) {
-  if (newestFirst) return sortBy(options, [(option) => option.releaseDate, "desc"], (option) => option.title)
+  if (newestFirst)
     return sortBy(
       options,
-    (option) => option.footer !== "Free",
+      (option) => (option.modelID === "big-pickle" ? 0 : 1),
+      [(option) => option.releaseDate, "desc"],
+      (option) => option.title,
+    )
+  return sortBy(
+    options,
+    (option) => (option.modelID === "big-pickle" ? 0 : option.free || option.footer === "Free" ? 1 : 2),
+    [(option) => (option.free || option.footer === "Free" ? option.releaseDate : ""), "desc"],
     (option) => option.title,
   )
 }

packages/opencode/src/cli/util/model-sort.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+type SortableModelOption = {
+  modelID: string
+  title: string
+  releaseDate: string
+  free: boolean
+}
+
+export function sortModelOptions(a: SortableModelOption, b: SortableModelOption) {
+  if (a.free && !b.free) return -1
+  if (!a.free && b.free) return 1
+  if (a.free && b.free) {
+    if (a.modelID !== b.modelID) {
+      if (a.modelID === "big-pickle") return -1
+      if (b.modelID === "big-pickle") return 1
+    }
+    return b.releaseDate.localeCompare(a.releaseDate) || a.title.localeCompare(b.title)
+  }
+  return a.title.localeCompare(b.title)
+}

packages/opencode/test/cli/model-sort.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test"
+import { sortModelOptions } from "@/cli/util/model-sort"
+
+function model(input: { modelID: string; title: string; releaseDate: string; free?: boolean }) {
+  return {
+    modelID: input.modelID,
+    title: input.title,
+    releaseDate: input.releaseDate,
+    free: input.free ?? true,
+  }
+}
+
+describe("sortModelOptions", () => {
+  test("pins Big Pickle before free models sorted by release date", () => {
+    expect(
+      [
+        model({ modelID: "older-free", title: "Older Free", releaseDate: "2026-01-01" }),
+        model({ modelID: "paid", title: "Paid", releaseDate: "2026-05-01", free: false }),
+        model({ modelID: "newer-free", title: "Newer Free", releaseDate: "2026-05-01" }),
+        model({ modelID: "big-pickle", title: "Big Pickle", releaseDate: "2025-10-17" }),
+      ].sort(sortModelOptions).map((item) => item.modelID),
+    ).toEqual(["big-pickle", "newer-free", "older-free", "paid"])
+  })
+})