💡 Key Highlights: On August 20, 2026, the developer community on OpenRouter and OpenCode was buzzed by the sudden drop of a new anonymous model code-named Ox Alpha (stealth/ox-alpha). 1. Unmatched Flagship Specs: Features a massive 1,048,576-token (1M) input context window and a 131,072-token (128K) max output, and stands as the first model in the stealth series with native Text + Image + Video multimodal input. 2. Built for Autonomous Agents & Long-Horizon SWE: Delivers exceptional performance in whole-repo refactoring, multi-file code search, test generation, and complex multi-step reasoning. 3. 100% Free During Preview + Zero-Retention Privacy: Currently free on OpenRouter and OpenCode Zen (Zen requires a one-time $20 deposit for account verification). Explicitly operates under a strict Zero-Retention policy (prompts and completions are not logged or used to train future models). 4. Drop-in OpenAI Compatible: Standard API format ready for Cursor, OpenCode CLI, Zed, Claude Code, Aider, Python, and cURL.
🎭 1. The Stealth Tradition: What is Ox Alpha?
Frontier AI labs frequently launch unannounced models on platforms like OpenRouter or LMSYS under "Stealth" labels to evaluate performance under real-world developer workloads before official launch.
Historical stealth models on OpenRouter (such as GLM-5, MiMo-V2-Pro, Ling-2.6-flash, and LongCat-2.0) were eventually revealed to be flagship offerings from leading labs. Ox Alpha raises the bar even higher by offering a full 1M context window alongside first-class video diagnostic support.
⚡ 2. Core Strengths & Why You Should Try It Now
Following recent API price adjustments across the industry, Ox Alpha arrives as a timely, high-leverage tool:
1. 1M Context Window + 128K Output
- Feed Whole Repositories: Ingest complete TypeScript/Python codebases without complex RAG chunking.
- Generate Entire Modules: Single-pass generation of full microservices and comprehensive test suites without truncated outputs.
2. Full Multimodal Input (Text + Image + Video)
- Video Bug Troubleshooting: Drop a 10-second screen recording (MP4/WebM) into the model; it cross-references visual UI glitches with your code.
- Figma to Code: Converts high-res design screenshots into clean, accessible components.
3. Transparent Free Tier & Privacy
- Free Preview Status: Both input and output tokens are priced at $0.00 / 1M tokens during the preview phase.
- Platforms:
- OpenRouter: Direct access with your API key.
- OpenCode Zen: Free within the Zen model catalog after an initial $20 non-expiring balance activation.
- Zero-Retention Guarantee: Unlike models requiring data-sharing opt-ins, Ox Alpha explicitly guarantees zero user data retention.
📊 3. 1M Context Models Comparison
| Model | Context / Max Output | Modalities | Pricing / Tier | Data Privacy | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ox Alpha (stealth/ox-alpha) | 1M (1,048,576) / 128K | Text / Image / Video | 100% Free (Zen needs activation) | Zero-Retention | Whole-repo refactoring, agentic SWE, video triage |
| Meta Muse Spark 1.2 | 1M / 64K | Text / Code | Zen Free / Go Contributor Unlimited | Contributor requires data opt-in | Complex tool-calling, general coding |
| Nemotron 3 Ultra | 1M / 32K | Text | OpenRouter :free rate-limited | Standard developer terms | Cross-document analysis, reasoning |
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | 128K / 8K | Text / Code | Peak/Off-peak / 50% on OpenCode Go | Enterprise privacy terms | Cost-effective coding, single-file edits |
🛠️ 4. Quick Start: cURL & Python
cURL
curl https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/chat/completions \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $OPENROUTER_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"model": "stealth/ox-alpha",
"messages": [
{"role": "user", "content": "Analyze potential concurrency bottlenecks in this architecture..."}
]
}'Python (OpenAI SDK)
import os
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI(
base_url="https://openrouter.ai/api/v1",
api_key=os.environ.get("OPENROUTER_API_KEY"),
)
response = client.chat.completions.create(
model="stealth/ox-alpha",
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Refactor this TypeScript codebase..."}],
stream=True,
)
for chunk in response:
if chunk.choices[0].delta.content:
print(chunk.choices[0].delta.content, end="", flush=True)
print()🔗 Official Links & Access Portals:
- 👉 OpenCode Go Subscription ($5 First Month Deal)
- 👉 OpenCode Zen Console ($20 Activation for Ox Alpha / Muse Spark 1.2 Free Access)
- 👉 OpenRouter Models Catalog
- 👉 Free AI API Directory
