release: v6.8.6

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [6.8.6] - 2026-09-15
+
+### Fixed
+
+- **Plan-aware default model.** The default model is now resolved from the live catalog instead of the hardcoded `DEFAULT_MODEL_ID`: free accounts default to the catalog entry the backend flags `freePlan`, every other plan to the first catalog entry (index 0, ordered by the catalog's `sortOrder`). `fetchDynamicModels` records the catalog order and each model's `freePlan` flag, and the new `getDefaultModelId(plan)` helper resolves the default. The TUI applies it once the catalog and the account plan have both loaded — only while the selection is still the untouched default, so an explicit pick is never overwritten — and headless mode applies it when no `--model` / `MATTERAI_MODEL` was requested.
+
 ## [6.8.5] - 2026-09-08
 
 ### Added

package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@matterailab/orbcode",
-  "version": "6.8.5",
+  "version": "6.8.6",
   "description": "OrbCode CLI — agentic coding in your terminal, by MatterAI",
   "type": "module",
   "bin": {

src/api/models.ts

@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ export interface AxonModel {
   iconUrl?: string;
   /** Plan-pool cost multiplier from the backend catalog (e.g. 4 = 4x plan cost). */
   costMultiplier?: number;
+  /** True when the backend catalog marks this model as the free-plan model. */
+  freePlan?: boolean;
   /**
    * Which transport serves this model. Absent (or "matterai"/"axon") routes
    * through the MatterAI gateway (OpenAI `/chat/completions`). Any other value
@@ -274,6 +276,14 @@ export const DEFAULT_MODEL_ID = "zai/glm-5.3-flash";
  */
 const managedModelIds = new Set<string>(Object.keys(BUILTIN_AXON_MODELS));
 
+/**
+ * Model ids in backend catalog order (the order `/v1/models` returns, i.e.
+ * `sortOrder` then `created`). Index 0 is the default for paid plans; the entry
+ * flagged `freePlan` is the default for free plans. Empty until a successful
+ * dynamic fetch, so the static fallback is used before then.
+ */
+let catalogOrder: string[] = [];
+
 const EXTENDED_CONTEXT_PLANS = new Set(["proplus", "ultra"]);
 const LUMEN_MODEL_PLANS = new Set(["proplus", "ultra"]);
 const EIDO_PRO_MODEL_PLANS = new Set(["pro", "proplus", "ultra"]);
@@ -394,6 +404,29 @@ export function getModel(modelId: string): AxonModel {
   return AXON_MODELS[modelId] ?? AXON_MODELS[DEFAULT_MODEL_ID];
 }
 
+/** Whether an AxonCode plan string is the free tier (a missing plan counts as free). */
+export function isFreePlan(plan?: string): boolean {
+  const normalized = plan?.trim().toLowerCase() ?? "";
+  return normalized === "" || normalized === "free";
+}
+
+/**
+ * Default model for the live catalog: free accounts get the entry the backend
+ * flags `freePlan`, every other plan gets the first entry the backend serves
+ * (index 0, ordered by the catalog's `sortOrder`). Falls back to
+ * DEFAULT_MODEL_ID until a catalog fetch succeeds.
+ */
+export function getDefaultModelId(plan?: string): string {
+  if (catalogOrder.length === 0) return DEFAULT_MODEL_ID;
+  if (isFreePlan(plan)) {
+    const freeModelId = catalogOrder.find(
+      (id) => BUILTIN_AXON_MODELS[id]?.freePlan === true,
+    );
+    if (freeModelId) return freeModelId;
+  }
+  return catalogOrder[0]!;
+}
+
 /** Resolve a local context-window option to the model ID understood by the gateway. */
 export function getGatewayModelId(model: AxonModel): string {
   return model.gatewayModelId ?? model.id;
@@ -458,6 +491,7 @@ export async function fetchDynamicModels(
               ? item.pricing.completion
               : 0,
         free: false,
+        freePlan: item.freePlan === true,
         iconUrl: typeof item.iconUrl === "string" ? item.iconUrl : undefined,
         costMultiplier:
           typeof item.costMultiplier === "number" ? item.costMultiplier : undefined,
@@ -470,6 +504,7 @@ export async function fetchDynamicModels(
     // don't linger in the picker next to their replacement. The user's current
     // selection is never pruned — a transient backend gap shouldn't swap it.
     if (fetched.length > 0) {
+      catalogOrder = fetched.map((model) => model.id);
       const fetchedIds = new Set(fetched.map((model) => model.id));
       const currentModel = loadSettingsModel()
       for (const id of managedModelIds) {

src/headless.ts

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
 	canUseEidoProModels,
 	canUseLumenModels,
 	fetchDynamicModels,
+	getDefaultModelId,
 	getModel,
 	is400kAxonModel,
 	isEidoBaseAxonModel,
@@ -36,6 +37,16 @@ export async function runHeadless(
 	// An unknown --model (or MATTERAI_MODEL) silently resolves to the default; say
 	// so on stderr instead of quietly running a different model than requested.
 	const requestedModel = process.env.MATTERAI_MODEL
+
+	// No explicit model requested and the stored one is still the static default:
+	// resolve the plan-aware default from the live catalog (free plans get the
+	// catalog's free model, paid plans the first catalog entry).
+	if (token && !requestedModel && settings.model === DEFAULT_MODEL_ID) {
+		const profile = await fetchProfile(token).catch(() => null)
+		const plan = profile?.plan ?? profile?.tieredUsage?.plan
+		const preferred = getDefaultModelId(plan)
+		if (preferred !== settings.model) settings.model = preferred
+	}
 	if (requestedModel && !isValidAxonModel(requestedModel)) {
 		process.stderr.write(
 			`warning: unknown model "${requestedModel}"; using "${settings.model}". ` +

src/ui/App.tsx

@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import {
   canUseLumenModels,
   fetchDynamicModels,
   get232kAxonFallback,
+  getDefaultModelId,
   getModel,
   is400kAxonModel,
   isEidoBaseAxonModel,
@@ -503,6 +504,10 @@ export function App({
     usagePercentage?: number;
     tieredUsage?: import("../auth/auth.js").AxonCodeTieredUsage;
   } | null>(null);
+  // Set once the dynamic catalog and the account plan have loaded, so the
+  // plan-aware default model is only resolved against real data.
+  const [catalogReady, setCatalogReady] = useState(false);
+  const [planLoaded, setPlanLoaded] = useState(false);
   const activePlan = usage?.plan ?? usage?.tieredUsage?.plan;
   const has400kAccess = canUse400kContext(activePlan);
   const hasEidoBaseAccess = canUseEidoBaseModels(activePlan);
@@ -514,15 +519,18 @@ export function App({
   const refreshUsage = useCallback(() => {
     const token = getAuthToken(loadSettings());
     if (!token) return;
-    fetchDynamicModels(token).catch(() => {});
+    fetchDynamicModels(token)
+      .then(() => setCatalogReady(true))
+      .catch(() => {});
     fetchProfile(token)
-      .then((profile) =>
+      .then((profile) => {
         setUsage({
           plan: profile.plan,
           usagePercentage: profile.usagePercentage,
           tieredUsage: profile.tieredUsage,
-        }),
-      )
+        });
+        setPlanLoaded(true);
+      })
       .catch(() => {});
   }, []);
 
@@ -882,7 +890,7 @@ export function App({
   );
 
   const switchModel = useCallback(
-    (modelId: string) => {
+    (modelId: string, options?: { silent?: boolean }) => {
       if (isLumenAxonModel(modelId) && !hasLumenAccess) {
         pushRow({
           kind: "error",
@@ -926,14 +934,27 @@ export function App({
         next[headerIndex] = updatedHeader;
         return next;
       });
-      pushRow({
-        kind: "info",
-        text: `Model switched to ${getModel(modelId).name}`,
-      });
+      if (!options?.silent) {
+        pushRow({
+          kind: "info",
+          text: `Model switched to ${getModel(modelId).name}`,
+        });
+      }
     },
     [has400kAccess, hasEidoBaseAccess, hasEidoProAccess, hasLumenAccess, pushRow],
   );
 
+  // Resolve the plan-aware default once the catalog and the account plan are
+  // both known: free plans default to the catalog's free model, paid plans to
+  // the first catalog entry. Only an untouched static default is re-resolved —
+  // an explicit user pick is never overwritten.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!catalogReady || !planLoaded) return;
+    if (settings.model !== DEFAULT_MODEL_ID) return;
+    const preferred = getDefaultModelId(activePlan);
+    if (preferred !== settings.model) switchModel(preferred, { silent: true });
+  }, [activePlan, catalogReady, planLoaded, settings.model, switchModel]);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!activePlan) {
       return;