Aider
AI pair programming tool in the terminal that edits code in your local git repo.
About
Aider runs in the terminal as an AI pair programmer that edits files directly in a local git repository. Each change lands as a commit with a generated message, so work can be reviewed, diffed, or undone with ordinary git tools. To stay effective in larger projects it builds a map of the entire codebase and feeds relevant context to the model, and it supports over 100 programming languages. It connects to Claude, GPT-4o and the o-series, DeepSeek, and local models, and adds practical extras: a watch mode for IDE integration, voice input, automatic lint and test runs after edits, and the ability to include images or web pages as context. Installation is a Python pip package, and the project is open source under the Apache 2.0 license. It is widely used by developers who prefer working from the command line, and the maintainers report that a large share of each release's code is written by aider itself.
Should you use Aider?
Pick it when
Pick Aider when you work from the terminal and want every AI edit to land as its own git commit you can diff or revert, with your choice of hosted or local model and nothing more than a pip install to get started.
Look elsewhere when
Skip it if you would rather stay inside an editor, where Cline or Kilo Code fit, or want subagents, hooks, and plugins for long unattended jobs, which Claude Code offers. Releases have also slowed: the latest, 0.86.2, shipped in February 2026.
Alternatives to Aider
- OpenCode
Adds LSP code intelligence and sessions you can attach to from a desktop app or IDE; Aider's edge is its automatic commit-per-change git history.
- Claude Code
Adds hooks, subagents, plugins, and @claude on GitHub for longer autonomous work, but proprietary and tied to a paid Anthropic plan, where Aider is free and model-agnostic.
- Plandex
Better for very large refactors, staging changes in a reviewable diff sandbox before they touch files, but its self-hosted server is more setup and development has slowed.
- Mentat
Similar Python terminal assistant for multi-file edits under Apache 2.0, but its CLI repo was archived in January 2025, while Aider still ships releases.
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Details
- Category
- AI Code Assistants
- Price
- Free
- Platform
- Local/Desktop
- Difficulty
- Easy (2/5)
- License
- Apache-2.0
- Added
- Apr 3, 2026
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