Aider

A free, open-source AI pair programmer that runs in your terminal and commits changes to git.

Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 5
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Aider

Aider is a command-line AI pair programming tool. You start it in a git repository, add the files you want to work on, and describe changes in plain language; Aider edits the files and automatically commits each change with a descriptive message, so you can review, diff or undo with normal git tools. It builds a map of your whole repository to give the model context in larger projects, can lint and run tests after each edit and try to fix failures, and accepts images, web pages and voice input. It works with most LLMs, including Claude, OpenAI, Gemini and DeepSeek models, and with local models through Ollama or any OpenAI-compatible API, and it publishes its own leaderboards on how well different models edit code. Aider itself is free and open source under the Apache 2.0 licence; you pay only your model provider. It is installed with Python and runs on macOS, Windows and Linux. It suits developers who like the terminal and want tight git integration.

Best for: Terminal users who want every AI change committed to git and any model they like.

What works

Every change is a git commit you can review or undo
Works with almost any LLM, including local models
Repository map helps on larger codebases

Why people leave

Terminal-only, with no rich IDE interface
You must choose which files to add to the chat
Development pace has slowed compared with newer agents

Top Aider alternatives

See all 5

1
Claude Code
A more autonomous terminal agent that runs commands and tests on its own.
76.0
2
Cline
Open-source agent inside VS Code or JetBrains if you want an IDE view.
72.2
3
OpenCode
Open-source terminal agent with a richer interface and free starter models.
62.6
4
Crush
Open-source terminal agent with a polished TUI and many providers.
59.6
5
OpenAI Codex
Open-source CLI that comes with a ChatGPT plan, no API key needed.
55.3

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Aider: common questions

Is Aider free?

Yes. Aider is free, open-source software.

Is Aider open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at Aider-AI/aider.

What platforms does Aider run on?

Aider is available for macOS, Windows and Linux.

What are the best alternatives to Aider?

The highest-ranked Aider alternatives right now are Claude Code, Cline and OpenCode. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Aider alternatives

Aider facts

4 of 4 verified

Git integration: Auto-commits each change; Checked Oct 25, 2026aider.chat(opens source in a new tab); “Git integration Aider automatically commits changes with sensible commit messages.”
Local models: Yes, e.g. via Ollama; Checked Oct 25, 2026aider.chat(opens source in a new tab); “Local models Aider can work also with local models, for example using Ollama .”
Install: Python 3.8–3.13 via pip; Checked Oct 25, 2026aider.chat(opens source in a new tab); “If you already have python 3.8-3.13 installed”
License: Apache 2.0; Checked Oct 25, 2026aider.chat(opens source in a new tab); “Aider is open source and available on GitHub under an Apache 2.0 license .”