Aider

An open-source AI pair programmer that edits code in your terminal and commits to git.

Open sourceAI Coding
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What is Aider?

Aider is a command-line tool that lets you chat with an AI model to edit code in your local git repository. It maps your codebase, makes changes across files and commits them with clear messages. It works with many cloud and local models.

Best for: Developers comfortable in the terminal.

What you can do with Aider

  1. Refactor code across several files from the command line

  2. Add a feature and get a tidy git commit

  3. Use a local model for coding offline

Key features

  • Terminal-based pair programming
  • Automatic git commits
  • Codebase map for context
  • Works with many models

Aider pros and cons

Pros

  • Free and open source
  • Clean git workflow

Cons

  • No graphical interface

Aider pricing

Open source

Aider is open source, so you can use it for free and run it yourself. Plans change often, so check the official site for current prices.

How to get started

  1. Open aider.chat and create a free account.
  2. Try one real task first: refactor code across several files from the command line.
  3. Compare the result with Cline or CodeRabbit, then keep the one that fits how you work.

Compare Aider

Side-by-side comparisons of features, pricing, pros and cons.

Aider alternatives

Other tools that do a similar job, ranked by our editors.

  • Cline

    Open source

    An open-source coding agent for VS Code that plans, edits files and runs commands.

    AI CodingVisit

  • CodeRabbit

    Free + Paid

    AI code reviews on every pull request, with summaries and line-by-line feedback.

    AI CodingVisit

  • Zed

    Free + Paid

    A fast, open-source code editor with built-in AI agents and real-time collaboration.

    AI CodingVisit

  • Continue

    Open source

    Open-source AI code assistant for VS Code and JetBrains with any model you like.

    AI CodingVisit

  • GitHub Copilot

    Free + PaidEditor's pick

    AI pair programmer inside VS Code, JetBrains and GitHub.

    AI CodingVisit

  • Cursor

    Free + PaidEditor's pick

    An AI-first code editor that understands your whole project.

    AI CodingVisit

Top AI coding tools

How Aider compares with the best in AI Coding.

  1. 1. GitHub Copilot

    Free + Paid

    AI pair programmer inside VS Code, JetBrains and GitHub.

  2. 2. Cursor

    Free + Paid

    An AI-first code editor that understands your whole project.

  3. 3. Claude Code

    Paid

    Anthropic's agentic coding tool for the terminal, IDE and web.

  4. 4. OpenAI API Platform

    Paid

    OpenAI's developer platform for building apps with GPT, image, audio and embedding models.

  5. 5. Claude Developer Platform

    Paid

    Anthropic's console and API for building with the Claude family of models.

See all 26 AI coding tools

Aider FAQ

What is Aider?

Aider is a command-line tool that lets you chat with an AI model to edit code in your local git repository. It maps your codebase, makes changes across files and commits them with clear messages. It works with many cloud and local models.

Is Aider free?

Aider is open source, so you can use it for free and run it yourself. Check the official site for current limits and prices.

What can you do with Aider?

With Aider you can refactor code across several files from the command line; add a feature and get a tidy git commit; use a local model for coding offline.

Who is Aider best for?

Developers comfortable in the terminal.

Does Aider have an app?

Yes. Besides its main version, Aider has apps for Windows, Mac and Linux.

What are the best alternatives to Aider?

Popular alternatives include Cline, CodeRabbit, Zed and Continue. See the full ranking on our AI Coding page.

AltFTool is not affiliated with Aider. This summary was written by our editors from the tool's public information. Browse all 451 AI tools