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Aider

Pair-program with an LLM in the terminal.

Checked against aider.chat on Nov 9, 2026

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What Aider does

Aider is a free, open-source AI pair programmer that runs in your terminal. You start it inside a git repository, connect it to a language model with your own API key, and ask for features, fixes or tests in plain language. It edits your files directly and commits each change with a descriptive message, so every AI edit can be reviewed or undone with normal git tools. It builds a map of your repository to handle larger codebases and works with many models, including local ones.

Best for

  • Developers comfortable working in the terminal
  • Making AI edits you can review and undo through git
  • Using your preferred model or a local model
  • Working on existing, larger codebases

Key features

Automatic git commits

Each change is committed with a clear message, so you can diff or revert AI edits.

Repository map

Builds a map of the whole codebase so the model has context in bigger projects.

Bring any model

Connects to Claude, DeepSeek and OpenAI models and almost any other LLM, including local models.

Lint and test loop

Runs linters and tests after each change and can fix the problems it finds.

Use from your editor

Add comments in your code and Aider picks them up as requests while running alongside your IDE.

Voice, images and web pages

Speak requests, or add screenshots and web pages to the chat as context.

Aider pricing

Aider has a free plan. Aider itself is free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license; you pay your model provider for usage. There is no paid plan; costs come from the API key of the model provider you connect. Prices checked on the official site on Nov 9, 2026.

Open source$0

Pros and cons

What it does well

  • Free and open source, with no subscription.
  • Git-based workflow makes every AI change easy to inspect and roll back.
  • Not tied to one AI provider; you can switch models or run locally.

Know before you sign up

  • You need your own API key or a local model, and model usage is billed by that provider.
  • It is a command-line tool installed with Python, with no graphical app.
  • Works best inside a git repository.

Alternatives to Aider

Questions about Aider

What is Aider?

Aider is a free, open-source AI pair programmer that runs in your terminal. You start it inside a git repository, connect it to a language model with your own API key, and ask for features, fixes or tests in plain language. It edits your files directly and commits each change with a descriptive message, so every AI edit can be reviewed or undone with normal git tools. It builds a map of your repository to handle larger codebases and works with many models, including local ones.

Is Aider free?

Aider has a free plan. Aider itself is free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license; you pay your model provider for usage. There is no paid plan; costs come from the API key of the model provider you connect. Prices checked on the official site on Nov 9, 2026.

Who is Aider best for?

Developers comfortable working in the terminal, Making AI edits you can review and undo through git, Using your preferred model or a local model, Working on existing and larger codebases.

Where can I use Aider?

Aider is available on Mac, Windows and Linux, according to its official site.

What are some alternatives to Aider?

Similar coding tools include Cursor, Devin, Warp and Bolt. Compare them on the Coding page.