Aider is an open-source coding assistant that runs in a terminal and edits files in your local Git repository. It suits developers who want to keep their editor and use a command-line conversation for focused changes. Its repository map supplies structural context, while files you add to the conversation provide the material the model can edit.
Workflow
Start Aider in a project directory, connect a supported model, and add the files relevant to one task. Ask for the change, inspect the diff, and run the project’s checks before continuing. Git integration can create commits for its edits, which makes the history useful for review and undo. Ask and architect modes let you discuss a solution separately from direct code edits. Avoid assuming that the model has read every file merely because the repository is large or indexed.
Costs and limits
Aider itself has no required subscription. Hosted inference is a separate expense charged under the selected provider’s terms, and longer conversations or larger file context can increase usage. It can connect to local models through Ollama or an OpenAI-compatible endpoint, but those models still require suitable hardware and may differ in their ability to produce valid file edits. Free API offers belong to their providers and can have quotas. Documentation checked on October 23, 2026; no speed, accuracy, or comparative benchmark was run for this listing.