Aider
Open-source terminal AI pair-programming tool that edits code in your local git repo.
Liked for accurate, controllable code edits that commenters say match or beat Copilot,1234 and for working with whichever open, local or frontier model you choose.567 The most common complaint is heavy token use and API cost,89 and some users have since moved to newer agents such as Claude Code.1011
Why people recommend it
Code quality · 3
Commenters report good, accurate results that hold up against Copilot and other agents.
“But I like aider. I had better capabilities and is controllable”
“Several of the open source agents will out perform copilot regularly (try aider, open code or cline if you can).”
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“Even aider gets good results this way.”
Model choice · 3
Works with open models, local LLMs via compatible endpoints, or frontier models like Claude Sonnet and Gemini.
“I find using Aider with the new open models and using Open Spec to negotiate requirements before the handoff, has helped me a lot.”
“serve OpenAPI endpoints compatible for Aider (CLI) or Visual Studio Code”
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“I use Aider on my private computers and Copilot at work. Both feel equally powerful when configured with a decent frontier model.”
Productivity · 3
Users credit it with record commit counts and large shares of real programs, and some use it daily.
“I started using aider at the end of 2024 and in 2025 I again hit my highest commits ever at 2,900.”
“About 40% of the program was done using Aider”
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“I use Aider + Claude Code + Cursor as daily drivers”
Control · 2
Seen as controllable on a large codebase, and one user says it lets them keep their own way of working.
“But I like aider. I had better capabilities and is controllable”
“It truly is the best assistant I've used.”
Editor workflow · 2
Its watch mode and IDE mode let you drive it from comments in your own editor.
“aider has a watch mode that would be fun with vim”
“Aider has an ide mode close to this.”
Low cost · 1
One user found prompts cost under $0.10 versus about $5 in OpenCode.
“while with aider I did it for <$0.1”
Caveats and dissent
Token cost · 2
Some found token use and API-rate spending too high, and one user abandoned it over cost.
“The results were good, but not worth the price for me.”
“I used Aider on a Python project which had string references”
Newer alternatives · 2
Some users have switched or are considering switching to more recent agent tools.
“I used Aider before, and consider switching to a more recent tool.”
“About 40% of the program was done using Aider”
Manual file adding · 1
You have to add files to the context by hand.
“But I like aider. I had better capabilities and is controllable”
Often compared with
1 moved from OpenCode to Aider
1 moved from Aider to OpenCode
1 moved from Aider to Claude Code
1 moved from ChatGPT to Aider
Who recommends it in their own words
Threads where it came up
- Ask HN: Has anyone replaced Claude/GPT with a local model for daily coding? 2 mentions
- Gemini 4 Argon 1 mention
- Grep beats LSP? Why coding agents ignore your fancier tools 1 mention
- Ask HN: Who wants to be hired? (September 2026) 1 mention
- OpenAI restores 5-hour Codex and Work limits for ChatGPT Plus users 1 mention
- Small Teams Will Ship More Software Than They Can Maintain 1 mention
Also written as aider. Data: aider.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 23
“I used Aider before, and consider switching to a more recent tool.”
“I used Aider on a Python project which had string references”
“AI coding tool evaluations (Cursor, Aider, Cline, Windsurf, etc.)”
“The results were good, but not worth the price for me.”
“used tools like Aider before coding agent harnesses we really “a thing””
“serve OpenAPI endpoints compatible for Aider (CLI) or Visual Studio Code”
“I used "aider" to replace claude CLI, which maybe that's also sub-optimal”
“About 40% of the program was done using Aider”
“the AI coding agents I use daily — Claude Code, Codex CLI, Aider”
“I find using Aider with the new open models and using Open Spec to negotiate requirements before the handoff, has helped me a lot.”
“Long ago it started as shell scripts that I used in conjunction with aider.”
“I use Aider + Claude Code + Cursor as daily drivers”
“Even aider gets good results this way.”
“I use Aider on my private computers and Copilot at work. Both feel equally powerful when configured with a decent frontier model.”
“I started using aider at the end of 2024 and in 2025 I again hit my highest commits ever at 2,900.”
“aider has a watch mode that would be fun with vim”
“Aider has an ide mode close to this.”
“It truly is the best assistant I've used.”
“If you want to have some fun check out aider.chat.”
“Several of the open source agents will out perform copilot regularly (try aider, open code or cline if you can).”
“But I like aider. I had better capabilities and is controllable”
“With both Aider and OpenCode, there's a nice history.”
“while with aider I did it for <$0.1”