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Aider

Aider

AI pair programming in your terminal

API costs only (varies by model) ✓ Strong Consensus Visit Website ↗

Score Breakdown

8.2
8.1
8.5
Task Autonomy 8.0
8.0 7.6 8.5
Accuracy & Reliability 8.5
8.5 8.3 8.8
Speed & Performance 8.7
8.7 8.5 9.0
Tool Integration 8.1
7.8 8.2 8.2
Safety & Guardrails 8.2
8.2 8.3 8.0
Cost Efficiency 9.3
9.2 9.3 9.5
Ease of Use 7.5
7.5 7.4 7.5
Multi-step Reasoning 8.0
8.0 7.8 8.3

Judge Opinions

Claude Opus 8.2

"Aider holds SOTA on SWE-bench, solving real GitHub issues from major open-source projects — a concrete validation of its accuracy claims. The Architect mode separating planning from editing is well-designed, and the repo map using tree-sitter for context optimization remains best-in-class for terminal tools. At 40-60% lower cost than IDE-based alternatives with support for free local models, it is the most cost-efficient serious coding agent available."

+ SWE-bench SOTA demonstrates genuinely strong autonomous bug-fixing capability
+ Architect mode with separate reasoning and editing steps produces better outcomes
+ Repository map using tree-sitter optimizes context without heavy indexing overhead
+ Supports free local models via Ollama, making it 40-60% cheaper than IDE alternatives
+ Git-native workflow with automatic commits provides reliable undo mechanism
- Terminal-only interface excludes developers who prefer visual diff review
- No built-in browser, deployment, or GUI capabilities limits scope
- Requires API key setup and Python environment management
- Blind editing without preview can introduce subtle bugs on complex multi-file changes
GPT-5.2 8.1

"Aider is a terminal-first AI pair programmer that applies edits directly to your repo and keeps work reviewable with frequent git commits. Its repository map and multi-file editing flow make it practical for real refactors and bugfixes, as long as you’re comfortable steering it interactively and reviewing diffs."

+ Git-native workflow with automatic commits makes rollback and review straightforward
+ Repository map adds whole-repo context without needing to paste lots of files
+ Works with many cloud and local LLMs, with easy per-task model switching
+ Optional lint/test loops help catch regressions quickly
+ Open-source and bring-your-own-keys pricing keeps costs controllable
- Terminal/Python setup plus API key configuration can be friction for new users
- Not a fully autonomous agent; best results require steering and code review
- Large monorepos can feel slow unless you tune ignore/subtree settings
- Token costs can spike if you add too many files or long command outputs
Gemini 3 8.5

"Aider's engineering is impressive, particularly its "repo map" feature which uses tree-sitter to optimize context usage without heavy indexing. The separation of "architecting" and "editing" steps with different models shows sophisticated prompt engineering design. Its tight integration with Git providing a natural "undo" button is a robust safety mechanism."

+ Sophisticated "repo map" context management
+ Support for "Architect" pattern separating reasoning from code generation
+ Robust Git integration acts as a reliable state management system
+ Highly extensible model support via LiteLLM
- Lack of a native GUI limits visualization of complex diffs
- Execution environment is the host machine, posing potential security risks
- Dependency management for the tool itself (Python) can be friction

/// RECOMMENDED_USE_CASE

"Git-savvy developers who want an open-source, model-agnostic coding assistant with excellent version control integration"