head to head · open source
Aider vs Dyad
Aider has 49,021 GitHub stars, 4,967 forks, 1,860 open issues and last shipped 4 months ago. Dyad has 21,575 stars, 2,636 forks, 359 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Aider leads on adoption by 127% (49,021 vs 21,575 stars). Aider is written in Python under Apache-2.0; Dyad is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. Aider has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, Dyad 12%. Dyad was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (anthropic, gemini), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Aider | Dyad | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 49K | ★ 22K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-05-22 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.0K | ⑂ 2.6K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Aider if
- You weight community size — 49K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Dyad if
- You want the Dyad feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Dyad fits your workflow better
About Aider
Aider is an open source AI pair programming tool that runs in the terminal. It connects to large language models—cloud based or local—to assist with writing, editing, and debugging code directly within a developer’s existing workflow. Built in Python and licensed under Apache 2.0, it integrates with popular LLMs including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, and open source models like Llama.
read the full Aider overview →
About Dyad
Dyad is a local, open source AI app builder for developer tools and AI assisted coding. It is positioned as a desktop alternative to hosted builders such as Lovable, v0, and Bolt, running on the user's own machine. The project is written in TypeScript and distributed through a public GitHub repository under a split license: code outside src/pro is Apache 2.0, while code inside src/pro is Functional Source License 1.1 Apache 2.0.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Aider or Dyad more popular?
Aider has 49,021 GitHub stars and Dyad has 21,575. Aider has the larger community by that measure.
Are Aider and Dyad free?
Both are open source. Aider is licensed under Apache-2.0, and Dyad has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Aider and Dyad?
Aider is written in Python and Dyad in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Aider or Dyad?
Choose Aider if you want the larger community (49,021 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Dyad if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.