head to head · open source
Aider vs qwen-code
Aider has 49,910 GitHub stars, 5,128 forks, 1,860 open issues and last shipped 6 months ago. qwen-code has 28,894 stars, 3,298 forks, 1,422 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Aider leads on adoption by 73% (49,910 vs 28,894 stars). Aider is written in Python under Apache-2.0; qwen-code is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. Aider has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, qwen-code 11%. qwen-code was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (cli), 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 | qwen-code | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 50K | ★ 29K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-05-22 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.1K | ⑂ 3.3K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Aider if
- You weight community size — 50K 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 qwen-code if
- You want the qwen-code feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and qwen-code fits your workflow better
About Aider
AI Pair Programming in Your Terminal Aider lets you pair program with LLMs to start a new project or build on your existing codebase. Features Cloud and local LLMs Aider works best with Claude 3.7 Sonnet, DeepSeek R1 & Chat V3, OpenAI o1, o3 mini & GPT 4o, but can connect to almost any LLM, including local models. Maps your codebase Aider makes a map of your entire codebase, which helps it work well in larger projects. 100+ code languages Aider works with most popular programming languages: python, javascript, rust, ruby, go, cpp, php, html, css, and dozens more. Git integration Aider automatically commits…
read the full Aider overview →
About qwen-code
The open source AI coding agent for your terminal, editor, desktop, browser, and chat. 中文 Deutsch français 日本語 Русский Português (Brasil) 한국어 Why Qwen Code? Agentic out of the box — Auto Memory, Auto Skills, SubAgents, Agent Teams, and MCP. Dynamic workflows, zero setup. Open source, inside and out — The framework and the Qwen models are open source. They evolve together. No vendor lock in. Multi protocol — Supports OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, and Qwen APIs. Any third party provider or local model (Ollama / vLLM). Switch at runtime. Beyond the terminal — IDE plugins, Desktop app, Web UI, SDKs, and chat…
read the full qwen-code overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Aider or qwen-code more popular?
Aider has 49,910 GitHub stars and qwen-code has 28,894. Aider has the larger community by that measure.
Are Aider and qwen-code free?
Both are open source. Aider is licensed under Apache-2.0 and qwen-code under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Aider and qwen-code?
Aider is written in Python and qwen-code 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 qwen-code?
Choose Aider if you want the larger community (49,910 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose qwen-code if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.