[opensourcedex]

Aider is a free, open source ai assisted coding project written in Python and released under Apache-2.0. It has 49,021 GitHub stars, 4,967 forks and 1,860 open issues, and was last pushed 4 months ago. On this registry it ranks #7 of 24 tracked projects in AI Assisted Coding, with 5 head-to-head comparisons available. It gained 103 stars over the last 6 tracked days.

What is Aider?

What it is

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.

It solves the problem of context fragmentation in AI-assisted coding by maintaining a live map of the entire codebase, enabling accurate, project-aware edits without requiring users to copy-paste code into web interfaces or switch contexts. Unlike browser-based assistants, aider operates natively in the terminal and preserves version control hygiene through automatic Git commits.

Key capabilities

  • Supports over 100 programming languages including Python, JavaScript, Rust, Go, C++, and HTML/CSS
  • Builds and maintains a map of the codebase to improve contextual reasoning on large projects
  • Automatically commits changes with descriptive messages and integrates with Git for diffing and reverting
  • Works with cloud models (GPT-4o, o3-mini, Claude 3.7 Sonnet, DeepSeek) and local LLMs
  • Accepts image and web page inputs to provide visual or documentation context
  • Supports voice-to-code via microphone input for feature requests and bug fixes
  • Runs linting and testing after edits and attempts automatic fixes for failures

Who uses it and how

Developers integrate aider into their daily terminal workflow to prototype features, refactor legacy code, and write tests without leaving their editor. Teams using Git-based workflows rely on its automatic commit messages and diff support to review AI-generated changes. Contributors to open-source projects use its copy/paste mode to interact with LLMs via web chat interfaces while preserving local file state. Users of local LLMs deploy aider offline for privacy-sensitive or air-gapped environments.

Getting started

Install via pip install aider-install and run aider-install to set up dependencies. Launch with aider --model --api-key = specifying the model and API key. Docker images and manual pip installs are also supported per documentation.

When to use it — and when not to

Aider replaces paid, web-based AI coding assistants with a free, terminal-native alternative that respects Git workflows and local control. Users must manage their own API keys, model access, and optionally configure SMTP or storage if using advanced features like voice or image uploads. It is less suitable for teams needing centralized governance, audit logs, or IDE-specific integrations beyond basic editor embedding.

project readme (upstream, from github) — read inline

Aider Logo

AI Pair Programming in Your Terminal

Aider lets you pair program with LLMs to start a new project or build on your existing codebase.

aider screencast

GitHub Stars PyPI Downloads Tokens per week OpenRouter Ranking Singularity

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 changes with sensible commit messages. Use familiar git tools to easily diff, manage and undo AI changes.


Use in your IDE

Use aider from within your favorite IDE or editor. Ask for changes by adding comments to your code and aider will get to work.


Images & web pages

Add images and web pages to the chat to provide visual context, screenshots, reference docs, etc.


Voice-to-code

Speak with aider about your code! Request new features, test cases or bug fixes using your voice and let aider implement the changes.


Linting & testing

Automatically lint and test your code every time aider makes changes. Aider can fix problems detected by your linters and test suites.


Copy/paste to web chat

Work with any LLM via its web chat interface. Aider streamlines copy/pasting code context and edits back and forth with a browser.

Getting Started

python -m pip install aider-install
aider-install

# Change directory into your codebase
cd /to/your/project

# DeepSeek
aider --model deepseek --api-key deepseek=<key>

# Claude 3.7 Sonnet
aider --model sonnet --api-key anthropic=<key>

# o3-mini
aider --model o3-mini --api-key openai=<key>

See the installation instructions and usage documentation for more details.

More Information

Documentation

Community & Resources

Kind Words From Users

readme truncated — read the full docs on github

Frequently asked questions

Is Aider free to use?

Aider is open source under the Apache-2.0 licence. There is no licence fee and no seat count — you can self-host it or, where the project offers one, pay a vendor for a managed version instead.

What does Aider do?

AI pair programmer that works inside your terminal

What is Aider written in?

Aider is primarily written in Python. Its source is publicly available at https://github.com/aider-ai/aider, and it has 49,021 GitHub stars.