AI coding · Ranked 3 of 9 in Best AI coding assistants
What is Aider?
Short answer
Aider is a AI coding assistant from Aider, best for open-source terminal pair programming. It has a free plan (open source, bring your own API key).
| Fact | Aider | AI coding median (6 tools) |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, open source, bring your own API key | 8 of 9 have one |
| Entry price | Free | $12.50 / mo |
| Top plan | Free | $150.00 / mo |
| 1st year | $0 | $150 |
| Paid plans | 0 | 2.5 |
| Platforms | macOS, Linux, Windows | — |
What does Aider do?
Aider covers these jobs, as listed on Aider's pricing and feature pages.
- Terminal pair programming
- Codebase map
- Git integration with auto commits
- Works with cloud and local LLMs
- 100+ languages
How much does Aider cost?
Aider is free: open source, bring your own API key.
| Plan | Price | Billed monthly | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open source | Free | Free | Open source, bring your own API key |
What are the best Aider alternatives?
Closest on first-year cost: Cursor, OpenAI Codex, Claude Code.
| Alternative | Free plan | From |
|---|---|---|
| Cursor | Yes | $8 / mo |
| OpenAI Codex | Yes | $8 / mo |
| Claude Code | No | $17 / mo |
Is Aider better than Cursor?
Aider is best for open-source terminal pair programming; Cursor for AI-first code editor. First year: $0 vs $96.
Sources
| Vendor page | URL | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Aider pricing | aider.chat/ | 27 Oct 2026 |
Prices in USD as published by each vendor, billed yearly where offered. How we compare