What it does
5 features
Aider · Interactive coding assistant
Product and access
Aider works interactively in an existing repository alongside your editor.
Core features
5 features from provider sources · checked on 5 November 2026. Availability and limits are directly below.
Usable AI models
Open choice
You can use your own keys from many providers, OpenRouter, an OpenAI-compatible endpoint, or local models through Ollama and LM Studio. According to the docs, LiteLLM gives Aider access to hundreds more models. The docs warn that models weaker than GPT-3.5 may cause problems.
Model families named
- OpenAI (GPT)
- Anthropic (Claude)
- Google (Gemini)
- xAI (Grok)
- DeepSeek
- Cohere
- Mistral
- Other models can be connected freely
- Model choice
- You choose
- Your own API key
- Yes
- Router or custom endpoint
- Yes
- Local models
- Yes
The rating covers the generally available main access. Documented · Sources accessed on
Aider: Connecting to LLMs · Aider: Other LLMs · Aider: OpenAI compatible APIs
Does it fit my task?
2 practical tasks · 4 requirements and limits
A good fit if …
- you work in an existing Git repository and want every AI change as its own commit
- you want to use your own API keys or local models and bear the model costs yourself
- you want to apply changes from the command line or by script across many files
Less suitable if …
- you need an actively developed tool with support for new models; there have been no commits since May 2026
- you expect a hosted interface with schedules and team management; Aider runs only in the terminal
- you need background tasks without confirmations; you must configure unattended runs yourself by script
Editorial assessment based on provider documentation. Not a product test.
Practical tasks
Editorial examples based on documented features. No product tests performed.
Fix a bug
- Your input
- A repository and a reproducible bug report.
- Possible result
- A proposed code change with executed checks.
- What to check
- Check the diff, tests and actual behavior.
Extend a feature
- Your input
- A bounded requirement with acceptance criteria.
- Possible result
- A traceable extension to the existing project.
- What to check
- Check side effects and Git history changes.
A proposed code change with executed checks.
Your possible prompt
Read the project rules. Investigate [error], propose a small change, and run the relevant checks. Show me the diff and any remaining uncertainties.
Adjust the task, data and permissions.
Requirements and limits
Limitation
No commits since May 2026
On 5 November 2026, the last commit on the main branch dated from 22 May 2026 and the last PyPI version, 0.86.2, from 12 February 2026. The repository is not archived. The reviewed pages contain no statement from the project about further development.
Source 3Requirement
Configure model access
Cloud models require suitable API access; local models require your own compute.
Source 2Not yet confirmed
Quality by project
Quality depends on the model and project context; no hands-on comparative tests are available here.
Source 1
Can I use it?
With requirements
Europe & regional availability
This source review covers the features and access options below. Other features may have different conditions.
Reviewed scope: Self-hosting; external services require separate checks
Reviewed on:
With requirements
Self-hosting and model access
The project source describes running in your own environment and connecting models. Country requirements of chosen cloud models, tools and optional hosting services need additional checks. A complete Europe feature audit is still pending.
Region, reason and source
Region covered: EU/EEA, United Kingdom and Switzerland: to be checked separately
Regulatory reason: not documented
Accounts & permissions
Based on provider documentation. Permissions depend on the account, integration and organization policies. Review the permissions actually requested before use.
Configuration covered: Aider in the terminal on your own machine with your own model keys
Sources reviewed:
Show all 3 points
Memory and conversation continuity
2 of 6 criteria documented
Aider logs conversations and can summarize them; curated long-term facts are not established.
Local chat history and instruction files
Sources accessed:
Documentation by criterion
StorageDocumented
Storage and scope
Chat history defaults to .aider.chat.history.md; input history is separate. This is a conversation log.
SelectionPartly documented
Selection and timing
Conversation logging is configurable; automatic selection of durably learned preferences is not described.
Edit & deletePartly documented
Inspect, edit and delete
Local log and instruction files can be read, edited and deleted; memory-fact management is undocumented.
Access boundariesPartly documented
Agent and channel boundaries
File paths and the running Aider session determine context; separate user or agent memory is not described.
RetrievalPartly documented
Retrieval
Restore-chat-history loads saved history; read files supply explicit context. Semantic retrieval of learned memories is not established.
New conversationsDocumented
Session reset and compaction
Restoration is off by default. When chat context exceeds the configured soft limit, summarization starts using the weak model.
Cost and effort
1 plan · Prices as of 12 October 2026
Prices and included usage
Pricing checked
Apache-2.0-licensed; model or local compute costs are additional.
| Plan | Price | Included |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | USD 0 license cost | Apache-2.0 license; model access is separate. |
- API usage is billed according to the selected model provider.
Setup
Install Aider, open a project and connect a supported model.
Operation & oversight
Based on public provider documentation. Assessments are editorial inferences from the stated properties. Actual time requirements and reliability have not been measured.
Deployment covered: Interactive use in the terminal; scripting through the command line
Sources reviewed:
Editorial assessment
Aider is a tool for sessions on your own machine; looking after it comes down to keys, Git history and model choice. For unattended runs you must configure confirmations and tests yourself.
Show all 6 points
Open in reviewed sources
Sign-ins
Aider keeps no sign-in of its own. How long API keys stay valid depends on the model provider and is not stated in the reviewed pages.
EvidenceDocumented with conditions
Detecting errors
Automatic linting after changes is on by default, automatic testing is off. --llm-history-file logs the conversation with the model to a file. The reviewed pages describe no further error reporting.
Evidence
Evidence and open questions
4 sources · 1 open point
Open points
The reviewed sources contain no reliable information on these points. A gap says nothing about the product.
Requirements and limits: not yet confirmed
Sources and evidence
Official product documentation reviewed. Workflows and assessments are editorial; hands-on product tests are outside the scope of this directory.
Editorial team: Michael Meierhoff · sources reviewed on . Provider information is not independent evidence of performance.
Provider
Open-source project for AI-assisted software development in the terminal.
- Operator
- Aider-AI
- Organization
- Open-source project
- Website
- aider.chat
Changes to this profile 1
There have been no commits on the main branch since 22 May 2026; the last PyPI version is from 12 February 2026. The repository is not archived.
These notes describe editorial changes. Source and pricing review dates appear in their respective sections.