Aider

AI pair programming in your terminal that maps your whole codebase, edits files in many languages and commits each change to Git with a clear message.

49.9k stars, 5.1k forks Python On GitHub since May 2023

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it
Development has slowed down. No commits in the last 90 days; the latest on 22 May 2026. Active alternatives: OpenCode, Cline, Codex CLI.

What is Aider?

Aider is one of the earliest terminal coding assistants. It builds a map of your repository so the model understands larger projects, works with more than 100 programming languages, and commits every change to Git automatically with a sensible message, so you can review, diff or undo with familiar tools. It connects to almost any model, hosted or local, and supports voice input and linting or testing after each edit.

Good fit if

  • You want every AI change recorded as a Git commit you can inspect or revert.
  • You prefer a minimal, keyboard-driven tool in the terminal.

Look elsewhere if

  • You want an actively developed agent: Aider had no commits in the last 90 days. OpenCode and Codewhale are busy.
  • You want an agent in your editor: Cline.

Before you adopt it

Aider is Apache-2.0, and contributors sign a contributor license agreement. Its creator, Paul Gauthier, wrote most of the code, and development has paused since May 2026, so the model recommendations in its README are now dated.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 30 October 2026. Report a correction

Aider health: is it still maintained?

16 of 100, slowing down

  • Activity
    No commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 22 May 2026.
    0 / 30
  • Contributors
    Nobody committed in the last 90 days.
    0 / 20
  • Releases
    0 releases in the last 12 months; the latest, v0.86.0, on 9 August 2025.
    1 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Too few recent issues from outside the team to measure, so this part gets a neutral score.
    10 / 20
  • Security practices
    No OpenSSF Scorecard for this repository yet, so this part gets a neutral score.
    5 / 10

Read from GitHub on 1 November 2026. How the score works

Aider license: is it open source?

Aider uses Apache-2.0, an open-source license approved by the OSI. Contributors sign a contributor license agreement, which lets the owner relicense their work later.

  1. May 2023First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayApache-2.0. A contributor license agreement is required.

How to run Aider yourself

Docker
Dockerfile or compose file in the repository
Compose file
None in the repository
Setup effort
Not rated: no compose file to judge from
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
No app builds in GitHub releases
Interface languages
3 languages

Install instructions: aider.chat or the README on GitHub.

Alternatives to Aider

  • OpenCodeThe open source coding agent. 78 health · MIT · 224k stars
  • ClineAutonomous coding agent as an SDK, IDE extension, or CLI assistant. 78 health · Apache-2.0 · 71.1k stars
  • Codex CLILightweight coding agent that runs in your terminal 71 health · Apache-2.0 · 133k stars
  • RepomixRepomix is a powerful tool that packs your entire repository into a single, AI-friendly file. Perfect for… 72 health · MIT · 29.1k stars
  • Kilo CodeKilo is the all-in-one agentic engineering platform. Build, ship, and iterate faster with the most popular… 76 health · MIT · 27.8k stars

All 27 projects in AI coding agents

Questions about Aider

Is Aider open source?

Yes. Aider is published under Apache-2.0, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is Aider still maintained?

Its health score is 16 of 100 (slowing down). It had no commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 22 May 2026, and its latest release came out on 9 August 2025.

How do I run Aider?

You can run it with Docker. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What are the alternatives to Aider?

Close alternatives in the AI coding agents category include OpenCode, Cline, Codex CLI.