What it is: AI pair programming in your terminal. Chat with GPT-4 or Claude to edit code files. Git-integrated, codebase-aware.

What It Does Best

Terminal native. No IDE needed. Works with any editor. Type requests, Aider edits files and commits changes.

Git workflow integration. Automatic commits with descriptive messages. Easy to review, rollback, or modify AI changes.

Multi-file edits. Add files to context. Aider understands relationships. Refactors across your entire codebase.

Pricing

Aider: Free and open-source

API costs: Bring your own OpenAI or Anthropic API key

GPT-4: ~$0.03-0.06 per 1K tokens

When to Use It

✅ Prefer terminal workflow over GUI

✅ Want precise control over AI edits

✅ Need multi-file refactoring with AI

✅ Use editor without good AI plugins (Vim, Emacs)

When NOT to Use It

❌ Want everything in one IDE

❌ Uncomfortable with command line

❌ Prefer inline suggestions while typing

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