Aider vs Claude Code: Side-by-Side Comparison 2026
Aider vs Claude Code comparison 2026. Side-by-side features, pricing & capabilities.
| Feature | Aider | Claude Code |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Assistant | Assistant |
| Starting Price | Free | Free |
| Model Family | Multi-model (any) | Claude |
| Code Completion | — | ✓ |
| Chat | ✓ | ✓ |
| Agentic Mode | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-File Editing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Terminal Commands | ✓ | ✓ |
| Browser Use | — | — |
| App Generation | — | — |
| Git Integration | — | ✓ |
| Supported IDEs | Terminal (editor-agnostic) | VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim, Terminal |
| Open Source | Yes (Apache 2.0) | No |
Pricing verified 2026-02-06. Aider pricing | Claude Code pricing
Overview
Aider is a CLI tool from Paul Gauthier (Open Source). Claude Code is a CLI tool from Anthropic. Both tools are actively maintained as of 2026.
Aider: What You Get
Open-source CLI tool for AI pair programming. Works with OpenAI, Claude, and other models to edit code in your local git repo.
- Git-aware editing
- Multi-file editing
- Model agnostic
- Voice coding
- Image support
- Linting integration
Pricing: Free. 1 plan available.
Claude Code: What You Get
Anthropic's CLI tool that brings Claude directly into your terminal for agentic coding — it can read, edit, and create files autonomously.
- Agentic file editing
- Terminal integration
- Git operations
- Multi-file refactoring
- Code review
- Test writing
Pricing: Free / $20/mo. 7 plans available.
Key Differences
- Category: Aider is a CLI tool, Claude Code is a CLI tool.
- Model family: Aider uses Multi-model (any); Claude Code uses Claude.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Aider if you want Fully open-source with transparent development. Choose Claude Code if you want Autonomous multi-file changes with full codebase understanding. Both tools are strong options — the right choice depends on your workflow and priorities.