DATASHEET // AIDER

Aider

Terminal-native AI pair programmer with git awareness.

OPEN SOURCECPU-CAPABLELocal or cloud

Actually FreeNo SignupOpen SourceWatermark-FreeHobbyist-OKAPI

Visit AiderUPDATED 2026-05-13 · DIRECT LINK

aider.chat/

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS //

Local or cloud · Entry GPU (6–8 GB)

CPU-CAPABLE

Min VRAM

None

Rec. VRAM

8 GB

Min RAM

8 GB

Rec. RAM

16 GB

Disk

2 GB

GPU class

Entry GPU

Apple Silicon ✓CPU-Capable

Aider itself is a thin CLI; GPU need lives at the model layer.

[ EDITORIAL PICK ]

Why we recommend Aider

DERIVED FROM METADATA — NOT SPONSORED

Open source
Source is public — you can audit it, fork it, and you'll never lose access to your workflows if Aider the company changes direction.
CPU-capable
Doesn't require a dedicated GPU — useful on laptops and headless servers.
Apple Silicon
Native Metal / MPS support — runs on M-series Macs without CUDA gymnastics.
Top-tier pick
Power-user score 85/100 — consistently rated highly by people who use this every day, not just benchmark chasers.

[ EVIDENCE NOTE ]

Documentation-led datasheet

This page summarizes upstream documentation, release information, and editorially reviewed catalogue fields. It is not presented as a hands-on benchmark. Verify changing requirements at the official project; report stale data through our corrections channel.

Memory guide →

AT-A-GLANCE SIGNALS //

DERIVED FROM THIS PAGE'S DATA

Install difficulty
Easy
Runs CPU-only — no CUDA / driver gymnastics required.
Hardware comfort
Runs anywhere
No dedicated GPU required.
Ecosystem
Strong devkit
Open-source AND ships an API — easy to integrate, possible to host yourself.
Verification
Recent
Catalogue entry last updated 64 days ago — re-verification due soon.

[ COMMUNITY GUIDES & WORKFLOWS ]

Tutorials & deep-dives for Aider

Hand-picked from YouTube, Reddit, GitHub, and the wider web. Each link goes straight to the source — we don't intercept or rewrite anything.

[ MORE IN THIS NICHE ]

Other local llm runners tools we rate

Three picks across different tradeoffs — so you don't end up with three near-clones of Aider.

LIGHTEST HARDWARE //

Transformers

The library every LLM ships against first.

OPEN SOURCE2–24 GB VRAM

BEST FREE OPTION //

llama.cpp

The C++ inference engine powering most local LLMs.

OPEN SOURCECPU-CAPABLE

TOP QUALITY //

Ollama

One-command local LLM runtime.

OPEN SOURCECPU-CAPABLE

What is Aider?

Aider is the CLI-first AI coding assistant. Runs in your terminal, edits files in your repo, and commits each change as its own git commit with a generated message. Supports any major LLM provider plus local models. Excellent for surgical, auditable changes — every edit is reviewable as a diff.

Pros & cons

✓ PROS

Git-native: every change is a real, reviewable commit
Repo-map auto-built so the model has cross-file context
Pure CLI — pairs with any editor

– CONS

Terminal UX won't suit everyone
No graphical 'undo' beyond `git reset`

What's actually free?

Apache 2.0; you pay your own model costs.

✓ Actually FreeNo SignupOpen SourceWatermark-Free