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Best Aider Alternatives (2026)

Aider is a open-source cli tool tool (terminal). AI pair programming in your terminal with clean commits. We found 12 alternatives worth considering.

Quick verdict

Why look for Aider alternatives?

  • Feature gaps — while Aider is free, paid alternatives may offer more polish or support.
  • Workflow fit — every team is different; the best tool depends on your stack and preferences.

Top 12 Alternatives to Aider

Goose logo
Gooseopen-source

Local on-machine AI agent that allows any LLM and MCP servers as extensions

Editorially selectedBoth Terminal cli tool toolsShared: cli tool, terminal
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Claude Code logo
Claude Codepaid

Command-line AI coding agent that understands your codebase and automates tasks via natural language

Editorially selectedBoth Terminal cli tool toolsShared: cli tool, terminal
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Codex CLI logo
Codex CLIfree

OpenAI's lightweight terminal chat interface for code operations

Editorially selectedBoth Terminal cli tool toolsShared: cli tool, terminal
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Gemini CLI logo
Gemini CLIopen-source

Open-source AI agent from Google bringing Gemini to your terminal

Editorially selectedBoth Terminal cli tool toolsShared: cli tool, terminal
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MyCoder.ai logo
MyCoder.aiopen-source

Open source AI coding assistant with Git/GitHub integration and parallel execution

Both Terminal cli tool toolsShared: cli tool, terminal
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RA.Aid logo
RA.Aidopen-source

Standalone coding agent built on LangGraph's agent-based task execution

Both Terminal cli tool toolsShared: cli tool, terminal
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Qwen Code logo
Qwen Codeopen-source

Alibaba's coding agent that lives in the digital world

Both Terminal cli tool toolsShared: cli tool, terminal
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opencode logo
opencodeopen-source

AI coding agent built for the terminal

Both Terminal cli tool toolsShared: cli tool, terminal
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Crush logo
Crushopen-source

Glamorous AI coding agent for your terminal that generates CLIs

Both Terminal cli tool toolsShared: cli tool, terminal
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Ralph logo
Ralphopen-source

Terminal-first agent loop persisting state via git

Both Terminal cli tool toolsShared: cli tool, terminal
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mistral-vibe logo
mistral-vibeopen-source

Mistral AI's vibe coding tool

Both Terminal cli tool toolsShared: cli tool, terminal
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vibe-cli logo
vibe-cliopen-source

AI-powered CLI for collaborative coding sessions and workflow automation

Both Terminal cli tool toolsShared: cli tool, terminal
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Frequently asked questions

What are the best alternatives to Aider?
The top alternatives to Aider include Goose, Claude Code, Codex CLI. All are cli tool tools that work from the command line.
Is there a free alternative to Aider?
Yes. Goose is open source and free to use. Local on-machine AI agent that allows any LLM and MCP servers as extensions
Is Goose better than Aider?
Goose and Aider serve similar purposes as cli tool tools. Goose: Local on-machine AI agent that allows any LLM and MCP servers as extensions Aider: AI pair programming in your terminal with clean commits The best choice depends on your workflow and requirements.
How many alternatives to Aider are there?
We track 12 alternatives to Aider across categories including CLI Tool.

Related alternatives pages

Alternatives to Claude CodeAlternatives to Codex CLIAlternatives to GooseAlternatives to MyCoder.aiAlternatives to RA.AidAlternatives to Gemini CLIAlternatives to Qwen CodeAlternatives to opencode

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