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Aider vs Claude Code: catalog facts
Aider	Claude Code
Free Aider itself is free and open source under Apache 2.0. You pay whatever your chosen model…	Paid Requires a paid Claude subscription or API credits.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Commits every change to git automatically, so the usual diff and revert tools work Maps the whole codebase, which is what makes it usable on projects of real size	Works directly in a real repository, running commands and tests rather than only suggesting text Available in the terminal, IDEs, desktop and web from one subscription
Needs an API key and per-token spend unless you run a local model Terminal-driven; there is no graphical interface	Requires a paid Claude plan or API credits It runs commands in your environment, so it needs supervision and permissions
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Closed source
License: Apache-2.0	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Needs internet	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.