Aider AI Complete Guide 2026

AI Pair Programming in Your Terminal

What is Aider?

Aider is an AI pair programming tool that runs in your terminal. It works with git repositories to help you write, edit, and understand code. It's like having an experienced developer pair programming with you.

Why Use Aider?

Git-Aware: Understands your repo's git history
Terminal-Based: No need to leave your workflow
Multi-File Editing: Can edit multiple files at once
Context-Aware: Reads your entire codebase
Open Source: Free and self-hostable
Supports All LLMs: GPT-4, Claude, local models

Installation


                        # Install via pip

                        pip install aider-chat


                        # Or with homebrew (Mac)

                        brew install aider

Basic Usage

Start a Session

cd your-project && aider

Ask Aider to Make Changes

"Add error handling to the login function"

Key Features

Automatic Commits

Creates git commits for each change

Context Management

Tracks which files are in context

Diff Preview

Shows diffs before applying changes

Multiple Models

Switch between GPT-4, Claude easily

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