Aider ​

Aider is a terminal-based AI pair programmer that treats Git as the source of truth. Every code change is an atomic, well-described Git commit. No manual staging, no remembering to save — Aider writes code and commits it in one step. The repository map gives the AI a structural understanding of your entire codebase, and MCP tools extend this with access to external data during editing sessions.

Ai
Aider
Open-Source · aider.chat
TRANSPORT
Streamable HTTP ✓
PLATFORM
Terminal (Python)
MCP VIA
Config + CLI Flags

Git-Native AI Coding in the Terminal ​

Aider's Git integration is its defining feature. When you ask Aider to refactor a function, it makes the change and creates a commit with a descriptive message. If you ask for multiple changes, each gets its own commit. git diff and git log show exactly what the AI did, and git revert undoes any change cleanly.

The repository map uses Tree-sitter to parse your entire codebase into a structural overview — classes, functions, imports, and their relationships. This gives the AI context about code it hasn't explicitly read, reducing token usage while keeping changes consistent across files.

MCP tools bring external context into terminal sessions. The AI can check deployment status, query issue trackers, or read documentation through MCP while editing code.

Features:

  • Git-native — auto-commits with descriptive messages
  • Repository map — Tree-sitter structural overview of the entire codebase
  • Multi-file editing — coherent changes across multiple files
  • Edit modes — whole file, diff, and architect modes
  • Multi-model — Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Ollama
  • Voice coding — speak changes instead of typing
  • Leaderboard — benchmark results for model/edit-format combinations
  • Open-source — Apache 2.0 license

Terminal Setup ​

1. Create a Token ​

In Vinkius Cloud, go to your server → Connection Tokens → Create. Copy the URL.

2. Configure Aider ​

Add MCP server to your Aider configuration or pass via CLI flags.

3. Code and Commit ​

bash
aider --model claude-sonnet-4
> check the CI status and fix the failing test

Aider calls MCP tools for CI data, fixes the code, and auto-commits the change.

FAQ ​

Does Aider auto-commit MCP-assisted changes? Yes. All changes — whether from direct editing or informed by MCP data — are auto-committed with descriptive messages.

What is the repository map? A Tree-sitter-based structural overview of your codebase. It gives the AI context about all files without reading every line.

Can I use Aider with local models? Yes. Ollama, LM Studio, and any OpenAI-compatible API work.

Is Aider free? Open-source. Bring your own API keys.