Aider vs Continue(2026)
Aider is better for teams that need completely free and open source. Continue is the stronger choice if full model control. Aider is open-source (from $0) and Continue is open-source (from $0).
Full feature breakdown, pricing details, and pros & cons below.
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Aider
Aider is an open-source AI pair programmer that works in your terminal. It edits code across multiple files using git for tracking changes — works with Claude, GPT-4, and local models.
Starting at $0
Visit AiderContinue
Continue is an open-source AI code assistant that connects to any LLM (Claude, GPT-4, local Ollama) inside VS Code or JetBrains. Full control over which model and data leaves your machine.
Starting at $0
Visit ContinueHow Do Aider and Continue Compare on Features?
| Feature | Aider | Continue |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | open-source | open-source |
| Starting price | $0 | $0 |
| Terminal-based | ✓ | — |
| Multi-file editing | ✓ | — |
| Git integration | ✓ | — |
| Any LLM backend | ✓ | ✓ |
| Repository mapping | ✓ | — |
| Automatic commits | ✓ | — |
| Chat-driven development | ✓ | — |
| Open source (Apache 2.0) | — | ✓ |
| VS Code + JetBrains | — | ✓ |
| Inline autocomplete | — | ✓ |
| Chat | — | ✓ |
| Codebase indexing | — | ✓ |
| Slash commands | — | ✓ |
Aider Pros and Cons vs Continue
Aider
Continue
Should You Use Aider or Continue?
Choose Aider if…
- •Completely free and open source
- •Git-native workflow
- •Works with any LLM
Choose Continue if…
- •Full model control
- •Works with local Ollama models
- •Free forever