aider vs cline
Updated
Both are free, open-source AI coding agents. cline is more popular (71k vs 50k GitHub stars). Pick aider if your team works in Python; pick cline if you want the bigger community (71k vs 50k GitHub stars).
Side by side
 aider |  cline | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Coding assistants | Coding assistants |
| GitHub stars | 49,751 | 70,839 |
| Stars this week | +88 | +117 |
| Last update | 5mo ago | today |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Commercial use | ||
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Runs on Mac | ||
| Runs without a GPU | ||
| GPU memory | Not stated | Not stated |
| Needs a paid API key | Not stated | Not stated |
| Self-hostable | ||
| Trending this week | – | – |
Hardware details are as stated by each project and may be incomplete.
Choose aider if…
aider is AI pair programming in your terminal
- your team works in Python
Choose cline if…
Autonomous coding agent as an SDK, IDE extension, or CLI assistant.
- you want the bigger community (71k vs 50k GitHub stars)
- you want more active development (updated today, vs 5mo ago)
- you're on a Mac
- your team works in TypeScript
FAQ
Is aider better than cline?
Both are free, open-source AI coding agents. cline is more popular (71k vs 50k GitHub stars). Pick aider if your team works in Python; pick cline if you want the bigger community (71k vs 50k GitHub stars).
Which is better for commercial use, aider or cline?
Both use permissive licenses (Apache-2.0 and Apache-2.0), so both allow commercial use.
Do aider and cline run on a Mac?
cline runs on macOS, according to the project. aider doesn't say.
Are aider and cline free?
Yes. Both are open source and free to use.