Aider

Aider is a mature open-source CLI for pair programming with LLMs. It's beloved for being git-native: every change is a clean commit you can review and revert.

Install

pip install aider-chat
aider

It needs a git repo and an API key:

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...   # or OPENAI_API_KEY
aider --model claude-3-5-sonnet

Daily use

aider                        # open chat in the repo
aider "fix all failing tests" --yes   # non-interactive, auto-commit

In the chat you can say things like:

/diff          # review the last change
/undo          # revert the last change
/add src       # add files to context
/git commit    # commit with a message

Why it's special

• Every edit becomes a git commit, so history is a perfect audit trail.
• It works with many models and providers, including local ones via Ollama.
• It's fully scriptable — great for CI and automation.

# Use a local model
aider --model ollama/llama3.1

If you want an agent that behaves like a disciplined teammate who always commits, Aider is the one. Its /diff + /undo loop is also a great way to learn what AI edits are trustworthy.