Aider pricing explained (2026): the real cost
verified 2026-06-01The software is $0; your only cost is the LLM API you point it at, so heavy use of a premium model like Claude can run $20 to $200+ per month while a local Ollama model costs nothing. Prices verified 2026-06-01 against aider.chat. prices change often, verify live
The tiers
Monthly and annual. The unit you pay against, per plan.
| tier | monthly | annual | what's included | unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open source (BYOK) | $0verify live | n/a | Full tool, Apache 2.0 license, self-hosted in your terminal; you pay only your own LLM provider's API usage (zero markup). Cost varies by model and volume. | per user |
// pools and per-unit rates are volatile · verified 2026-06-01 · cells flagged verify live link to the live vendor page
There is no built-in model, so you must supply and fund your own API key, and unmonitored usage of premium frontier models can rack up real per-token bills.
There is no built-in model, so you must supply and fund your own API key, and unmonitored usage of premium frontier models can rack up real per-token bills. Native MCP support is not merged upstream; only third-party/experimental MCP servers exist.
See live pricing on Aider →Worth it if
- You want a free, open-source CLI coding agent and full control over which model you use and what you pay.
- Your usage stays inside the included allowance.
- You value Terminal-native, BYOK AI pair programming over raw lowest cost.
Look elsewhere if
- There is no built-in model, so you must supply and fund your own API key, and unmonitored usage of premium frontier models can rack up real per-token bills. Native MCP support is not merged upstream; only third-party/experimental MCP servers exist.
- You're highly cost-sensitive at scale.
- A cheaper tool in the comparison covers your use case.
Ready to try Aider?
Start on the free tier (Entire tool is free and Apache 2.0 open source. With a free OpenRouter model or a local Ollama model, total cost can be $0; otherwise you pay your model provider's per-token API rates.), then size your plan with the numbers above.
Affiliate link · how we make money
Questions
How much does Aider really cost?
The software is $0; your only cost is the LLM API you point it at, so heavy use of a premium model like Claude can run $20 to $200+ per month while a local Ollama model costs nothing.
Does Aider have a free tier?
Free tier: Entire tool is free and Apache 2.0 open source. With a free OpenRouter model or a local Ollama model, total cost can be $0; otherwise you pay your model provider's per-token API rates..
What's the catch with Aider's pricing?
There is no built-in model, so you must supply and fund your own API key, and unmonitored usage of premium frontier models can rack up real per-token bills. Native MCP support is not merged upstream; only third-party/experimental MCP servers exist.
Is Aider worth it?
Aider is worth it if you specifically need Terminal-native, BYOK AI pair programming. That's where it beats the alternatives. The software is $0; your only cost is the LLM API you point it at, so heavy use of a premium model like Claude can run $20 to $200+ per month while a local Ollama model costs nothing. If your usage is high-volume or budget is the priority, a cheaper tool in the comparison will do the same work for less.