RUNLOCALAIv38
->Will it run?Best GPUCompareTroubleshootStartLearnPulseModelsHardwareToolsBench
Run check
RUNLOCALAI

Independently operated catalog for local-AI hardware and software. Hand-written verdicts. Source-cited claims. Reproducible commands when we have them.

OP·Fredoline Eruo
DIR
  • Models
  • Hardware
  • Tools
  • Benchmarks
TOOLS
  • Will it run?
  • Compare hardware
  • Cost vs cloud
  • Choose my GPU
  • Prompting kits
  • Quick answers
REF
  • All buyer guides
  • Learn local AI
  • Methodology
  • Glossary
  • Errors KB
  • Trust
EDITOR
  • About
  • Author
  • How we make money
  • Editorial policy
  • Contact
LEGAL
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Sitemap
MAIL · MONTHLY DIGEST
Get monthly local AI changes
Monthly recap. No spam.
DISCLOSURE

Some links on this site are affiliate links (Amazon Associates and other first-class retailers). When you buy through them, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate links do not influence our verdicts — there are cards we rate highly that we don't have affiliate relationships with, and cards that sell well that we refuse to recommend. Read more →

© 2026 runlocalai.coIndependently operated
RUNLOCALAI · v38
← Home·/apps·Coding agent

Aider

Fully offline

Terminal coding agent that edits files via your local model. Git-aware, surgical, fast.

Editorial verdict: “Best terminal-native coding agent for local models. Qwen 2.5 Coder 32B is its sweet spot.”

Coding agent
Free
Apache-2.0
★ 4.7 / 5
GitHub ★ 27,000
↗ Homepage↗ GitHub↗ Docs

Compatibility at a glance

Which runtime + OS combos this app works against. Source of truth for "will it run on my setup?"

§ Runtimes supported
ollamaopenai-compat
§ OS / platform
macoslinuxwindows
§ Hardware + model hint
Minimum VRAM
24 GB
Recommended starter model
Qwen 2.5 Coder 32B Q4_K_M
→ Build the rest of the stack with /stack-builder→ Pick a GPU for this app

What it is

Aider is for developers who work in the terminal and want a coding agent that respects their existing workflow. It connects to any OpenAI-compatible endpoint—Ollama, llama.cpp, or a remote API—so you can run it fully offline with a local model. The tool’s core strength is its surgical edit format: it produces small, targeted diffs that apply cleanly even with mid-tier models like Qwen 2.5 Coder 32B, and every change is automatically committed as a git commit you can revert. This makes it reliable for iterative refactoring, but the tradeoff is a steeper learning curve compared to IDE-integrated agents. You’ll need at least 24 GB of VRAM to run the recommended 32B-class model for production-quality edits, and the terminal-only interface means no graphical diff review.

✓ Strengths

  • +Terminal-native — no IDE lock-in
  • +Git-aware: every edit is a commit you can revert
  • +Excellent edit-format that minimizes apply failures

△ Caveats

  • −Steep learning curve vs IDE-integrated agents
  • −Needs 32B-class model for production-quality edits

About the Coding agent category

Editor-integrated or CLI agent that edits code via your model.

§ Other coding agent apps
Twinny

Best minimal-surface Copilot-replacement that's been Ollama-native since day one.

Tabby

Best self-hosted server for teams. SSO + audit logs make it the IT-friendly pick.

Cline

Best IDE-integrated agent that fully respects 'all local' as a first-class option.

Continue

Best Copilot replacement that defaults to local. Configurable; pair with Qwen 2.5 Coder.

Where to go from here

Stack Builder →

Pre-filled with this app's recommended use case + budget tier. Get the full rig + runtime + model picks.

Back to /apps →

The full directory — filter by category, runtime, OS, privacy posture, or VRAM.

Runtimes (/tools) →

What this app talks to: Ollama, vLLM, llama.cpp, MLX, LM Studio. The upstream layer.

Community benchmarks →

Did this app work for you on a specific rig? Submit the benchmark — it powers the model + hardware pages.