Pay-as-you-go API token billing directly to connected LLM providers (Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek)
structured from cited official pricing sources: “Aider is free, open-source CLI software (Apache 2.0) with zero subscription fees ($0). Users bring their own API keys from providers like Anthropic, OpenAI, or DeepSeek and pay standard token rates directly to those providers, or connect free local models via Ollama.”
Self-hosting cost
Aider is open source under the Apache 2.0 license. Self-hosting does not add a software license fee, but you still pay for infrastructure, operations, and any external model or API usage.
Aider is free, open-source CLI software (Apache 2.0) with zero subscription fees ($0). Users bring their own API keys from providers like Anthropic, OpenAI, or DeepSeek and pay standard token rates directly to those providers, or connect free local models via Ollama.
Does Aider have a free plan?
Yes — Aider is open source and free to use.
Can you self-host Aider for free?
Aider is open source under the Apache 2.0 license. Self-hosting does not add a software license fee, but you still pay for infrastructure, operations, and any external model or API usage.
What are free or cheaper Aider alternatives?
Claude Code, Cursor, Amp are in the same category with a free plan or open-source license.
pricing is editorial catalog data (last verified August 26, 2026) — vendors change plans; confirm on the official site before you buy. Reuse this data under CC-BY 4.0 via /data.