Aider vs Cline
Aider for terminal-native git workflows; Cline for VS Code with per-action control.
Aider
Terminal-native git-aware coding agent. Bring your own API key. Read the source.
Use this when
Terminal-first workflows, git commit history as reasoning trace, no IDE required.
Full profile →Cline
The VS Code extension that does the work in your editor — read, write, run, browse — with permission gates.
Use this when
VS Code-native, per-action approval needed, visible execution preferred.
Full profile →Cost comparison
Both free + API pass-through costs.