Registry / llm-agents / aider-chat

aider-chat

JSON →
library0.86.2pypypiunverified

Aider is an AI pair programming tool that allows you to chat with an AI model directly in your terminal, making it easy to edit code in your local git repository. It integrates with various LLM providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, OpenRouter, etc.) and supports many programming languages. The current version is 0.86.2, with active development and frequent releases focusing on new model support and user experience improvements.

pip install aider-chat
INSTALL
IMPORT
SIG · AIDER-CHAT
A
aider-chat
llm-agentspythonv0.86.2
harness data pending
Install & Compatibility
Where this runs

No compatibility data collected yet for this library.

Code
Verified usage

This quickstart demonstrates how to set up a dummy project with a `main.py` file and a git repository, then launch Aider via the command line. Aider operates interactively in your terminal, acting as an AI pair programmer. You'll need to set an API key for your chosen LLM provider (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini) as an environment variable or pass it via CLI arguments. The example uses a `subprocess.run` call to execute Aider, allowing for direct terminal interaction.

# 1. Set your API key (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, OpenRouter) # For OpenAI, set OPENAI_API_KEY. For other providers, check Aider docs. # export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..." (Linux/macOS) # $env:OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..." (PowerShell) import os import subprocess import shutil # Using a dummy key for demonstration; replace with your actual key openai_api_key = os.environ.get('OPENAI_API_KEY', 'sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx') if not openai_api_key.startswith('sk-'): print("WARNING: OPENAI_API_KEY not set or invalid. Aider will likely fail without a valid key.") # Create a dummy project directory and a file to edit project_dir = "aider_quickstart_project" if os.path.exists(project_dir): shutil.rmtree(project_dir) # Clean up previous run os.makedirs(project_dir) os.chdir(project_dir) with open("main.py", "w") as f: f.write("def hello_world():\n print('Hello')\n") # Initialize a git repo (Aider works best with git) subprocess.run(["git", "init", "-b", "main"], check=True, capture_output=True) subprocess.run(["git", "add", "main.py"], check=True, capture_output=True) subprocess.run(["git", "commit", "-m", "Initial commit"], check=True, capture_output=True) print(f"\nCreated '{project_dir}/main.py' and initialized git. Now launching Aider...\n") print("To interact, type your requests into the terminal. E.g., 'Add 'world!' to the print statement.'") print("Type '/help' for Aider commands, or '/exit' to quit.\n") # Run Aider. The user will interact with it in the terminal. # Use a model alias like 'gpt-4o' if OPENAI_API_KEY is set. # Set environment variables for the subprocess call. # Note: This will block until Aider exits. result = subprocess.run( ["aider", "--model", "gpt-4o", "main.py"], env={**os.environ, 'OPENAI_API_KEY': openai_api_key}, check=False # Aider might exit with non-zero if user cancels, etc. ) print(f"\nAider process exited with code {result.returncode}.") print(f"Check '{os.path.join(project_dir, 'main.py')}' for changes.") # Clean up (optional) os.chdir("..") shutil.rmtree(project_dir) print(f"Cleaned up '{project_dir}'.")
aider --version
Debug
Known issues
gotchaAider frequently updates its default model aliases (e.g., `gemini`, `flash`, `sonnet`, `opus`) and provider priorities across releases. This can lead to users unintentionally using different models or providers than expected if they don't explicitly specify their desired model with the `--model` flag.
fix
Always explicitly specify your desired model using `aider --model your/model-name ...` to ensure consistent behavior, or regularly check release notes for alias changes.
affects: All versions (a continuous development pattern)
gotchaAider requires API keys for LLM providers (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, OpenRouter) to function. These keys must be configured correctly, typically as environment variables (e.g., `OPENAI_API_KEY`, `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`, `GEMINI_API_KEY`, `OPENROUTER_API_KEY`). Misconfiguration or missing keys will prevent Aider from communicating with LLMs.
fix
Ensure the correct API key environment variable for your chosen provider is set before running Aider. Refer to the official Aider documentation for specific provider setup instructions (aider.chat/docs/llms.html).
affects: All versions
breakingAider has strict Python version requirements, currently `Python >=3.10, <3.13`. Installing or running Aider with unsupported Python versions (e.g., Python 3.9 or Python 3.13+) will lead to installation failures, dependency conflicts, or runtime errors as indicated by pip's `Requires-Python` metadata.
fix
Use a Python environment manager (e.g., `pyenv`, `conda`, `venv`) to ensure you are running Aider with a compatible Python version (e.g., Python 3.10, 3.11, or 3.12). For example, `python3.12 -m pip install aider-chat`.
affects: All versions (check `requires_python` metadata)
Errors
Common errors & fixes
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'aider'
This error occurs when the 'aider' module is not installed or not accessible in the current Python environment.
fix
Ensure that 'aider-chat' is installed in your environment by running 'pip install aider-chat'. If the issue persists, consider installing 'aider' in an isolated environment using 'pipx' or 'uv' to avoid dependency conflicts. ([aider.chat](https://aider.chat/docs/troubleshooting/imports.html?utm_source=openai))
ImportError: No module named 'aider'
This error indicates that the 'aider' module cannot be found, possibly due to an incorrect installation or the module not being in the Python path.
fix
Verify that 'aider-chat' is installed by running 'pip show aider-chat'. If it's not installed, install it using 'pip install aider-chat'. To prevent package conflicts, consider using 'pipx' or 'uv' for installation. ([aider.chat](https://aider.chat/docs/troubleshooting/imports.html?utm_source=openai))
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'litellm'
This error occurs when the 'litellm' module, a dependency of 'aider', is missing or not installed correctly.
fix
Install the 'litellm' module by running 'pip install litellm'. To ensure all dependencies are correctly installed, it's recommended to install 'aider' in an isolated environment using 'pipx' or 'uv'. ([aider.chat](https://aider.chat/docs/troubleshooting/imports.html?utm_source=openai))
ImportError: No module named 'openai'
This error indicates that the 'openai' module, required by 'aider', is not installed or not accessible in the current environment.
fix
Install the 'openai' module by running 'pip install openai'. To avoid dependency issues, consider installing 'aider' in an isolated environment using 'pipx' or 'uv'. ([aider.chat](https://aider.chat/docs/troubleshooting/imports.html?utm_source=openai))
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pyperclip'
This error occurs when the 'pyperclip' module, a dependency of 'aider', is missing or not installed correctly.
fix
Install the 'pyperclip' module by running 'pip install pyperclip'. To ensure all dependencies are correctly installed, it's recommended to install 'aider' in an isolated environment using 'pipx' or 'uv'. ([aider.chat](https://aider.chat/docs/troubleshooting/imports.html?utm_source=openai))
Upgrade
Version history
0.86.2latest on PyPI · released Feb 12, 2026
Audit
Dependencies

No dependency data recorded yet.

Agent activity
77 hits · last 30 days
node
70
Perplexity
1
OpenAI (training)
1
Resources
aider-chat — pip install aider-chat · libregistry