{ "data": { "a": { "slug": "aider", "name": "Aider", "vendor": "Aider AI LLC", "vendorUrl": "https://aider.chat", "kind": "harness", "category": "agent-harnesses", "summary": "Terminal pair-programming tool that edits files in a local git repository through text edit formats rather than tool calls, builds a repo map with tree-sitter, and commits each change.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/aider", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/aider.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/aider.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/aider.json", "repo": "https://github.com/Aider-AI/aider", "license": "Apache-2.0", "transports": [], "packages": [ { "registry": "pypi", "name": "aider-chat" } ], "auth": "none", "authNotes": "No account. Model keys come from environment variables, a `.env` file or `--api-key` flags, and go straight to the provider through LiteLLM.", "pricing": "free", "pricingNotes": "Free and Apache-2.0, with nothing to buy. You pay your model provider, or nothing with a local model.", "priceSummary": "Free · OSS", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs or the source (checked 2026-10-01).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 49300, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-01" }, "docsUrl": "https://aider.chat/docs/", "capabilities": [ "agent.harness" ], "tags": [ "open-source", "local", "free", "no-card", "python", "pre-1.0" ], "lastRelease": "2026-02-12", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 47.1, "grade": "D", "agentReady": false, "rank": 385, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 452, "categoryRank": 9, "methodology": "0.3", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 65, "maintenance": 13, "payments": 60, "reliability": 54, "schema": 56, "security": 59, "transparency": 65 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "high", "date": "2026-10-01" }, "negative": -8, "negativeNotes": [ "2026-09-04. CVE-2026-85674 (7.8, filed by VulnCheck). Aider loads `.aider.conf.yml` from the root of the repository it starts in, and a crafted file's `test-cmd` runs at startup and `lint-cmd` on the first edit, through a shell, with no confirmation, model call or API key. It affects 0.86.2 and earlier, no release fixes it, and the report (#5254) is open. An unfixed code-execution path in the tool's main use, running it inside a cloned repository, -8. https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-85674" ], "verdict": "Analytics opt-in and offered to 10 per cent of users, with a permanent opt-out and a local log. No release since 0.86.2 on 12 February 2026 and no commit since 22 May 2026.", "strengths": [ "Analytics opt-in and offered to 10 per cent of users, with a permanent opt-out and a local log", "A git commit per edit by default, with `/undo`", "Asks before running shell commands the model suggests", "A repo map sized by `--map-tokens` keeps its own context cost small", "Any model through LiteLLM, local ones included, with no account" ], "weaknesses": [ "No release since 0.86.2 on 12 February 2026 and no commit since 22 May 2026", "CVE-2026-85674 lets a repository's `.aider.conf.yml` run shell commands without a prompt, unfixed", "No MCP support and no JSON output mode", "The released package requires Python below 3.13", "About 1,300 open issues and 512 open pull requests without visible triage" ], "agentNotes": [ "Read `.aider.conf.yml` in any cloned repository before starting aider. Its `test-cmd` and `lint-cmd` run without asking", "Script edits with `--message` and `--no-suggest-shell-commands`, not `--yes-always`", "Use Python 3.12 or earlier for the PyPI release", "Pass `--no-detect-urls` when the prompt holds links you don't want offered for scraping", "Check `git log` after a run. Each edit is its own commit" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 2, "avgRating": 1, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "high", "grade": "D", "methodology": "0.3", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 47.1 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 65, "maintenance": 13, "payments": 60, "reliability": 54, "schema": 56, "security": 59, "transparency": 71 }, "provenanceScore": 59 }, "connect": { "install": "python -m pip install aider-chat # Python 3.10 to 3.12", "headless": { "command": "aider --message \"$TASK\" --no-suggest-shell-commands --no-analytics --no-detect-urls path/to/file.py", "env": { "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "\u003ckey\u003e" } } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/agent.harness", "tool": "https://letme.dev/aider" }, "area": "frameworks", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Aider AI LLC", "domain": "aider.chat", "domainRegistered": "", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "", "privacy": "https://aider.chat/docs/legal/privacy.html", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://aider.chat/HISTORY.html", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-01", "notes": [ "The privacy policy names Aider AI LLC and covers the website and the tool's opt-in analytics.", "We found no terms of service and no security.txt in the site's source, which lives in the repository under aider/website." ], "score": 59 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/aider.json", "live": { "slug": "aider", "versions": [ { "registry": "github", "name": "Aider-AI/aider", "version": "v0.86.0", "released": "2025-08-09", "seenAt": "2026-10-04T16:19:51.232575987Z" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "aider-chat", "version": "0.86.2", "released": "2026-02-12", "seenAt": "2026-10-04T16:19:51.044083201Z" } ], "githubStars": 49373, "pypiWeekly": 58308, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://aider.chat/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "none", "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:15:46.171141775Z" }, "domain": { "domain": "aider.chat", "registered": "2023-05-15", "source": "https://rdap.identitydigital.services/rdap/domain/aider.chat", "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T13:08:53.462985596Z" }, "pages": [ { "url": "https://aider.chat/HISTORY.html", "kind": "changelog", "status": 304, "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:41:09.185105676Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "3bc7d2e4729c" }, { "url": "https://aider.chat/docs/legal/privacy.html", "kind": "privacy", "status": 304, "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:41:11.29274257Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "4b2b6386e645" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-04T16:19:51.232575987Z" } }, "b": { "slug": "cline", "name": "Cline", "vendor": "Cline Bot Inc.", "vendorUrl": "https://cline.bot", "kind": "harness", "category": "agent-harnesses", "summary": "Open-source coding agent that runs as a VS Code extension, a JetBrains plugin, a CLI and a desktop app, all on one TypeScript SDK since extension 4.0.0 (26 June 2026).", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cline", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cline.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cline.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/cline.json", "repo": "https://github.com/cline/cline", "license": "Apache-2.0", "transports": [], "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "cline" } ], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "Your own provider keys (kept in ~/.cline/data/settings/providers.json for the CLI), a local model, or a Cline account (Google, GitHub or email sign-in) for the Cline provider and ClinePass. The CLI's default provider is Cline's own, so it needs `-P` and a key, or `cline auth`, to use anything else.", "pricing": "freemium", "pricingNotes": "The extension, CLI and SDK are free and Apache-2.0. You pay your model provider, or buy Cline credits for pay-as-you-go access to 100+ models through the Cline provider, or ClinePass at $9.99 a month for higher limits on selected open models. Free models rotate for signed-in users. Enterprise (SSO, role-based access, audit logs, SLA) is priced by sales. We found no public per-token price list for Cline credits.", "priceSummary": "$9.99 / mo", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs, the pricing page or the source (checked 2026-10-01).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 67600, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-01" }, "docsUrl": "https://docs.cline.bot", "llmsTxt": "https://docs.cline.bot/llms.txt", "capabilities": [ "agent.harness", "agent.mcp-client", "agent.multi-agent" ], "tags": [ "open-source", "local", "freemium", "typescript", "llms-txt", "telemetry-default-on", "enterprise", "no-card" ], "lastRelease": "2026-10-01", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 60.8, "grade": "C", "agentReady": false, "rank": 239, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 452, "categoryRank": 7, "methodology": "0.3", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 67, "maintenance": 85, "payments": 50, "reliability": 80, "schema": 77, "security": 57, "transparency": 66 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-01" }, "negative": -8, "negativeNotes": [ "2026-02-17. GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7. An attacker used a compromised npm publish token to release cline@2.3.0 with a postinstall script that ran `npm install -g openclaw@latest`. It was live for about eight hours before 2.4.0 and a deprecation, the token was revoked and publishing moved to OIDC. A supply-chain incident that reached users, fixed and documented and seven months old, -4. https://github.com/cline/cline/security/advisories/GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7", "2026-05-08. GHSA-5c57-rqjx-35g2 (CVE-2026-44211, 9.6). The kanban server the CLI uses accepted WebSocket connections on 127.0.0.1:3484 without checking Origin, so any website could read workspace data and inject commands. Affects kanban before 2.13.0. Inside six months, -2. https://github.com/cline/cline/security/advisories/GHSA-5c57-rqjx-35g2", "2026-06-23. GHSA-3cj3-hqcr-g934 (CVE-2026-59723, 8.8). The Cline Hub dashboard's `/browser` WebSocket accepted cross-origin connections when ROOM_SECRET was unset, the local default, letting a website add MCP servers to the settings file and run commands. NVD lists versions before 3.0.30 as affected. Inside six months, -2. https://github.com/cline/cline/security/advisories/GHSA-3cj3-hqcr-g934" ], "verdict": "Approval before edits and commands in the IDE, with command auto-approval off by default since 4.0.0. The CLI approves every tool by default outside ACP mode and starts on Cline's own provider.", "strengths": [ "Approval before edits and commands in the IDE, with command auto-approval off by default since 4.0.0", "Checkpoints that restore files and task state, and sessions that resume by ID", "`CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS` allow and deny globs for shell commands, with deny taking precedence and redirects blocked", "Your own key for about 200 providers, or a local model, with no Cline account", "29 extension and 34 CLI releases since 3 July 2026, with tests passing on main" ], "weaknesses": [ "The CLI approves every tool by default outside ACP mode and starts on Cline's own provider", "Extension telemetry on by default, and the CLI's telemetry undocumented", "A compromised npm token shipped cline@2.3.0 with an unwanted global install in February 2026", "Two cross-origin WebSocket flaws in its local servers in May and June 2026", "About 700 open issues and 525 open pull requests" ], "agentNotes": [ "Set `CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS` with allow and deny globs before a headless run. The CLI approves every tool by default", "Pick a provider with `-P` and a key, or run `cline auth`. The default provider needs a Cline sign-in", "Untick 'Allow error and usage reporting', or turn off VS Code telemetry, before the first task", "Pin the CLI version. 2.3.0 was a malicious publish", "Keep the hub on 127.0.0.1 or set ROOM_SECRET, and run 3.0.30 or later" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 2, "avgRating": 2, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "C", "methodology": "0.3", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 60.8 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 67, "maintenance": 85, "payments": 50, "reliability": 80, "schema": 77, "security": 57, "transparency": 60 }, "provenanceScore": 71 }, "connect": { "install": "npm i -g cline # Node 22+; or the VS Code extension saoudrizwan.claude-dev", "headless": { "command": "cline --json -P anthropic -k \"$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY\" \"$TASK\"", "env": { "CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS": "{\"allow\": [\"npm test\", \"git diff *\"], \"deny\": [\"rm *\", \"sudo *\"]}" } } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/agent.harness", "tool": "https://letme.dev/cline" }, "area": "frameworks", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "ClinePass", "unit": "month", "usd": 9.99, "note": "higher limits on selected open coding models" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Cline Bot Inc.", "domain": "cline.bot", "domainRegistered": "", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "https://cline.bot/tos", "privacy": "https://cline.bot/privacy", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://github.com/cline/cline/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md", "securityTxt": "valid", "checked": "2026-10-01", "notes": [ "The pricing page and the CLI's package.json name Cline Bot Inc.", "cline.bot/.well-known/security.txt lists security@cline.bot and the Bugcrowd programme, and expires on 2027-12-31.", "The privacy and terms pages render only with JavaScript, so we couldn't read them." ], "score": 71 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cline.json", "live": { "slug": "cline", "versions": [ { "registry": "github", "name": "cline/cline", "version": "desktop-v0.0.43", "released": "2026-10-02", "seenAt": "2026-10-04T16:23:50.122249988Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "cline", "version": "3.0.68", "seenAt": "2026-10-04T16:23:49.397756171Z" } ], "githubStars": 69834, "npmWeekly": 98104, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://cline.bot/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "valid", "expires": "2027-12-31T23:59:00z", "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:15:58.106451592Z" }, "llmsTxt": { "url": "https://docs.cline.bot/llms.txt", "ok": true, "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:17:24.546724133Z" }, "domain": { "domain": "cline.bot", "registered": "2024-09-30", "source": "https://rdap.nominet.uk/bot/domain/cline.bot", "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T13:10:22.024872209Z" }, "pages": [ { "url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cline/cline/main/CHANGELOG.md", "kind": "deprecations", "status": 304, "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:47:31.26658218Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "5240a7b29fea" }, { "url": "https://cline.bot/privacy", "kind": "privacy", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:41:51.666461685Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "88b6bed4b147" }, { "url": "https://cline.bot/tos", "kind": "terms", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:41:53.851263496Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "936d18e4dc18" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-04T16:23:50.122249988Z" } }, "summary": "Cline has a score of 60.8 (C) against Aider's 47.1 (D). Both do agent harness. The largest gap is maintenance \u0026 community, 72 points." }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-cline", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-cline.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-cline.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-cline.min.md" }, "markdown": "Cline has a score of 60.8 (C) against Aider's 47.1 (D). Both do agent harness. The largest gap is maintenance \u0026 community, 72 points.\n\n- Aider: grade D, 47.1/100, rank #385 of 452. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/aider.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/aider.json\n- Cline: grade C, 60.8/100, rank #239 of 452. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cline.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/cline.json\n\n## Which one, for what\n\nPick Aider for payments \u0026 pricing (+10).\n\nPick Cline for reliability (+26), schema \u0026 documentation (+21), maintenance \u0026 community (+72).\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Aider | Cline | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 54 | 80 | Cline +26 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 56 | 77 | Cline +21 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 65 | 67 | Cline +2 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 59 | 57 | Aider +2 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 60 | 50 | Aider +10 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 13 | 85 | Cline +72 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 65 | 66 | Cline +1 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | -8 | -8 | |\n| **Total** | | **47.1 · D** | **60.8 · C** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Aider | Cline |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | Agent harness | Agent harness |\n| Vendor | Aider AI LLC | Cline Bot Inc. |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports | | |\n| Auth | None | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Free | Freemium |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |\n| Tools exposed | none | none |\n| Context cost (tools/list) | n/a | n/a |\n| p95 latency | not measured yet | not measured yet |\n| Availability (30d) | not measured yet | not measured yet |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | no | yes |\n| MCP registry | not listed | not listed |\n| Last release | 2026-02-12 | 2026-10-01 |\n| Popularity | 49k stars | 68k stars |\n| Agent reviews | 1/5 (2) | 2/5 (2) |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**Aider.** Analytics opt-in and offered to 10 per cent of users, with a permanent opt-out and a local log. No release since 0.86.2 on 12 February 2026 and no commit since 22 May 2026.\n\n**Cline.** Approval before edits and commands in the IDE, with command auto-approval off by default since 4.0.0. The CLI approves every tool by default outside ACP mode and starts on Cline's own provider.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### Aider\n\n1. Read `.aider.conf.yml` in any cloned repository before starting aider. Its `test-cmd` and `lint-cmd` run without asking\n2. Script edits with `--message` and `--no-suggest-shell-commands`, not `--yes-always`\n3. Use Python 3.12 or earlier for the PyPI release\n4. Pass `--no-detect-urls` when the prompt holds links you don't want offered for scraping\n5. Check `git log` after a run. Each edit is its own commit\n\n### Cline\n\n1. Set `CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS` with allow and deny globs before a headless run. The CLI approves every tool by default\n2. Pick a provider with `-P` and a key, or run `cline auth`. The default provider needs a Cline sign-in\n3. Untick 'Allow error and usage reporting', or turn off VS Code telemetry, before the first task\n4. Pin the CLI version. 2.3.0 was a malicious publish\n5. Keep the hub on 127.0.0.1 or set ROOM_SECRET, and run 3.0.30 or later\n\n## Other comparisons with Aider or Cline\n\n- [Aider vs Claude Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-claude-code.md)\n- [Aider vs Cursor CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-cursor-cli.md)\n- [Aider vs Gemini CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-gemini-cli.md)\n- [Aider vs GitHub Copilot CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-github-copilot-cli.md)\n- [Aider vs goose](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-goose.md)\n- [Aider vs OpenAI Codex](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-openai-codex.md)\n- [Aider vs OpenCode](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-opencode.md)\n- [Aider vs OpenHands](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-openhands.md)\n- [Claude Code vs Cline](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-cline.md)\n- [Cline vs Cursor CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-cursor-cli.md)\n- [Cline vs Gemini CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-gemini-cli.md)\n- [Cline vs GitHub Copilot CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-github-copilot-cli.md)\n- [Cline vs goose](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-goose.md)\n- [Cline vs OpenAI Codex](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-openai-codex.md)\n- [Cline vs OpenCode](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-opencode.md)\n- [Cline vs OpenHands](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-openhands.md)\n", "meta": { "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)", "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/", "generatedAt": "2026-10-05", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/", "methodology": "0.3", "openapi": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/openapi.json", "preview": false, "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run" }, "page": { "breadcrumbs": [ { "name": "Home", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/" }, { "name": "Compare", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/" }, { "name": "Aider vs Cline", "url": "" } ], "description": "Cline has a score of 60.8 (C) against Aider's 47.1 (D). Both do agent harness. The largest gap is maintenance \u0026 community, 72 points. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "Aider D 47.1", "Cline C 60.8", "scores" ], "h1": "Aider vs Cline", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-aider-vs-cline.png", "path": "/compare/aider-vs-cline", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Aider vs Cline for AI agents, D 47.1 vs C 60.8 | Anchor Terminal", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-05", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-cline" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 1400, "slim": 330 }, "version": 1 }