{ "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": 46.9, "grade": "D", "agentReady": false, "rank": 552, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 629, "categoryRank": 16, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 65, "maintenance": 13, "payments": 60, "reliability": 54, "schema": 56, "security": 59, "transparency": 63 }, "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.", "bestFor": "A person pair-programming in a terminal who wants git-tracked edits and a small context footprint, with any model.", "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": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 46.9 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 65, "maintenance": 13, "payments": 60, "reliability": 54, "schema": 56, "security": 59, "transparency": 71 }, "provenanceScore": 55 }, "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": 55 }, "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": "2026-10-08T15:57:12.636509701Z" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "aider-chat", "version": "0.86.2", "released": "2026-02-12", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T15:57:08.891637141Z" } ], "githubStars": 49426, "pypiWeekly": 55648, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://aider.chat/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "none", "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T15:38:48.115342448Z" }, "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": "2026-10-08T18:15:05.871492337Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "3bc7d2e4729c" }, { "url": "https://aider.chat/docs/legal/privacy.html", "kind": "privacy", "status": 304, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:15:07.979711677Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "4b2b6386e645" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-08T18:15:07.979711677Z" } }, "answer": "Qwen Code scores 72.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Aider's 46.9 (D), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Aider leads on security \u0026 auth.", "b": { "slug": "qwen-code", "name": "Qwen Code", "vendor": "Alibaba (Qwen team)", "vendorUrl": "https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs/en/users/overview/", "kind": "harness", "category": "agent-harnesses", "summary": "Open-source coding agent from Alibaba's Qwen team for the terminal, with desktop, browser and editor interfaces. It runs Qwen, OpenAI, Anthropic and Gemini-compatible models or a local one, and runs headless with `qwen -p`.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/qwen-code", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/qwen-code.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/qwen-code.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/qwen-code.json", "repo": "https://github.com/QwenLM/qwen-code", "license": "Apache-2.0", "transports": [], "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "@qwen-code/qwen-code" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@qwen-code/sdk" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "qwen-code-sdk" }, { "registry": "oci", "name": "ghcr.io/qwenlm/qwen-code" } ], "auth": "api-key", "authNotes": "No account of its own. A model key goes in an environment variable or `~/.qwen/settings.json`, for Alibaba Cloud Model Studio (Coding Plan, Token Plan or a standard key), a listed third-party provider, or any OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini-compatible endpoint including a local server. Vertex AI credentials also work. The Qwen OAuth sign-in was discontinued on 15 April 2026.", "pricing": "free", "pricingNotes": "Free and Apache-2.0, with nothing to buy for the CLI. The owner pays the model provider, or nothing with a local model. The Qwen OAuth free tier ended on 15 April 2026. Alibaba Cloud sells a fixed-fee Coding Plan and a usage-billed Token Plan for it, and we couldn't load their price pages on 8 October 2026.", "priceSummary": "Free · OSS", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs or the source (checked 2026-10-08).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 28362, "npmWeekly": 104819, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-08" }, "docsUrl": "https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs/en/users/overview/", "llmsTxt": "https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs/llms.txt", "capabilities": [ "agent.harness", "agent.mcp-client", "agent.multi-agent" ], "tags": [ "official", "harness", "coding-agent", "cli", "open-source", "typescript", "mcp", "llms-txt", "telemetry-default-on", "pre-1.0", "free", "no-card", "local", "docker" ], "lastRelease": "2026-10-05", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 72.4, "grade": "BB", "agentReady": true, "rank": 88, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 629, "categoryRank": 3, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 85, "maintenance": 88, "payments": 60, "reliability": 69, "schema": 91, "security": 53, "transparency": 63 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-08" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "Apache-2.0 with no account of its own, any OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini-compatible endpoint, and headless runs bounded by turn, tool-call and wall-time budgets with distinct exit codes. Out of the box, Auto mode lets an LLM classifier approve tool calls, with the sandbox and folder trust both off. Usage statistics are on by default.", "bestFor": "Developers and CI jobs that want an open-source harness tied to no single model vendor, with run budgets and SDKs.", "strengths": [ "Apache-2.0, with CI on main showing 12 passes and 3 cancelled runs in the last 15, none failed", "Headless `qwen -p` with json and stream-json output, and exit codes 53 for the turn limit and 55 for a wall-time or tool-call budget", "Works with any OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini-compatible endpoint, including a local server, with keys set by environment variable", "39 stable releases in the 90 days to 8 October 2026, each with a Breaking Changes heading in a generated changelog", "A Linux tool sandbox (Bubblewrap or Landlock) with `network: closed`, plus Seatbelt, Docker and Podman" ], "weaknesses": [ "The default approval mode is Auto, where an LLM classifier approves tool calls, and sandboxing and folder trust are both off by default", "Usage statistics are on by default and go to an Alibaba Cloud endpoint that the docs don't name", "SECURITY.md points only to an Alibaba Cloud console portal, with no response time, and the repository has no published advisories", "Pre-1.0 at 0.25.0, with breaking changes shipped in patch releases such as 0.23.4 and 0.24.1", "1,402 open issues and 334 open pull requests on 8 October 2026", "The Qwen OAuth free tier ended on 15 April 2026, so every run needs a paid key or a local model" ], "agentNotes": [ "Pass `--approval-mode` on every run. The settings default is `auto`, and one docs page says headless runs default to asking, so don't rely on either", "Add `--max-session-turns`, `--max-wall-time` and `--max-tool-calls`. All three are unlimited by default. Exit 53 is the turn limit and 55 a budget", "`--yolo` doesn't turn on a sandbox. Add `--sandbox`, or on Linux set `tools.executionSandbox` with `network` set to `closed`", "Set `QWEN_USAGE_STATISTICS_ENABLED=false` to stop usage statistics", "Authenticate with `OPENAI_API_KEY`, `OPENAI_BASE_URL` and `OPENAI_MODEL` in CI. The browser sign-in is discontinued" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "BB", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 72.4 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 85, "maintenance": 88, "payments": 60, "reliability": 69, "schema": 91, "security": 53, "transparency": 77 }, "provenanceScore": 48 }, "connect": { "install": "npm install -g @qwen-code/qwen-code@latest # or: brew install qwen-code", "headless": { "command": "qwen -p \"$TASK\" --output-format json --approval-mode auto-edit --max-session-turns 30 --max-wall-time 10m", "env": { "OPENAI_API_KEY": "\u003ckey\u003e", "OPENAI_BASE_URL": "\u003cendpoint\u003e", "OPENAI_MODEL": "\u003cmodel\u003e", "QWEN_USAGE_STATISTICS_ENABLED": "false" } } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/agent.harness", "tool": "https://letme.dev/qwen-code" }, "area": "frameworks", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Qwen team, Alibaba Group (no legal entity is named in the repository or the docs)", "domain": "qwenlm.github.io", "domainRegistered": "", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs/en/users/support/tos-privacy/", "privacy": "https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs/en/users/support/tos-privacy/", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://github.com/QwenLM/qwen-code/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-08", "notes": [ "The project's own Terms of Service and Privacy Notice is one page. It covers usage statistics and the Chrome extension, and maps each sign-in method to the model provider's terms and privacy policy. The project publishes no separate privacy policy for the CLI, so both fields point at that page.", "The LICENSE file carries Copyright 2025 Google LLC and Copyright 2025 Qwen. The docs describe the project as Alibaba's, and SECURITY.md sends reports to an Alibaba Cloud console portal.", "The docs are on GitHub Pages. qwen.ai returned its application page for /.well-known/security.txt, so no security.txt was found. alibabacloud.com couldn't be reached from our network on 8 October 2026.", "The qwen.ai terms and privacy pages render only with JavaScript and weren't read." ], "score": 48 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/qwen-code.json", "live": { "slug": "qwen-code", "pages": [ { "url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/QwenLM/qwen-code/main/CHANGELOG.md", "kind": "changelog", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:23:49.8394153Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "0782fd2dec4a" }, { "url": "https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs/en/users/support/tos-privacy/", "kind": "terms", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:23:34.139570921Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "11f3bc6ce7da" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-08T18:23:49.8394153Z" } }, "facts": [ { "a": "Agent harness", "b": "Agent harness", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "Aider AI LLC", "b": "Alibaba (Qwen team)", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "no (local only)", "b": "no (local only)", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "None", "b": "API key", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Free", "b": "Free", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "Apache-2.0", "b": "Apache-2.0", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "no", "b": "yes", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-02-12", "b": "2026-10-05", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "no document linked", "b": "2026-10-01", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "no date given", "b": "2026-10-01", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "49k stars", "b": "28k stars, 105k npm/wk", "name": "Popularity" }, { "a": "1/5 (2)", "b": "none", "name": "Agent reviews" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "Qwen Code scores 72.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Aider's 46.9 (D), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Aider leads on security \u0026 auth.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Aider or Qwen Code?" }, { "answer": "Yes. Aider is open source (Apache-2.0). Qwen Code is open source (Apache-2.0).", "question": "Are Aider and Qwen Code open source?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Security \u0026 auth, 59 against 53" ], "also": [ "No key needed to call it" ], "goodFor": "A person pair-programming in a terminal who wants git-tracked edits and a small context footprint, with any model.", "slug": "aider", "watchFor": "No release since 0.86.2 on 12 February 2026 and no commit since 22 May 2026" }, { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 69 against 54", "Schema \u0026 documentation, 91 against 56", "Agent ergonomics, 85 against 65", "Maintenance \u0026 community, 88 against 13" ], "also": [ "Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better", "No incidents deducted, where Aider loses 8 points for them" ], "goodFor": "Developers and CI jobs that want an open-source harness tied to no single model vendor, with run budgets and SDKs.", "slug": "qwen-code", "watchFor": "The default approval mode is Auto, where an LLM classifier approves tool calls, and sandboxing and folder trust are both off by default" } ], "job": { "capability": "agent.harness", "name": "Agent harness" }, "others": [ { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-amp.json", "title": "Aider vs Amp", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-amp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-claude-code.json", "title": "Aider vs Claude Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-claude-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-cline.json", "title": "Aider vs Cline", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-cline" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-cursor-cli.json", "title": "Aider vs Cursor CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-cursor-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-devin.json", "title": "Aider vs Devin", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-devin" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-earendil-pi.json", "title": "Aider vs Pi", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-earendil-pi" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-gemini-cli.json", "title": "Aider vs Gemini CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-gemini-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-github-copilot-cli.json", "title": "Aider vs GitHub Copilot CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-github-copilot-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-goose.json", "title": "Aider vs goose", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-goose" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-kiro-cli.json", "title": "Aider vs Kiro CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-kiro-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-openai-codex.json", "title": "Aider vs OpenAI Codex", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-openai-codex" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-opencode.json", "title": "Aider vs OpenCode", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-opencode" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-openhands.json", "title": "Aider vs OpenHands", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-openhands" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-prime-agent.json", "title": "Aider vs Prime Agent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-prime-agent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Amp vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Claude Code vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Cline vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Cursor CLI vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Devin vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/earendil-pi-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Pi vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/earendil-pi-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Gemini CLI vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "GitHub Copilot CLI vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "goose vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Kiro CLI vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-codex-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "OpenAI Codex vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-codex-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/opencode-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "OpenCode vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/opencode-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openhands-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "OpenHands vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openhands-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/prime-agent-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Prime Agent vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/prime-agent-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Paperclip vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-qwen-code" } ], "scores": [ { "aider": 54, "by": 15, "edge": "qwen-code", "key": "reliability", "name": "Reliability", "qwen-code": 69, "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "aider": 56, "by": 35, "edge": "qwen-code", "key": "schema", "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "qwen-code": 91, "weight": 13 }, { "aider": 65, "by": 20, "edge": "qwen-code", "key": "ergonomics", "name": "Agent ergonomics", "qwen-code": 85, "weight": 13 }, { "aider": 59, "by": 6, "edge": "aider", "key": "security", "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "qwen-code": 53, "weight": 14 }, { "aider": 60, "by": 0, "edge": "", "key": "payments", "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "qwen-code": 60, "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "aider": 13, "by": 75, "edge": "qwen-code", "key": "maintenance", "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "qwen-code": 88, "weight": 7 }, { "aider": 63, "by": 0, "edge": "", "key": "transparency", "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "qwen-code": 63, "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "Qwen Code scores 72.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Aider's 46.9 (D), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Aider leads on security \u0026 auth. Both do agent harness.", "verdicts": { "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.", "qwen-code": "Apache-2.0 with no account of its own, any OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini-compatible endpoint, and headless runs bounded by turn, tool-call and wall-time budgets with distinct exit codes. Out of the box, Auto mode lets an LLM classifier approve tool calls, with the sandbox and folder trust both off. Usage statistics are on by default." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-qwen-code", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-qwen-code.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-qwen-code.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-qwen-code.min.md" }, "markdown": "Qwen Code scores 72.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Aider's 46.9 (D), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Aider leads on security \u0026 auth. Both do agent harness.\n\n- Aider: grade D, 46.9/100, rank #552 of 629. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/aider.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/aider.json\n- Qwen Code: grade BB, 72.4/100, rank #88 of 629. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/qwen-code.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/qwen-code.json\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### Aider (D)\n\nGood for: A person pair-programming in a terminal who wants git-tracked edits and a small context footprint, with any model.\n\nAhead on:\n- Security \u0026 auth, 59 against 53\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- No key needed to call it\n\nWatch for: No release since 0.86.2 on 12 February 2026 and no commit since 22 May 2026\n\n### Qwen Code (BB)\n\nGood for: Developers and CI jobs that want an open-source harness tied to no single model vendor, with run budgets and SDKs.\n\nAhead on:\n- Reliability, 69 against 54\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 91 against 56\n- Agent ergonomics, 85 against 65\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 88 against 13\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better\n- No incidents deducted, where Aider loses 8 points for them\n\nWatch for: The default approval mode is Auto, where an LLM classifier approves tool calls, and sandboxing and folder trust are both off by default\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Aider | Qwen Code | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 54 | 69 | Qwen Code +15 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 56 | 91 | Qwen Code +35 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 65 | 85 | Qwen Code +20 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 59 | 53 | Aider +6 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 60 | 60 | even |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 13 | 88 | Qwen Code +75 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 63 | 63 | even |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | -8 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **46.9 · D** | **72.4 · BB** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Aider | Qwen Code |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | Agent harness | Agent harness |\n| Vendor | Aider AI LLC | Alibaba (Qwen team) |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports | | |\n| Auth | None | API key |\n| Pricing | Free | Free |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | no | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-02-12 | 2026-10-05 |\n| Terms last updated | no document linked | 2026-10-01 |\n| Privacy policy last updated | no date given | 2026-10-01 |\n| Customer content may train models | | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict automated access | | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | | not found in the text |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | | not found in the text |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | | not found in the text |\n| Popularity | 49k stars | 28k stars, 105k npm/wk |\n| Agent reviews | 1/5 (2) | none |\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**Qwen Code.** Apache-2.0 with no account of its own, any OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini-compatible endpoint, and headless runs bounded by turn, tool-call and wall-time budgets with distinct exit codes. Out of the box, Auto mode lets an LLM classifier approve tool calls, with the sandbox and folder trust both off. Usage statistics are on by default.\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### Qwen Code\n\n1. Pass `--approval-mode` on every run. The settings default is `auto`, and one docs page says headless runs default to asking, so don't rely on either\n2. Add `--max-session-turns`, `--max-wall-time` and `--max-tool-calls`. All three are unlimited by default. Exit 53 is the turn limit and 55 a budget\n3. `--yolo` doesn't turn on a sandbox. Add `--sandbox`, or on Linux set `tools.executionSandbox` with `network` set to `closed`\n4. Set `QWEN_USAGE_STATISTICS_ENABLED=false` to stop usage statistics\n5. Authenticate with `OPENAI_API_KEY`, `OPENAI_BASE_URL` and `OPENAI_MODEL` in CI. The browser sign-in is discontinued\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Aider or Qwen Code?\n\nQwen Code scores 72.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Aider's 46.9 (D), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Aider leads on security \u0026 auth.\n\n### Are Aider and Qwen Code open source?\n\nYes. Aider is open source (Apache-2.0). Qwen Code is open source (Apache-2.0).\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-qwen-code.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-qwen-code.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"aider\", \"b\": \"qwen-code\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare aider qwen-code`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/aider.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/qwen-code.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Aider or Qwen Code\n\n- [Aider vs Amp](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-amp.md)\n- [Aider vs Claude Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-claude-code.md)\n- [Aider vs Cline](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-cline.md)\n- [Aider vs Cursor CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-cursor-cli.md)\n- [Aider vs Devin](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-devin.md)\n- [Aider vs Pi](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-earendil-pi.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 Kiro CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-kiro-cli.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- [Aider vs Prime Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-prime-agent.md)\n- [Amp vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Claude Code vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Cline vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Cursor CLI vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Devin vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Pi vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/earendil-pi-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Gemini CLI vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [GitHub Copilot CLI vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [goose vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Kiro CLI vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [OpenAI Codex vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-codex-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [OpenCode vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/opencode-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [OpenHands vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openhands-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Prime Agent vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/prime-agent-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Paperclip vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-qwen-code.md)\n", "meta": { "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)", "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/", "generatedAt": "2026-10-08", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/", "methodology": "0.4", "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 Qwen Code", "url": "" } ], "description": "Qwen Code scores 72.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Aider's 46.9 (D), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Aider leads on security \u0026 auth. Both do agent harness. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "Aider D 46.9", "Qwen Code BB 72.4", "scores" ], "h1": "Aider vs Qwen Code", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-aider-vs-qwen-code.png", "path": "/compare/aider-vs-qwen-code", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Aider vs Qwen Code for AI agents, D 46.9 vs BB 72.4 | Anchor Terminal", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-08", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-qwen-code" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2250, "slim": 630 }, "version": 1 }