Pick Aider if
developers who already live in git and a TTY and will paste an API key.
Read the Aider pageAider vs Codex CLI
Our take
Pick Aider if developers who already live in git and a TTY and will paste an API key. Pick Codex CLI if developers on ChatGPT Plus or Pro who want Codex in the repo they already have open. Skip Aider if people who want an IDE Agent sidebar (Cursor, Cline, Continue) and will not run aider in a repo.
Aider
git-native AI pair programmer in the
Best for
Aider An agent that lives in git
Codex CLI An agent that stays in the terminal
Free plan
Aider $0 · apache-2.0. pip / aider-install
Codex CLI $0 · /month. Quick coding tasks; GPT-6 Luna in the desktop app (rollout)
Lowest paid
Aider Not published by the vendor
Codex CLI Go $8/mo
Next step up
Aider
Codex CLI Plus $20/mo
Coding agent
Aider
Codex CLI Codex
Watch out
Aider $0 is the CLI, not Sonnet
Codex CLI CLI usage shares the ChatGPT pool
Last checked
Aider 2026-10-20 · aider.chat
Codex CLI 2026-10-22 · developers.openai.com/codex/pricing
Which one, then?
Pick Codex CLI if
developers on ChatGPT Plus or Pro who want Codex in the repo they already have open.
Read the Codex CLI page