Decision guide · AI coding
These products can all help modify a codebase, but they organize the developer's workflow differently. Start with the environment where you work, how much control you want over edits, and how your model usage will be billed.
The comparison uses iilib's published entity records and explicit graph relationships. It is not a benchmark or a claim that every possible provider integration has been mapped.
Terminal, desktop or IDE; broad provider choice
Choose when you want a provider-agnostic client and plan to switch models or run some locally.
Confirm the provider, authentication path and permitted model costs before relying on a paid subscription.
Product record verified Oct 3, 2026
IDE-centered, supervised agent work
Choose when you want to inspect file edits and command execution as part of an IDE workflow.
Decide which provider/key will pay for inference, and review approvals for file, terminal and external-tool actions.
Product record verified Oct 3, 2026
Terminal-first Git repository editing
Choose when your daily loop is incremental edits with version-control checkpoints and a repository map.
Understand its Git behavior, including automatic commits by default, before running it on a working tree.
Product record verified Oct 3, 2026
The interface and compatibility columns are drawn from the underlying product and relationship records. A mapped API count reflects documented relationships in iilib, not a provider limit.
| Product | Recorded surfaces | Open source | Mapped API links | Payment model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenCode | local, cli, desktop, ide | Yes | 8 explicitly verified | The OpenCode client is open source. Model-provider or OpenCode hosted-model usage may be billed separately. |
| Cline | local, cli, ide | Yes | 7 explicitly verified | The open-source client is free for individual developers. Model inference is usage-based or can use the user's own provider keys. |
| Aider | cli | Yes | 8 explicitly verified | Aider is open source. Model or provider charges may still apply. |
Decision 1
IDE-based review: examine Cline first. Terminal and model-provider flexibility: examine OpenCode. Git-centered, terminal pair-programming: examine Aider. Each may work in more than one environment; these are starting points, not exclusive categories.
Try the same small bug fix in a disposable branch. Review diffs, tests, permission prompts and how easily you can undo an unwanted edit.
Decision 2
An open-source client is not necessarily free to operate. External model calls may be charged by the provider, and an optional hosted-model plan can have separate terms. Compare a fixed test workload, including retries and tool interactions, instead of comparing only client download prices.
Estimate model token costs →The calculator estimates API token charges, not every agent's subscription, tool or orchestration overhead.
Use a clean test branch and one realistic bug, refactor or missing test. Record the target behavior and passing test command.
If all clients support the same provider/model path, use it first to isolate workflow differences. Note gaps rather than inventing compatibility.
Count human approvals, unsolicited file changes and the effort to inspect or revert the diff. Keep credentials out of the test repository.
Record tests passing, manual corrections, retries, elapsed time and token or hosted-plan charges. Prefer reliable completed tasks over flashy demos.
Capability claims and billing details can change. Check the products' current documentation, then follow iilib's existing pairwise comparisons and graph connections.
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