Which to pick
Pick Aider if…
you want each AI change as its own reviewable commit, you edit a few named files at a time, and you'd rather not give the agent MCP tools.
Pick OpenCode if…
you want the agent to explore the repo, run commands under permission rules, use MCP servers, or run headless in CI with JSON output.
Side by side
| Aider | OpenCode | |
|---|---|---|
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Git model | Commits every edit with a descriptive message; commits your dirty files first so its edits stay separate. /diff, /undo, /commit, /git | /undo and /redo revert file changes using Git under the hood; no per-edit commits |
| Instructions | Any markdown file loaded read-only: aider --read CONVENTIONS.md, or read: in .aider.conf.yml | AGENTS.md (OpenCode 1 falls back to CLAUDE.md) |
| MCP | No MCP setup in the Aider docs we checked | Local and remote MCP servers in opencode.json |
| Permissions | Edits files you add to the chat | Per-tool allow / ask / deny rules with wildcards |
| Scripting | aider --message "…" file.py does one instruction and exits | opencode run "…", --format json |
| Local models | --model ollama_chat/<model> | OpenAI-compatible provider pointed at Ollama or LM Studio |
| Activity | Last push May 22, 2026 | Last push Oct 18, 2026 |
Licenses and last-push dates from the GitHub API on Oct 18, 2026.
A git-first workflow that uses both
- Explore and plan in OpenCode. Let it read the repo and write a plan to
PLAN.md, with edits set to ask. - Make the edits in Aider. Add only the files the plan names. Each change lands as a commit.
- Review with git.
/diffafter each step,/undoanything you don't like, or squash on a branch.
{
"$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
"permission": { "*": "ask", "read": "allow", "grep": "allow", "glob": "allow" }
}OpenCode evaluates permission rules by pattern with the last matching rule winning, so put the catch-all "*" first.
FAQ
Does Aider support MCP?
We found no MCP setup in Aider's docs on Oct 18, 2026. If you need MCP tools, use OpenCode, Codex, Claude Code, goose or Gemini CLI.
Can Aider and OpenCode share one instructions file?
Yes. OpenCode reads AGENTS.md automatically; load the same file in Aider with read: AGENTS.md in .aider.conf.yml or aider --read AGENTS.md.
Which is better for local models?
Both document Ollama. Aider's doc example runs Ollama with an 8k window; Ollama's own guidance for coding tools, including OpenCode, is at least 64k. Give either one as much context as your hardware allows.
Get new rigs by email
New job recipes and harness changes, a few times a month. Each one with copy-ready config and dated sources.
Sources
- Aider docs: git integration · checked Oct 18, 2026
- Aider docs: coding conventions · checked Oct 18, 2026
- Aider docs: scripting · checked Oct 18, 2026
- Aider docs: Ollama · checked Oct 18, 2026
- OpenCode 1 docs: rules · checked Oct 18, 2026
- OpenCode 1 docs: permissions · checked Oct 18, 2026
- OpenCode 1 docs: CLI · checked Oct 18, 2026
- OpenCode 1 docs: TUI (/undo) · checked Oct 18, 2026
- OpenCode 1 docs: MCP servers · checked Oct 18, 2026
- Ollama docs: OpenCode · checked Oct 18, 2026
- GitHub repo metadata (license, last push), via the GitHub API · checked Oct 18, 2026
Spotted something out of date? Email sternberg@mail.grokbot.com.