OpenCode vs Aider (2026): 172k Stars vs 46k, MIT vs Apache, and Which BYOK Agent to Pick

Summary

Both keep your code and keys local and avoid lock-in. OpenCode is the most-starred open-source coding agent, ahead of gemini-cli (105k) and openai/codex (90k). The choice is temperament: Aider's lean, git-first discipline versus OpenCode's broader agent surface and larger provider menu.

Stars, License, and Maintenance Cadence

OpenCode lives at anomalyco/opencode (a redirect from the original sst/opencode) with 172,198 stars under an MIT license. That makes it the most-starred open-source coding agent on GitHub, ahead of Google's gemini-cli at 105,104 and openai/codex at 89,991.

Aider lives at Aider-AI/aider with 45,945 stars under Apache-2.0. Its last repo push was 2026-05-22, a slower cadence than OpenCode and Cline, which push daily. Aider works, and it is mature and battle-tested, but its model guidance has not been refreshed for 2026 frontier models: the docs still recommend Gemini 2.5 Pro, DeepSeek R1/V3, Claude 3.7 Sonnet, o3/o4-mini, and GPT-4.1.

Install Commands

OpenCode also installs via Bun, pnpm, Yarn, pacman/paru, Chocolatey, Scoop, Mise, and Docker. On Windows, Aider uses the PowerShell one-liner powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://aider.chat/install.ps1 | iex". Both run entirely in your terminal.

Models and Configuration

Both are bring-your-own-key and model-agnostic. The difference is breadth and how you wire models in.

OpenCode supports 75+ LLM providers through the AI SDK and the Models.dev catalog, plus local models via Ollama, LM Studio, and llama.cpp. It ships OpenCode Zen, a curated list of models the team has tested and verified for agentic coding. Any OpenAI-compatible endpoint plugs in via JSON:

{"provider":{"myprovider":{
 "npm":"@ai-sdk/openai-compatible",
 "options":{"baseURL":"https://api.myprovider.com/v1"},
 "models":{ ... }
}}}

Aider connects per run with flags. You pass the model and key on the command line and switch by changing the flags:

aider --model sonnet --api-key anthropic=<key>
aider --model deepseek --api-key deepseek=<key>

Aider supports a wide range of providers and local models via Ollama or any OpenAI-compatible API. Its published model recommendations predate the 2026 frontier models, so you will often set the model yourself rather than follow the docs.

Git Behavior: The Core Design Split

Aider treats git as the interface. Each change lands as a commit with a generated message, so your history is your undo stack and your audit log. That discipline keeps sessions reviewable and makes it trivial to roll back a single step. It is intentionally minimal: edit, commit, repeat.

OpenCode treats the terminal as an application. Its client-server design lets you attach to a running agent, run longer autonomous sessions, and work through a richer interactive surface. Git is standard and agent-driven rather than the central abstraction. It trades Aider's lean commit loop for a fuller agent experience.

Where OpenCode Wins

Where Aider Wins

Running DeepSeek and Open Models With Either Tool

Both tools are bring-your-own-endpoint, so the model backend is your choice and it sets the quality ceiling. For DeepSeek and other open-weight models, the provider matters as much as the model.

Most serverless providers quantize activations to fp8 to cut cost, which degrades output. Morph Open Source Models serve DeepSeek with 16-bit (bf16) activations, no fp8 or int8 quantization, so responses match the reference weights. That makes Morph the best place to run DeepSeek when output fidelity matters. For coding agents specifically, Morph runs codegen-tuned speculative decoding (draft and ngram tuned on code) plus custom low-level inference kernels, which makes it both the fastest and highest-quality option for code generation.

Point OpenCode at it as an OpenAI-compatible provider, or pass it to Aider with --model and an API key. See pricing and the model list.

Decision Framework

Frequently Asked Questions

Is OpenCode or Aider better in 2026?

Both are free and model-agnostic. OpenCode (172,198 stars, MIT) is the richer client-server agent with 75+ providers; Aider (45,945 stars, Apache-2.0) is the lean git-native pair programmer. Pick OpenCode for a fuller agent and broad provider choice, Aider for minimal commit-driven editing.

How many GitHub stars do OpenCode and Aider have?

OpenCode has 172,198 stars (MIT), the most of any open-source coding agent. Aider has 45,945 stars (Apache-2.0). Both as of June 9, 2026.

Is Aider still maintained?

Yes, but at a slower cadence. Aider's last repo push was 2026-05-22, and its model guidance still references 2025-era models like Claude 3.7 Sonnet and GPT-4.1. OpenCode pushes daily.

How do I install each one?

OpenCode: curl -fsSL https://opencode.ai/install | bash or npm install -g opencode-ai. Aider: python -m pip install aider-install && aider-install or curl -LsSf https://aider.chat/install.sh | sh.

Are they free?

Yes. Both are open source and free. You pay only for the model API you connect.

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