AiderVS
Kilo Code
Read from each vendor’s own pages last night, so it does not go stale the way a written comparison does.
- AIDER
- Free
- KILO CODE
- $15 / mo
- CHANGES ON EITHER
- 4
- CAVEATS
- NONE
On the prices each vendor publishes about itself, Aider starts at Free and Kilo Code at $15 / mo. Both take your own API key, so on either one the subscription and the model bill are separate decisions. Both are open source, so neither can withdraw the thing you have already installed. Every figure on this page was read from the two vendors' own pages in last night's run rather than written down once, which is the only reason it is still the current answer. ToolDrift sells neither and takes no referral fee on either.
| COMPARED ON | AIDER | KILO CODE |
|---|---|---|
| ASSERTED · WHAT EACH VENDOR PUBLISHES ABOUT ITSELF | ||
| Category | CLI agent | IDE extension |
| Vendor | Aider AI | Kilo |
| Status | Active | Active |
| How it charges | Free | Hybrid |
| Entry price | Free | $15 / mo |
| Default model | None, you choose | None, you choose |
| Your own key | Yes | Yes |
| Source | Open source · Apache-2.0 | Open source · Apache-2.0 |
| Plans | No named tier on Aider AI's pricing page could be read with a price beside it. | Free & Open Source · Usage is billed separatelyTeams · $15 / mo per user/monthEnterprise · Custom |
| MEASURED · COUNTED ON THE LAST NIGHTLY RUN | ||
| Stars | 49.2K | 27.4K |
| Maintenance | 55/100 | 100/100 |
| Days since last push | 126 | 0 |
| Top model in it | Thinking Machines: Inkling (free) · Free | Poolside: Laguna S 2.1 (free) · Free |
| Its volume | 11B tokens | 2.72T tokens |
Is Aider or Kilo Code cheaper?
On the cheapest option each vendor publishes: Aider is Free and Kilo Code is $15 / mo. Treat both as an allowance rather than a bill, every tool in this category meters model usage on top of the plan, and which one costs more in practice depends on the models you drive and how hard. The tier prices are the part that can be checked from outside, so they are the part this page prints.
Can I use my own API key with Aider or Kilo Code?
Aider: yes. Kilo Code: yes. It is the row that decides whether the subscription price is most of what you pay or a fraction of it: a tool that takes your own key charges for the software, and one that does not is reselling inference with a margin you cannot see.
Are Aider and Kilo Code still maintained?
Active and Active as of last night's read. Aider's repository was last pushed 126 days ago and it scores 55/100 on maintenance; Kilo Code's repository was last pushed 0 days ago and it scores 100/100 on maintenance. This is the question a written comparison cannot answer, because it was true on the day it was published and nobody went back.