Aider vs Cline: terminal commits or editor approvals

The difference is the review loop, not the model

Both tools call the same frontier models with your key, so output quality tracks the model, not the client. What differs is the moment you intervene.

Aider proposes a change, applies it and commits. You review history afterwards and revert what you dislike. Cline proposes a change, shows the diff in the editor and waits for approval, then writes it.

Cost model is identical, which surprises people

Neither charges a subscription for the client. In both cases the bill is your token consumption at your provider's rates, plus any optional bundled subscription you choose to buy. Teams often assume the GUI tool is the expensive one; at equal usage it is not.

Who should pick which

Pick Aider for large refactors where you want a commit trail, and for machines where installing an editor extension is inconvenient — servers, containers, remote boxes.

Pick Cline when the review has to happen before the write, when your team is editor-first, or when you want the same agent available as a CLI and a desktop app.