Aider or OpenCode: choose a CLI for your Git project

Start with Aider if you want to select editable files explicitly and review small Git changes. Start with OpenCode if you prefer switching between planning and execution while managing tools and agents. This is a workflow choice: response quality also depends on the model, context and task.

Use a small test project or two clean working copies of the same revision, not your main repository with unfinished work. Keep secrets, work keys and unnecessary data out of the test context.

Compare controls before editing

Requirement	Aider	OpenCode
Select editable and reference files	/add, /read-only, /drop, inspect with /ls	Inspect session context and the selected agent’s file and tool permissions
Discuss before editing	/ask, then /code	Switch between Plan and Build
Control commits	Configurable automatic commits	Explicitly decide which Git commands are allowed
Restrict tools	Begin with discussion and control added files	allow, ask, deny rules for tools and commands

Aider’s command reference explains how commands select chat files and their use. In OpenCode, a primary agent may invoke subagents; inspect actual tool calls as well as the current mode name.

Configure Aider’s commit behavior first

Aider commits its own edits by default. Before editing dirty files, it may also commit pre-existing changes. Set this behavior before the first edit if you want to control the entire history.

For a manual-commit test, start the already installed and configured client with:

aider --no-auto-commits --no-dirty-commits

These flags disable the two automatic commit actions; they do not prevent file edits or replace a backup. The Git integration guide covers this behavior, /diff and the conditions for /undo.

Add only the task file for editing and the reference file as read-only. Inspect /ls, switch to /ask and request an explanation of the proposed change. After agreeing on it, use /code for the narrow edit. See Chat modes.

Check OpenCode’s selected agent permissions

OpenCode has primary Build and Plan agents. The current documentation describes Plan as requesting approval for file edits and Bash commands; Build is intended to execute work. “Plan” is not a separate filesystem sandbox. Compare your settings with the Agents guide.

To explicitly deny edits and shell commands for the first test, a new test project can use:

{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "permission": {
    "edit": "deny",
    "bash": "deny"
  }
}

Save it as opencode.json. In an existing project, merge the section instead of replacing the whole file. Agent-specific rules can override global rules; inspect them first. This configuration restricts the named tools, not every possible external action.

Ask for an explanation of the same file without changes. Before editing, adjust only necessary permissions and check which commands become available. Do not allow every tool just to get through the test. See Permissions for syntax and precedence.

Run one small, verifiable task

Choose a change you can verify independently of the model’s explanation. For example, ask a URL-fragment function to turn " Release Notes " into "release-notes" and raise ValueError for an empty string. Limit the change to one function file and one test file.

For each client, record the same starting Git revision and task prompt, the chosen model and access provider, editable files and permitted test command, and whether automatic commits are expected.

Compare plans first, then allow a limited edit in each separate copy. Run your own test and inspect:

git status --short
git diff --check
git diff --stat
git log -3 --oneline

After an automatic commit, ordinary git diff may be empty. Compare current HEAD against the recorded starting revision to see the full change. Check untracked files separately; normal diff excludes them.

If a client needed extra files or permissions, record the specific reason. That is more useful than “it seemed faster.” One successful run does not establish superiority across other languages, models or repositories.

Make the choice from the result

Choose Aider when explicit file context and a sequence of small changes suit your task. Choose OpenCode when distinct agents and tool controls help, and their actual permissions prove clear and verifiable. If either edits an extra file or creates an unexpected commit, correct the settings and repeat the same small test.

Check API connectivity separately from edit quality: successful authorization does not prove correct code. See the existing OpenCode setup guide for installation; this comparison is about a controlled result in your Git project.