Aider Integration
Configure Aider with QCode.cc: Claude over the Anthropic endpoint (anthropic/ prefix), GPT and Chinese models over the OpenAI-compatible endpoint
On This Page
Last verified: 2026-09-18 · 📄 Per official docs (upstream repository; see the status note below)
Upstream activity: the last commit in Aider-AI/aider is dated 2026-05-22 with no releases since (checked via the GitHub API on 2026-09-18). Everything on this page still works; for an actively maintained alternative look at Cline or Kilo Code.
At a glance¶
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Models you can use | Claude ✅ (anthropic/ prefix on the Anthropic endpoint) · GPT ✅ · Chinese models ✅ (OpenAI-compatible endpoint) · Gemini ❌ (no Gemini route documented here) |
| Protocol & Base URL | Anthropic: https://api.qcode.cc/api · OpenAI: https://api.qcode.cc/openai/v1 |
| Relevant env vars | ANTHROPIC_API_BASE and OPENAI_API_BASE point to the two legs respectively |
| Where to configure | CLI flags or ~/.aider.conf.yml |
| Official docs | aider.chat |
Aider is a popular open-source AI pair programmer (39K+ GitHub stars) that runs in your terminal and supports 100+ languages. It routes models through LiteLLM, so it speaks both the Anthropic and the OpenAI protocol.
🔴 Read this first: Claude requires the Anthropic endpoint¶
QCode's OpenAI-compatible endpoint does not accept Claude models. Pointing OPENAI_API_BASE at QCode and then using an openai/claude-… model name returns model_not_available_on_endpoint.
| Model you want | Aider model prefix | Env var | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude | anthropic/ |
ANTHROPIC_API_BASE |
https://api.qcode.cc/api |
| GPT / the four Chinese families | openai/ |
OPENAI_API_BASE |
https://api.qcode.cc/openai/v1 |
Why Aider¶
- Fully open source: you only pay for API usage
- Architect mode: one model plans, another edits — better output quality
- Deep Git integration: every AI edit becomes a git commit
- Repository Map: tree-sitter based indexing of the whole codebase
- Both protocols: Claude over Anthropic, GPT / Chinese models over OpenAI
Install¶
# pipx recommended (isolated install)
pipx install aider-chat
# or pip
pip install aider-chat
Configure Claude (Anthropic endpoint)¶
export ANTHROPIC_API_BASE="https://api.qcode.cc/api"
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="cr_your_qcode_key"
aider --model anthropic/claude-sonnet-5
LiteLLM appends /v1/messages to this base automatically, so stop at /api with no trailing slash.
The variable name varies by version: LiteLLM has historically used both
ANTHROPIC_API_BASEandANTHROPIC_BASE_URL. If one has no effect, try the other, or pass--anthropic-api-keyon the command line. Defer to the Aider docs.
Persist it (append to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc):
echo 'export ANTHROPIC_API_BASE="https://api.qcode.cc/api"' >> ~/.zshrc
echo 'export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="cr_your_qcode_key"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc
Configure GPT and Chinese models (OpenAI-compatible endpoint)¶
export OPENAI_API_BASE="https://api.qcode.cc/openai/v1"
export OPENAI_API_KEY="cr_your_qcode_key"
aider --model openai/gpt-5.5
The four Chinese families (glm-5.2 / kimi-k3 / deepseek-v4-pro / qwen3.7-max …) work on both legs; ids are in Chinese Models.
Usage¶
cd /path/to/your/project
# Everyday driver
aider --model anthropic/claude-sonnet-5
# Flagship
aider --model anthropic/claude-opus-5
Architect mode (recommended)¶
One model plans, another applies the edits:
# Opus plans + Sonnet edits (recommended)
aider --architect --model anthropic/claude-opus-5 --editor-model anthropic/claude-sonnet-5
# Sonnet plans + Haiku edits (cheaper)
aider --architect --model anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 --editor-model anthropic/claude-haiku-4-5
Both models must sit on the same protocol leg. Mixing them (e.g.
anthropic/planner with anopenai/claude-…editor) fails on the editor side.
Common commands¶
Inside an Aider session:
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/add file.py |
Add a file to the chat context |
/drop file.py |
Remove a file |
/run pytest |
Run a command and send the output to the AI |
/diff |
Show all changes |
/undo |
Undo the last AI edit |
/commit |
Commit current changes |
/help |
Show help |
Alternative endpoints¶
The four access domains are functionally identical and differ only in network routing. One key works on all of them:
| Node | Anthropic (Claude) | OpenAI (GPT / Chinese) |
|---|---|---|
| Global | https://api.qcode.cc/api |
https://api.qcode.cc/openai/v1 |
| Asia (best from mainland China) | https://asia.qcode.cc/api |
https://asia.qcode.cc/openai/v1 |
| US | https://us.qcode.cc/api |
https://us.qcode.cc/openai/v1 |
| Europe | https://eu.qcode.cc/api |
https://eu.qcode.cc/openai/v1 |
Available models¶
| Model | Name in Aider | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 5 | anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 |
Recommended, best value |
| Claude Opus 5 | anthropic/claude-opus-5 |
Most capable |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | anthropic/claude-haiku-4-5 |
Cheap and fast |
| GPT 5.5 | openai/gpt-5.5 |
OpenAI flagship |
| GLM 5.2 | openai/glm-5.2 |
Chinese, low unit price |
4.x models such as
claude-sonnet-4-6andclaude-opus-4-8are still sold (sameanthropic/prefix). The live list is on qcode.cc/models.
Aider vs Claude Code CLI¶
| Dimension | Aider | Claude Code CLI |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | Fully open | Closed |
| Git integration | Auto-commit per edit | Manual /commit |
| Architect mode | Two-model plan + edit | Single model |
| Tooling | File edit + shell | Richer (LSP, search, browser) |
| Context handling | Repository Map indexing | 200K–1M token window |
| Quota | Shares your QCode.cc plan | Shares your QCode.cc plan |
A good pairing: Aider for quick edits and Architect-mode planning, Claude Code CLI for deep project analysis and automation.
Troubleshooting¶
model_not_available_on_endpoint¶
You sent a Claude model to the OpenAI leg. Check two things: the model prefix should be anthropic/, not openai/; and the base should be ANTHROPIC_API_BASE=https://api.qcode.cc/api.
"Model not found"¶
Aider needs the prefix to know which provider to use:
# correct
aider --model anthropic/claude-sonnet-5
# wrong (missing prefix)
aider --model claude-sonnet-5
Requests time out¶
Try another node, or raise the timeout:
aider --model anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 --timeout 120
Next¶
- Endpoints & API Paths — protocol × model-family table
- Cline Integration — a GUI alternative inside VS Code
- CLI Tips — advanced Claude Code usage
- Aider docs