I haven't used Aider yet, but I see it show up on HN frequently recently (the last couple of days specifically).

I am hesitant because I am paying for Cursor now and I get a lot of model usage included within that monthly cost. I'm cheap, perhaps to a fault even when I could afford it, and I hate the idea of spending twice when spending once is usually enough. So while Aider is potentially cheaper than Claude Code, it is still more than what I am already paying.

I would appreciate any comments on people who have made the switch from Cursor to Aider. Are you paying more/less? If you are paying more, do you feel the added value is worth the additional cost? If you are paying less, do you feel you are getting less, the same or even more?

With Aider you pay API fees only. You can get simple tasks done for a few dollars. I suggest budgeting $20 or so dollars and giving it a go.

As an Aider user who has never tried Cursor, I’d also be interested in hearing from any Aider users who are using Cursor and how it compares.