Does Aider need a plugin or a fork?

No. Aider's OpenAI-compatible mode: OPENAI_API_BASE and a model prefixed with openai/. The router is a standard endpoint; the tool is unchanged.

Which model does the tool get?

Whatever it asks for. The name auto lets the router choose per turn under your policy; a model id pins it and still routes among its providers; a workspace alias maps the tool's own default name to either.

What does the router add that the tool does not have?

Small edits on a small model, architecture questions on a frontier one - automatically. A budget per developer key. Every edit's cost and model in the activity log.

Can I use my own provider keys?

Yes - connect them under Model providers and the router executes on your accounts; model usage is billed by the provider, the platform meters requests.

Aider through the router

Aider, routed. The model per edit chosen by the router, the cost per edit on the record.

Aider's OpenAI-compatible mode takes a base URL; set it to OpenSmartRoute and every edit is routed to the cheapest model that meets your quality rules, under the workspace budget, with a trace you can replay.

Small edits on a small model, architecture questions on a frontier one - automatically
A budget per developer key
Every edit's cost and model in the activity log

Create a free account Aider docs

One commandbash

pip install opensmartroute
osr login                      # once: a browser sign-in, or --token osr_live_...
osr run aider          # Aider starts with the router as its endpoint

Or by hand - aiderbash

export OPENAI_API_BASE=https://api.opensmartroute.ai/v1
export OPENAI_API_KEY=$OSR_API_KEY
aider --model openai/auto

Aider speaks the OpenAI API; the router serves chat completions and the Responses API at /v1 with streaming, tools and structured output passed through.

Verify

The first turn is on the activity page.

Send one message from the tool and read the row: the model that answered, the cost, the confidence and a link to the full trace with the alternatives and the policy decisions.

verify.shbash

# the tool's next turn is on the activity page with its cost, model and trace
curl -s https://api.opensmartroute.ai/api/v1/activity?limit=3 -H "Authorization: Bearer $OSR_API_KEY"

Questions

Aider and the router

Does Aider need a plugin or a fork?: No. Aider's OpenAI-compatible mode: OPENAI_API_BASE and a model prefixed with openai/. The router is a standard endpoint; the tool is unchanged.
Which model does the tool get?: Whatever it asks for. The name auto lets the router choose per turn under your policy; a model id pins it and still routes among its providers; a workspace alias maps the tool's own default name to either.
What does the router add that the tool does not have?: Small edits on a small model, architecture questions on a frontier one - automatically. A budget per developer key. Every edit's cost and model in the activity log.
Can I use my own provider keys?: Yes - connect them under Model providers and the router executes on your accounts; model usage is billed by the provider, the platform meters requests.

Other tools

The same router behind every tool the team runs.

Put Aider behind the router today.

A free account, one key, one command. Every turn the tool makes is priced, governed and explained from then on.

Create a free account Migrating application code instead?

Free plan, no card. Fifteen thousand decisions a month with the full trace.