Aider setup
Aider is a terminal pair-programming tool that edits files in your git repository. It talks to OpenAI-compatible APIs, so it runs on Claudech with two environment variables.
Before you start#
- A Claudech API key from API keys. API access unlocks after your first purchase.
Quick start#
export OPENAI_API_BASE=https://api.claudech.com/v1
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
aider --model openai/claude-opus-5-5 --weak-model openai/claude-sonnet-5The openai/ prefix tells Aider to use the OpenAI-compatible endpoint; the part after it is the Claudech model id. The weak model handles commit messages and chat summaries, so a fast model there saves time and tokens.
Make it permanent#
Put the same settings in .aider.conf.yml in your home directory or repository:
YAML
openai-api-base: https://api.claudech.com/v1
openai-api-key: sk-...
model: openai/claude-opus-5-5
weak-model: openai/claude-sonnet-5Things to know#
- Aider may warn that the model's context window and costs are unknown. The warning is harmless: Claudech models accept 1M tokens of context, and your Usage page shows the real cost of every request.
- For hard problems, switch the main model with
/model openai/claude-fable-5-1inside a session.
Troubleshooting#
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
401 or "invalid API key" | Re-copy the key without spaces; check it is active under API keys |
| Requests go to OpenAI | OPENAI_API_BASE is not set in this terminal |
404 model_not_found | Keep the openai/ prefix and use the Claudech id after it |
402 insufficient_balance | Top up under Billing |
See all integrations for other tools. Claudech is an independent service and is not affiliated with the makers of Aider.