Platform Comparison

AIDE supports Claude Code, OpenCode, and Codex CLI through platform-specific adapters. While the core functionality is shared, there are differences in how each platform integrates.

Feature Matrix

Feature	Claude Code	OpenCode	Codex CLI
Memory & decisions	Full	Full	Full
Code indexing	Full	Full	Full
Static analysis	Full	Full	Full
Skill injection	Via hooks	Via system prompt transform + slash commands	Via hooks + native $ mention (plugin)
Swarm mode	Native (subagent hooks)	Passive swarm-aware state; external orchestration	Limited (no subagent hooks)
HUD / status line	Native	Not supported (OpenCode TUI has no status line)	File-based only
Persistence (autopilot)	Stop-blocking	Re-prompting via session.prompt() on idle	Stop-blocking
Subagent lifecycle	Full hooks	Session-based tracking (observational, no spawn)	Not available
Write guard	Full	Full	Full
MCP sync	Full	Full	Full

Detailed Comparison

Skill Injection

Claude Code: Skills are injected via the UserPromptSubmit hook. When a user message matches a skill trigger, the skill content is returned as hook output and merged into the conversation context.

OpenCode: Skills are injected through system prompt transformation and are also available as /aide:* slash commands (e.g., /aide:test, /aide:design). This gives OpenCode users explicit control over skill activation.

Codex CLI: Skills are injected via the UserPromptSubmit hook, same as Claude Code. When installed as a Codex plugin, skills are additionally discovered natively (namespaced aide:<name>) and can be invoked explicitly with a $ mention or the /skills picker — Codex does not create per-skill slash commands.

Swarm Mode

Claude Code: Full native support. The orchestrator spawns subagents using Claude's native subagent mechanism. Each subagent gets its own lifecycle hooks (SubagentStart, SubagentStop) for memory injection and state tracking.

OpenCode: Swarm-aware but externally orchestrated. The state system tracks agents and tasks, but spawning new agents requires external tooling (e.g., multiple OpenCode instances coordinated through AIDE's messaging system).

Codex CLI: Limited. Codex has no subagent lifecycle hooks, so swarm mode is restricted to the same passive, externally orchestrated model as OpenCode.

Status Line / HUD

Claude Code: AIDE can display session info in Claude Code's status line:

[aide(0.0.40)] mode:idle | 12m | tasks:done(6) wip(0) todo(0) | 5h:115K ~<1m

Shows: version, current mode, session duration, task status, token usage, and estimated time to rate limit.

Setup: Add to ~/.claude/settings.json:

{
  "statusLine": {
    "type": "command",
    "command": "bun ~/.claude/bin/aide-hud.ts"
  }
}

OpenCode: Not supported. OpenCode's TUI doesn't have a status line mechanism. Use aide status for the same information.

Persistence (Autopilot Mode)

Claude Code: Uses stop-blocking to prevent the AI from ending the conversation early. The hook intercepts stop signals and re-injects the task prompt.

OpenCode: Uses session.prompt() to re-prompt the AI when it goes idle. When the AI stops responding, AIDE detects the idle state and sends a continuation prompt.

Subagent Lifecycle

Claude Code: Full lifecycle hooks:

• SubagentStart — Fires when a subagent is spawned, injects memories and decisions
• SubagentStop — Fires when a subagent finishes, handles cleanup

OpenCode: Observational tracking only. AIDE tracks sessions and can detect when new sessions start, but doesn't control the spawning. Memory injection happens through shared state rather than hooks.

Installation Differences

Claude Code

# From marketplace (recommended)
claude plugin marketplace add jmylchreest/aide
claude plugin install aide@aide

# Permissions needed in ~/.claude/settings.json
{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": [
      "Bash(aide *)",
      "Bash(**/aide *)",
      "Bash(git worktree *)",
      "mcp__plugin_aide_aide__*"
    ]
  }
}

OpenCode

# From npm
bunx @jmylchreest/aide-plugin install

# Check status
bunx @jmylchreest/aide-plugin status

# Uninstall
bunx @jmylchreest/aide-plugin uninstall

Codex CLI

# Recommended: Codex plugin (MCP server + skills), then hooks
codex plugin marketplace add jmylchreest/aide
codex plugin add aide@aide
bunx @jmylchreest/aide-plugin install --platform codex

# Standalone (older Codex, no plugin support) — configures everything
bunx @jmylchreest/aide-plugin install --platform codex

See Getting Started: Codex CLI for details.

Choosing a Platform

All platforms get the core AIDE feature set for individual development. Choose based on:

• Claude Code — Better for swarm mode (native subagents), status line monitoring, and teams using Claude's ecosystem
• OpenCode — Better if you prefer explicit slash commands for skills, or use OpenCode as your primary editor
• Codex CLI — Full memory, code intelligence, and MCP tooling; skills via $ mention; no subagent orchestration. The default sandbox blocks shell/hook access to the aide daemon — see Sandboxed Shells and the aide Daemon