Platform Comparison

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

Feature Matrix

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

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).

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": "bash ~/.claude/bin/aide-hud.sh"
  }
}

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

Persistence (Ralph 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

Choosing a Platform

Both platforms get the full 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