Where AIDE Memory's free tier stops
AIDE Memory AIDE Memory does not show a practical free-tier ceiling in the provided details. It is free to use, local-first, and has no account requirement. The only usage-related detail is that anonymized usage counts are included by default, with telemetry optionally disabled via AIDE_TELEMETRY=off. Since no quota, seat limit, storage cap, or reset rule is listed, there is no documented point where the free tier stops serving normal use.
Switch table
| AIDE Memory | Claude | Codebuff | Cacher | Maxim AI | Kiro | Supermaven | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| monthly allowance | Unlimited | Limited messages and prompts | 500 credits | 15 private snippets | Up to 10k logs | 50 credits | Not stated |
| retention / persistence | Persistent local files | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | 3 days | Monthly reset, no rollover | 7 days |
| team seats | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Up to 3 | Individual use | Not stated |
| workspace count | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | 1 workspace | Not stated | Not stated |
| usage cap type | None stated | Usage limits with periodic resets | Credits-based | Item limits | Quota-based logs | Credits-based | Retention limit |
| local-first storage | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Card required | - | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| First paid tier | - | Pro, $17/month | Strong, $100/month | Expert, $9.99/month | Developer, Free forever | KIRO PRO, $20 per user / month | Pro, $10/month |
The alternatives
Claude
FTV 61 / 100Claude's free plan gives access to the Claude chat experience on web and mobile, plus limited file uploads and document analysis. It is useful when the job is not local memory storage, but asking an assistant questions, drafting code, or analyzing files. The free tier does come with usage limits, periodic resets, and demand-based restrictions, so it is not unlimited. It also offers basic model selection within the free-tier set. Compared with AIDE Memory, Claude is broader for interactive AI work, but it is centered on hosted chat rather than repository-local memory files.
- Beats AIDE Memory: Broader assistant workflow across chat, analysis, and file handling
- Falls short: It has usage limits and is not local-first repository storage
- Who should switch: Switch here if you need a general AI assistant more than a local memory layer.
Codebuff
FTV 0 / 100Codebuff offers 500 free credits each month, with visibility into how many credits a task will consume before you run it. That makes it practical for terminal-based coding help when you want some budget control and are comfortable with pay-as-you-go after the allowance. The free tier is not unlimited, but it gives a measurable monthly pool rather than an unspecified soft limit. Compared with AIDE Memory, Codebuff is aimed at active code changes across a codebase instead of storing and recalling memory files, so it fits a different part of the development loop.
- Beats AIDE Memory: A defined monthly credit allowance with pre-run credit visibility
- Falls short: It is credit-capped and pay-as-you-go after the allowance
- Who should switch: Switch here if you want terminal coding help with a monthly free budget.
Cacher
FTV 49 / 100Cacher's free plan includes 15 private snippets, 3 private labels, unlimited public snippets, 10 MB attachments, local code execution, GitHub Gist sync, browser extension access, Raycast extension access, and CLI access. That mix is useful if your main problem is organizing reusable code snippets across editors and tools. The free tier is capped on private content and attachments, but it still gives a workable starter setup for individual knowledge capture. Compared with AIDE Memory, Cacher is more about snippet management and sharing than path-scoped memory for agents.
- Beats AIDE Memory: Snippet organization and sharing across multiple integrations
- Falls short: Private items and attachments are capped
- Who should switch: Switch here if you need a snippet vault rather than agent memory tied to code paths.
Maxim AI
FTV 60 / 100Maxim AI's free Developer plan includes up to 3 seats, 1 workspace, up to 10k logs per month, 3-day data retention, and email support. That makes it a fit for teams that need lightweight observability or evaluation of AI systems without paying up front. The free tier is clearly bounded, but it offers team-oriented structure that AIDE Memory does not focus on. Compared with AIDE Memory, Maxim AI covers monitoring and logs instead of local repository memory, so it is better when you want shared visibility into AI behavior rather than in-repo recall.
- Beats AIDE Memory: Team-oriented observability with seats, workspaces, and logs
- Falls short: Short retention and hard monthly log limits
- Who should switch: Switch here if your main need is AI tracing and evaluation for a small team.
Kiro
FTV 34 / 100Kiro's free tier gives 50 credits per month for individual use, and those credits can be spent on prompts, spec refinement, task execution, and agent hook execution. Credits reset monthly, so there is a recurring allowance rather than an open-ended free tier. It is a better fit when you want an agentic development environment that can move from specs to implementation. Compared with AIDE Memory, Kiro is much more about guided software delivery than storing local project memories, but it gives a clear monthly quota for solo builders who are happy working inside its IDE workflow.
- Beats AIDE Memory: Structured agentic development workflow with monthly credits
- Falls short: Only 50 credits per month, with no rollover
- Who should switch: Switch here if you want a spec-driven AI IDE instead of a memory layer.
Supermaven
FTV 41 / 100Supermaven's free tier provides fast code suggestions, support for large codebases, and a 7-day data retention limit. It is a simple choice if you mainly want inline coding help inside an editor rather than a separate memory system. The free offering is narrow, but it is easy to adopt in common IDEs. Compared with AIDE Memory, Supermaven is better at live autocomplete and code completion, while it falls short on durable local memory design and repository-scoped recall. It is best for builders who want assistance while writing code, not a memory substrate.
- Beats AIDE Memory: Inline code suggestions inside editors and IDEs
- Falls short: Only 7-day data retention, with no memory-layer features
- Who should switch: Switch here if your main need is code completion inside the editor.
Two quick picks
Claude
Claude is the closest drop-in if you want to stay in the AI coding ecosystem and move to a broader assistant that can handle code, analysis, and files. It does not replace local repo memory, but it is the least behavior change for teams already using Claude-related workflows.
Maxim AI
Maxim AI gives the most concrete free headroom because its Developer plan includes 3 seats, 1 workspace, and 10k logs per month. For a small team that needs shared infrastructure, that is more room to grow than the other capped free plans.
Frequently asked questions
Does any alternative keep memories or data local like AIDE Memory?
None of the listed alternatives is positioned as a local-first repository memory layer in the same way. The closest category match is still Claude or Kiro for AI workflows, but both are hosted products rather than local memory storage.
Which alternative is best if I need a free plan with no card required?
Claude, Cacher, and Maxim AI list no card requirement in the provided data. Codebuff, Kiro, and Supermaven should be treated as card required because the field is present as false.
Which alternative has the clearest monthly free usage allowance?
Codebuff, Maxim AI, and Kiro all show explicit monthly allowances. Claude and Supermaven have limits, but the provided data does not give a clean numeric allowance for the free tier.
Which alternative is closest if I want an AI coding tool rather than a snippet or observability product?
Claude is the closest general AI assistant, while Codebuff and Kiro are more directly coding-oriented. Supermaven is best if you mainly want editor completion.
Bottom line
For the common case, Claude is the best alternative because it is the closest general-purpose AI companion in this group and keeps the switch relatively small for builders already working with AI-assisted coding. It is not a replacement for AIDE Memory's local repository storage, but it does cover adjacent tasks like coding help, file analysis, and general problem solving. If you mainly want a hosted assistant instead of a memory substrate, Claude is the first place to look.
Read the full listing for AIDE Memory. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more alternatives on /alternatives, or head-to-head comparisons on /compare.