Aider vs FusionUpdated 2026-03-16

SUMMARY

Aider (CLI) uses markdown configuration while Fusion (IDE) uses mdc. They differ on 6 of 11 compared features. Both tools provide AI-assisted development but take different approaches to project configuration.

FEATURE COMPARISON

FeatureAiderFusion
Config formatmarkdownmdc
Hierarchy support
Global config
Project config
Subdirectory scoping
File inclusion / imports
Ignore file.aiderignore
IDE integrationCLI
Schema / structureFree-form (Markdown)Hybrid (MDC frontmatter + Markdown)
Git committed
EncodingUTF-8UTF-8

FILE MAPPING

PurposeAiderFusion
Project instructionsCONVENTIONS.mdAGENTS.md

SIDE-BY-SIDE CODE SAMPLES

Aider
CONVENTIONS.md
markdown
# Project Conventions

## Language
- TypeScript strict mode, no `any` types
- Prefer const over let, never use var
- Use template literals over string concatenation

## Architecture
- Feature-based folder structure under src/features/
- Each feature exports through an index.ts barrel file
- Shared utilities go in src/lib/

## Error Handling
- Use Result<T, E> pattern for expected failures
- Throw only for programmer errors
- Always log errors with structured context

## Testing
- Colocate tests next to source files (*.test.ts)
- Use factories for test data, not fixtures
- Integration tests in __tests__/ directories

Fusion
.builder/rules/*.mdc
mdc
---
description: React component conventions
globs: src/components/**/*.tsx
alwaysApply: false
---

# React Component Rules

## Structure
- Use functional components with TypeScript
- Define props interface above the component
- Export components as named exports

## Styling
- Use the project design system tokens for spacing and colors
- Prefer utility classes over custom CSS
- Keep component-specific styles colocated

## Patterns
- Wrap async data in Suspense boundaries
- Use forwardRef for reusable interactive components
- Keep components under 150 lines; extract hooks for logic

## Accessibility
- All interactive elements need aria-labels
- Use semantic HTML elements (nav, main, section)
- Ensure keyboard navigation works for custom widgets

KEY DIFFERENCES

1. Config format

Aider: markdown. Fusion: mdc.

2. Global config

Aider: Supported. Fusion: Not supported.

3. Subdirectory scoping

Aider: Supported. Fusion: Not supported.

4. Ignore file

Aider: .aiderignore. Fusion: Not supported.

5. IDE integration

Aider: CLI. Fusion: Supported.

6. Schema / structure

Aider: Free-form (Markdown). Fusion: Hybrid (MDC frontmatter + Markdown).

WHICH SHOULD I USE?

Recommendation

Choose based on your IDE/CLI preference. If you use Aider, configure .aider.conf.yml. If you use Fusion, configure .builder/rules/*.mdc. Many projects include config files for multiple tools so each team member can use their preferred editor.

PORTABILITY TIP

sync-instructions.sh
bash
# Maintain a single source of truth:
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md CLAUDE.md
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md .cursorrules
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md AGENTS.md

SEE ALSO

agentconfig.ing2026-03-16COMPARE(1)