Cross-Tool Token Metrics, Not Agent Lock-in

The short version: aider

Verdict: SigRank does not replace aider — it scores the operator driving it. aider is a superb terminal-based AI coding agent, and its /usage command gives you honest token counts and dollar costs per session. That is useful when you live entirely inside aider. The moment you also use Claude Code for agentic work, Copilot for inline completion, or Cursor for refactoring, those metrics fragment: each tool reports its own numbers, in its own format, locked to its own surface. There is no unified score.

SigRank is the platform-neutral layer that fixes that. It reads token telemetry from aider, Claude Code, Copilot, and 15+ other tools, scores them all on the same cascade axis (Υ Yield), and gives you one rank that follows you across agents. You don't switch agents to use SigRank — you add it alongside whatever you already drive.

Feature comparison

The agent lock-in problem

aider's /usage is real — but it is agent-scoped and agent-locked. The numbers live inside aider, in aider's format, visible only at the terminal where aider ran. They do not export. They do not compare to anyone outside aider. And they vanish the day you try a different tool.

Most operators do not live in one agent. A realistic week: aider for terminal-driven edits, Claude Code for agentic multi-file tasks, Copilot for inline completions, maybe a Cursor refactor. aider's /usage covers one slice of that week. Your actual efficiency is the union — and SigRank is the only layer that scores the union on a single axis.

Your score follows you, not the tool

SigRank's operator identity is tied to you, not to your agent. Enroll once, submit from any tool, and every signed snapshot feeds the same leaderboard rank. Switch from aider to Claude Code to Copilot over a month and your Υ trajectory reflects your driving across all three — not three disconnected per-agent gauges. That is the difference between a metric and a reputation.

Frequently asked questions

Does SigRank replace aider?

No — SigRank is not a coding agent. aider is the terminal tool that pairs with you on code; SigRank is the scoring layer that measures how efficiently you drive any AI tool, including aider. You keep using aider (or Claude Code, or Copilot) and run the SigRank CLI alongside it. SigRank reads your token telemetry locally, computes your Υ Yield, and publishes a signed snapshot to the leaderboard. Your agent stays; your efficiency gets measured.

Does aider have token usage metrics already?

Yes — aider ships a /usage command that shows token counts and dollar costs per session. That is agent-scoped and agent-locked: the numbers describe what aider spent, in aider's terms, visible only inside aider. SigRank reads the same underlying token flow but computes the full cascade architecture (Υ Yield, compression ratio, SNR, Leverage, Velocity), assigns a class tier, and lets you compare against every other operator on the board — including ones who never touch aider.

Why does platform neutrality matter for token metrics?

Because most operators do not use one tool. You might use aider for terminal-driven edits, Claude Code for agentic tasks, and Copilot for inline completions. aider's /usage covers only the aider slice; your actual efficiency is the union across all of them. SigRank is platform-neutral — it reads telemetry from aider, Claude Code, Copilot, Cursor, ChatGPT, Gemini, and 15+ others, scores them on the same cascade axis, and gives you one comparable rank. Your score follows you across tools, not the other way around.

Can I use SigRank with aider specifically?

Yes. The SigRank CLI reads token telemetry from aider's local logs the same way it reads Claude Code's (ccusage is bundled for Claude Code; additional readers cover other platforms). Run `sigrank enroll` to create your operator identity, then `sigrank submit` to score and publish. Your aider sessions contribute to the same leaderboard rank as your Claude Code or Copilot sessions — unified, not siloed.

What is the difference between aider /usage and SigRank metrics?

aider's /usage answers "how many tokens did this session cost?" — a per-session, agent-local view denominated in dollars. SigRank's metrics answer "how efficiently does this operator drive AI across all their tools?" — a cascade-level, cross-platform view. aider tells you what you spent in one agent; SigRank tells you your Υ Yield (is signal compounding or burning?), your class tier, and your global rank among all operators regardless of agent. The first is a receipt; the second is a leaderboard.