Side-by-side ratings from real engineering workflows. No sponsored rankings — just tools we actually use to ship code.
Terminal-native AI coding agent. Understands entire codebases, edits multiple files, runs commands, and handles complex multi-step tasks autonomously. The most capable agent-mode tool available.
AI-first code editor built on VS Code. Best-in-class inline editing, natural language code generation, and chat with full project context. The IDE that made "vibe coding" mainstream.
The original AI coding assistant. Excellent autocomplete, broad IDE support, and deep GitHub integration. New agent mode and workspace features close the gap with newer competitors.
AI-native IDE from the Codeium team. Features "Cascade" for multi-step autonomous coding and excellent autocomplete. Strong free tier makes it accessible for individual developers.
Open-source AI coding agent for VS Code. Bring your own API key (Claude, GPT-4, etc.) for full agentic coding — file edits, terminal commands, browser use. Maximum flexibility, zero vendor lock-in.
Enterprise-focused AI code completion with strong privacy guarantees. Runs on-premise or in a private cloud. Best choice for teams with strict compliance requirements (HIPAA, SOC 2).
AWS-integrated AI assistant (formerly CodeWhisperer). Strong for AWS SDK patterns, IAM policies, and cloud infrastructure. Excellent free tier with unlimited suggestions.
Native AI integration for IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, and all JetBrains IDEs. Leverages JetBrains' deep code understanding for smarter suggestions. Natural choice if you're already in the JetBrains ecosystem.
| Feature | Claude Code | Cursor | Copilot | Windsurf | Cline | Tabnine | Q Dev | JetBrains |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $20/mo | $20/mo | $10/mo | $15/mo | Free+API | $12/mo | $19/mo | $10/mo |
| Free Tier | ✓ | Trial | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Trial |
| Autocomplete | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Chat | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Agent Mode | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | Limited | Limited |
| Multi-File Edit | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Terminal/CLI | Native | Integrated | Via chat | Integrated | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Open Source | — | — | — | — | ✓ | — | — | — |
| On-Premise | — | — | Enterprise | — | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| IDE Support | Terminal | Own IDE | VS Code, JB, Vim+ | Own IDE | VS Code | All major | VS Code, JB | JetBrains only |
| Our Rating | 9.4 | 9.2 | 8.7 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 7.4 |
Every tool on this page has been tested in real engineering workflows — not toy demos. Here's what we evaluate:
We use each tool on active production codebases — React frontends, Python backends, infrastructure-as-code, CI/CD pipelines.
Generated code is reviewed for correctness, security, best practices, and whether it actually compiles and passes tests.
Does it speed up real work? We measure time savings on common tasks: debugging, refactoring, writing tests, code review.
Setup friction, latency, error handling, documentation quality, and how it feels to use daily for 8+ hours.
We wrote a detailed head-to-head breakdown of the top tools. Find out which one fits your specific workflow.
