Choosing an AI for Coding: A Practical Guide

There are now so many AI tools for coding that it can be confusing to know which one to pick. Some act as simple helpers (Assistant), while others can do the work for you (Agent).

\ This guide breaks down the top AI coding tools that you should be aware of. We will look at what they do, who they are for, and how much they cost.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85ReYfluS1E&embedable=true

Watch on YouTube: Which AI coding tool should you use?

Top AI Tools for Developers

GitHub Copilot & Copilot CLI

GitHub Copilot is a plug-in for Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, and JetBrains IDEs that uses OpenAI models to predict and insert code. Copilot Chat lets you ask natural-language questions to generate functions, explain code, and write tests. The tool is great for day-to-day coding tasks like autocompletion, writing boilerplate, and suggesting fixes during pull requests.

\ Best for: Individual developers who need inline suggestions and a conversational assistant within familiar editors. It excels at accelerating code composition and small refactorings.

\ Pricing: Free tier offers ~2,000 code completions and 50 chat/agent requests per month. The Individual (Pro) plan is US$10/month, the Business plan is US$19/month, and the Enterprise plan is US$39/month. Verified students and open-source maintainers often qualify for free access.

\ A solid, reliable choice for most developers.

\ Video Tutorial: GitHub Copilot Agent Mode Explained

Google Gemini Code Assist & Gemini CLI

Gemini Code Assist uses the Gemini models to provide context-aware completions, generate full functions or files, write unit tests, and debug code within IDEs like VS Code and JetBrains.

\ Gemini CLI is an open-source agent that can understand your codebase, manipulate files, run shell commands, and troubleshoot issues directly in the terminal.

\ Standard and Enterprise editions add an “agent mode” that coordinates multi-file changes and integrates with Google Cloud services for API and app development.

\ Best for: Developers who want an AI that can operate across an entire codebase and also run commands. Gemini shines when you need to generate complete features, add unit tests, or build cloud-integrated workflows.

\ Pricing: Individual users get ~6,000 code requests and 240 chat requests per day for free. Standard edition allows 1,500 model requests per user per day and Enterprise 2,000 per day; pricing depends on Google Cloud subscriptions and is typically bundled with Workspace or Cloud credits.

\ Nice free alternative to Copilot if you don’t need GPT models.

Video Tutorials:

• Gemini CLI (Tutorial)
• Gemini Code Assist Tutorial

Replit AI & Agent

Replit offers a cloud IDE with an AI assistant for code explanations and incremental edits, plus the Agent that can generate full-stack applications from natural language. The agent performs extended reasoning and uses self-testing to refine its work. Developers can build other agents and automation workflows inside Replit.

\ Best for: Hobbyists and teams who want to build and deploy apps quickly in the browser without setting up local environments. The agent is particularly helpful for turning descriptive prompts into functional prototypes.

\ Pricing: The starter plan is free but limited to public apps. Core plan costs US$20/month (billed annually) with two seats and 500 credits. Teams plan costs US$35/user/month with more credits and private projects. Enterprise pricing is custom.

\ This is a good option if you are new to coding or want to prototype fast.

\ Video Tutorial: Replit Tutorial: How to use Replit Agent and Deploy your App

JetBrains AI Assistant

Integrated into IntelliJ-based IDEs, JetBrains AI provides smart code completion, block suggestions, and next-edit predictions. It can convert natural language into code, generate unit tests, rename symbols, convert code between languages, and insert documentation. A context-aware chat lets you choose models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, or run local models via Ollama.

\ Best for: JetBrains IDE users who want deep integration with their tools and fine-grained control over completions and refactorings. It’s particularly strong for Kotlin, Java, and multi-language projects.

\ Pricing: AI Pro plan is US$100/year (≈US$10/month), AI Ultimate is US$300/year, and AI Enterprise is US$720/year. Credits cost ~US$1 each and can be topped up.

\ Good option for Java developers, or if you already pay for and use JetBrains IDEs.

OpenAI Codex & Condex CLI

Codex is an AI programming agent available through ChatGPT that can read and edit files, run tests, and propose pull-requests. GPT-5 models, introduced in mid-2025, dramatically improved front-end generation and debugging, achieving 74.9 % accuracy on the SWE-bench benchmark. ChatGPT can output entire applications, responsive websites, or even games from a single prompt.

\ Best for: Users who want a conversational agent that can operate in an isolated sandbox and handle complex tasks like implementing new features, refactoring large codebases, and writing tests. It’s ideal for research and prototyping, but outputs require careful review.

\ Pricing: ChatGPT Plus costs US $20/month; Pro costs US $200/month, and Business costs US $30/user/month.

\ Very powerful goes together with your ChatGPT subscription.

\ Video Tutorials:

• OpenAI Codex: How to Use ChatGPT Codex (No Coding Needed!)
• How to Use OpenAI Codex CLI

Anthropic Claude Code & Claude CLI

Claude Code is a terminal-based assistant that can plan features, write code, debug errors, search your codebase, and run shell commands. Users issue commands like “find the bug in logging.py” or “write a test case,” and Claude will read files, run tests, and propose changes. Claude’s Skills system lets you chain commands and integrate third-party tools. The CLI version runs locally or on self-hosted infrastructure, giving companies control over their data.

\ Best for: Developers comfortable with the command line who want an agent that can perform multi-step tasks across a codebase. It’s particularly strong for debugging and refactoring, thanks to its ability to read and modify files and run tests.

\ Pricing: Claude Code is available to Claude Pro subscribers at US$20/month and Claude Max subscribers at ~US$100–200/month. Enterprise deployments require custom pricing and can be self-hosted.

\ One of the smartest agents, but best for those comfortable with the command line.

\ Video Tutorial: How to Install Claude Code in VSCode or Cursor

Windsurf IDE

Windsurf is an AI-native IDE that uses a Cascade system to maintain context across your codebase and provide live generative assistance. It offers generative autocomplete, live previews of code changes, automatic linter fixes, deep code search via the Model Context Protocol, and a Supercomplete feature that suggests your next action. Windsurf also includes natural-language commands to implement features, run tests, and refactor code.

\ Best for: Developers seeking an AI-first IDE that can manage entire projects and handle both code generation and execution. The real-time preview and cascade context make it suitable for modern web and mobile development.

\ Pricing: Free plan includes 25 credits/month; Pro plan costs US $15/month with 500 credits; Teams plan costs US $30/user/month. Enterprise pricing is custom.

\ A top contender for the “best AI editor” title.

\ Video Tutorial: Best AI Code Editor for Beginners?

Cursor AI

Cursor is a fork of VS Code with AI woven into its core. Its agent mode accepts high-level goals, generates and edits files, runs code, and iterates until it succeeds. It supports multi-line edits, smart rewrites, and targeted command execution, and allows you to choose between models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Gemini. Cursor also provides background agents and unlimited completions on higher plans.

\ Best for: Developers who want an AI-enhanced editor that remains familiar to VS Code users. It excels at orchestrating multi-file refactors and implementing high-level tasks via agent mode.

\ Pricing: Free Hobby plan offers limited agent requests and completions; Pro costs US $20/month, Pro+ US $60/month, Ultra US $200/month, and Teams US $40/user/month. Enterprise pricing is custom.

\ The most popular “AI Editor” right now. Familiar VS Code interface; choice of models; robust agent mode; strong multi-file edit capabilities.

\ Video Tutorial: Cursor AI Tutorial: How to Use Cursor IDE Free

Mistral Vibe CLI

Mistral’s Vibe CLI is an open-source command-line agent powered by the Devstral 2 model. It provides project-aware context scanning, smart references using @ (files) and ! (commands), multi-file orchestration for architecture-level reasoning and persistent history. Developers can script it, toggle auto-approval, and configure local models via a simple TOML file.

\ Best for: Programmers comfortable with the terminal who want a fast, open-source agent for exploring and editing codebases. It’s particularly useful for navigating large projects and automating repetitive tasks via CLI.

\ Pricing: During the Devstral 2 preview, the tool is free. After the preview, usage will be billed per token: approximately US$0.40–2.00 per million tokens for Devstral 2 and US$0.10–0.30 per million tokens for Devstral Small.

Google Antigravity IDE

Google Antigravity is an experimental AI-native IDE built by Google around Gemini models. Think of it as Google’s answer to Cursor and Windsurf: not just an assistant, but an IDE where an AI agent can plan, reason, write, test, and iterate on code across your project.

\ Antigravity is still early and experimental, but it shows where Google is heading with agentic development.

\ Best for: Web developers. It can “see” your app. You can take a screenshot of a bug, and it will fix the code. It can click buttons and test your site inside the editor.

\ Pricing: Currently completely free.

\ A must-try for web developers because of its visual capabilities.

\ Video Tutorial: Google Antigravity IDE Tutorial (NEW Gemini 3 Inside)

Conclusion

Which one should you pick?

• If you are a student or on a budget, start with GitHub Copilot (Free for students) or Google Gemini Code Assistant (Free tier).
• If you are a complete beginner, use Replit Agent. It builds the whole app for you without complex setup.
• If you want the smart “Editor”: Try Cursor or Windsurf. They feel like the future of coding.
• If you are a Web Developer, check out Google Antigravity for its visual fixing tools.
• If you are a pro who loves the terminal, look at Claude Code or Codex CLI, but be ready to pay for the power.

\ Keep in mind that AI coding assistants are powerful but still require human oversight. Always review generated code, write tests, and maintain your own understanding of the system.

\ If you like this guide, please let me know in the comments below and share your favorite AI tool with me!

\ Cheers! ;)

\