Generative AI, the type of AI that creates new content, including code, is on the rise, and an increasing number of software developers are adapting AI tools to write software. AI tools such as GitHub Copilot, Cursor, and ChatGPT have become a vital part of software development teams. Today, I hardly write any code by hand. Not only can these AI tools write code for you, but they can also adapt based on your style, learn from your project, and work as your own personal assistant. By utilizing these tools, you can supercharge your productivity.
In this article, I will list the top 7 AI developer tools, including their features, strengths and weaknesses, ideal users, pricing, and a comparison table.
1. GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot is an AI pair programmer developed by GitHub. This is the most used AI tool and seamlessly integrates with your IDE, Visual Studio, VS Code, and others. Now enhanced with Copilot Chat and Copilot Workspace (Agent), GitHub Copilot offers a more autonomous and collaborative development experience directly in your IDE and GitHub environment.
โญ Key Features
Real-time Code Suggestions: Offers context-aware code completions and entire function suggestions.
Multi-language Support: Works with JavaScript, Python, C#, Java, Go, Ruby, and many more.
IDE Integration: Deep integration with VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim, and Visual Studio.
Copilot Chat: Natural language chat interface for debugging, refactoring, and code explanation.
Test Generation: Suggests and generates test cases and unit tests automatically.
Pull Request Assistance: Summarizes and reviews code changes in GitHub pull requests.
Context Awareness: Leverages comments, file names, and open tabs to improve relevance.
๐ Copilot Agent Mode:
The newest feature, Copilot Agent mode, acts as an intelligent agent that can understand issues and help plan, implement, and test solutions. It analyzes GitHub issues, auto-generates implementation plans, and executes them interactively alongside the developer.
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Strengths
Strong Microsoft and GitHub ecosystem integration.
Excellent productivity boost for writing boilerplate and repetitive code.
Developer-friendly onboarding and wide IDE support.
Powerful collaboration features with GitHub pull requests and issue planning (Copilot Agent).
Active development and frequent feature updates.
โ Weaknesses
Occasionally produces insecure or non-functional code (hallucinations).
Limited control over model behavior unless supplemented by prompt engineering.
Copilot Agent features still in beta and may lack full flexibility for complex project planning.
Some advanced features gated to higher-tier plans or require GitHub integration.
๐ค Ideal For
Developers working in the GitHub/Microsoft ecosystem.
Teams collaborating on large codebases via GitHub.
Freelancers and beginners seeking help with syntax, suggestions, and explanations.
DevOps and product engineers looking to automate issue resolution (via Workspace Agent).
๐ฐ Pricing
| Plan | Price |
|---|
| Individual | $10/month or $100/year |
| Business | $19/user/month |
| Free Tier | Available for students, teachers, and open-source maintainers |
2. ChatGPT
Key Features:
Conversational coding assistance.
Can explain, debug, refactor, or generate code from scratch.
Supports custom GPTs and Code Interpreter for logic-heavy tasks.
Plugin and API ecosystem available for deep integration.
Strengths:
Great for learning and debugging.
Supports multi-language programming help.
Context retention and memory with Pro plan.
Weaknesses:
Not directly integrated into IDEs (but third-party extensions exist).
May hallucinate or provide incorrect logic.
Limited by prompt length and context window.
Ideal For: Developers learning new concepts, debugging tough issues, or building apps with GPT agents.
Pricing:
3. Replit AI
Key Features:
Replit Ghostwriter offers real-time code suggestions.
Hosted environment with in-browser IDE.
Project autogeneration via prompts (for full-stack apps).
Deploy instantly to cloud.
Strengths:
No setup required; great for beginners and prototyping.
Multimodal: supports code, chat, and deployment.
Built for collaboration and team use.
Weaknesses:
Ideal For: Beginners, students, and devs building quick MVPs in the cloud.
Pricing:
4. Windsurf
Key Features:
AI-native IDE or plugin for VS Code and JetBrains.
Features include Cascade (context-aware AI agent), Windsurf Tab (command history-aware suggestions), and Flows (AI workflows).
Supports 70+ languages and frameworks.
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Ideal For: Power users who want an AI-native coding experience and productivity boost.
Pricing:
Free tier
$15/month (Pro)
Custom (Enterprise)
5. Tabnine
Key Features:
Predictive code completion powered by multiple LLMs.
Works locally and in the cloud.
Privacy-focused deployments for enterprise users.
IDE plugins available for VS Code, JetBrains, etc.
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Ideal For: Enterprise teams, organizations with compliance needs.
Pricing:
$9/month (Dev)
$39/month (Enterprise)
6. Cursor AI
Cursor (Cursor - The AI Code Editor) calls itself the AI code editor, writes code on your desktop.
Key Features:
AI-native editor built on VS Code, optimized for LLM interactions.
Refactor across files, explain code, generate functions, or fix bugs in-context.
Chat-style sidebar with memory of codebase.
Strengths:
Deep integration of AI into coding experience.
Great for navigating large codebases.
Supports code-aware search and semantic refactoring.
Weaknesses:
Ideal For: Senior developers, startup teams, and those building complex applications.
Pricing:
7. V0
V0 (v0 by Vercel) is an online editor and is good for rapid live prototyping.
Key Features:
Generate React/Next.js UI components from text prompts.
Built-in Tailwind CSS, image placeholders, and responsiveness.
Editable output and deploy to Vercel instantly.
Strengths:
Instant UI scaffolding for landing pages and dashboards.
Beautiful, developer-ready code.
Ideal for Figma-to-code workflows.
Weaknesses:
Ideal For: Designers, frontend engineers, and marketers building web UIs fast.
Pricing:
๐ Comparison Table
| Tool | Strengths | Weaknesses | Ideal For | Pricing |
|---|
| GitHub Copilot | Seamless IDE support, fast suggestions | Occasional hallucinations, privacy issues | General developers | $10โ$19/month |
| ChatGPT | Best for explanations, logic, learning | Not in-IDE by default | Beginners, architects, agent developers | Freeโ$200/month |
| Replit AI | All-in-one cloud IDE + AI | Not usable outside Replit | MVP builders, students | $20/month (Pro) |
| Windsurf | Full IDE + AI agents, rich context | New interface to learn | AI-native devs, productivity seekers | Freeโ$15/month |
| Tabnine | Offline use, privacy focus | No chat, less creative | Enterprises and secure teams | $9โ$39/month |
| Cursor AI | Smart refactoring, code-aware AI chat | Pricey and usage-based | Teams handling large codebases | $20/month + usage |
| V0 by Vercel | Best for frontend/UI prototyping | Limited to frontend | Designers and frontend teams | Freeโ$20/month |
๐ Summary
If you're building software in 2025, incorporating at least one AI assistant into your workflow is essential. Whether you're writing UI, refactoring codebases, building MVPs, or just learning to code, thereโs an AI tool built for you. Choose based on your style, goals, and tech stack โ and let AI do the heavy lifting.