10 Best AI Coding Assistants for 2025

By Alex • Updated Aug 15, 2025

AI coding assistants help you write code faster and with fewer mistakes, taking the frustration out of complex programming tasks.

After extensively testing 27 different options, I've selected the top 10 you should check out.

Best AI Coding Assistants

Are you interested in prompt-to-app vibe coding tools instead? If so, check out our article on the best AI app builders, where we feature Lovable, Replit Agent, Bolt, v0, and Firebase Studio.

What Makes a Great AI Coding Assistant?

A great AI coding assistant should have the right mix of features to truly enhance your development workflow. Here are the key factors I considered when evaluating different options:

• Code Accuracy: The assistant should provide reliable suggestions and completions that actually work in your specific context.
• Language Support: It needs to handle multiple programming languages so you can use it across different projects.
• Smart Context: It should understand your entire codebase, not just the current file you're working on.
• Debugging Help: The assistant should catch errors early and suggest fixes to save you troubleshooting time.

With these factors in mind, let's take a closer look at the top 10 AI coding assistants.

1. Cursor

Cursor is an AI-powered code editor built on VS Code that lets developers write and modify code using natural language instructions.

Key Features

• Natural language: Generate entire functions and classes by describing what you want in plain English
• Codebase querying: Ask questions about your code like "where is the login function?" and get instant answers
• Chat assistant: Built-in AI chat that references specific files and provides real-time coding help
• Multi-line predictions: Autocomplete that suggests entire code blocks based on your recent changes

My Take

Cursor excels at understanding your entire project context, making its suggestions feel more relevant than typical autocomplete tools. The ability to generate substantial code blocks from casual descriptions makes it particularly useful for quickly building out new features or tackling unfamiliar programming patterns.

2. Windsurf

Windsurf is an AI-powered coding assistant and IDE built to blend code editing and AI collaboration directly into your workflow.

Key Features

• Cascade Flows: Lets you set off multi-step AI actions—like code review, test creation, or project scaffolding—within your editor, without leaving your window
• Context-aware completions: Suggests code based on what you’re doing across your entire project, not just the current file
• In-editor chat: Type questions or commands in your editor, and Windsurf responds with code, explanations, or refactors—no need to switch tabs
• IDE agnostic: Works as a standalone editor or as a plugin in VS Code, IntelliJ, and dozens more, supporting a wide range of languages

My Take

Windsurf feels like a teammate that keeps up with your project’s context, not just your cursor—it’s good at suggesting changes that actually fit. The ease of launching Flows to automate repetitive chunks of work is where it stands out; other tools still feel more manual here.

3. Claude Code

Claude Code is an AI coding assistant from Anthropic that works directly in your terminal, helping you write, edit, and manage code through natural language commands.

Key Features

• Direct file editing: Modifies code files, runs commands, and handles Git operations without leaving the terminal
• Full project awareness: Understands your codebase structure, dependencies, and architecture, not just single files
• Natural language workflows: Translates plain English instructions into multi-step coding tasks, from debugging to refactoring
• Tool and Git integration: Connects with external tools and manages complex Git workflows through conversation

My Take

Claude Code feels different from other AI assistants because it acts more like a pair programmer who knows your whole project, not just the file you’re working on. It’s especially handy for messy, real-world tasks where context matters, but like any AI tool, it’s not flawless—sometimes it misses the mark on more subtle requirements.

4. GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is an AI coding tool that suggests code snippets, functions, and entire blocks as you type in your editor.

Key Features

• Whole line/block suggestions: Offers entire lines and functions, not just a single word or variable
• Multi-language support: Works with most popular programming languages, adapting to your current project
• Context-aware completions: Understands your existing code and comments, making suggestions fit your workflow
• Chat within the editor: Lets you ask questions and get code explanations right where you code

My Take

Copilot feels like a fast, quiet assistant—most of the time it keeps up with your thinking, especially when you’re working across different languages.

It saves you from tedious typing, but sometimes the suggestions are a bit too generic, so you still need to know what you want.

5. Gemini Code Assist

Gemini Code Assist is an AI tool by Google that helps developers write, review, and manage code across popular IDEs.

Key Features

• Code Completion: Suggests code and generates full functions as you write
• Multi-IDE Support: Works with VS Code, JetBrains family, and Android Studio
• Codebase Awareness: Integrates private repos for tailored suggestions across large projects
• Custom Commands: Automates repetitive tasks with customizable instructions

My Take

I find it handy for speeding up coding with well-contextualized suggestions. Its integration with multiple IDEs and codebase awareness really help handle complex projects smoothly.

6. Amazon Q Developer

Amazon Q Developer is a conversational AI assistant in your IDE that helps generate, review, and optimize code for AWS and general software development.

Key Features

• Natural language to PR: Describe a feature in plain English, and it maps out a multi-file plan, writes the code, runs tests, and creates a pull request—all automatically
• Internal code base aware: Customizes suggestions and answers based on your team’s libraries, APIs, and architecture, making onboarding and extending your code much simpler
• Console-to-code: Capture AWS console actions and instantly get reusable, production-ready code snippets
• Inline chat and review: Highlight any code block, ask for optimizations, comments, or tests, and get changes without leaving your editor

My Take

What stands out is how Amazon Q Developer handles the full feature lifecycle—from a chat prompt to deployed code—without needing to stitch together different tools. The integration with AWS console workflows and internal code context is smooth, but it’s especially useful if your team is deep in the AWS ecosystem. For general coding, it’s capable, but the AWS-centric features are where it pulls ahead.

7. JetBrains AI Assistant

JetBrains AI Assistant is an AI-powered coding helper that integrates directly into JetBrains IDEs to speed up and simplify programming tasks.

Key Features

• Code Completion: Suggests lines, blocks, or whole functions that fit your project’s context and style
• AI Chat: Lets you ask questions or describe tasks in plain language and get code, explanations, or fixes right in the editor
• Test Generation: Quickly creates unit tests, and remembers your coding conventions for consistency
• Offline Mode: Works with local models for privacy or when you’re not connected to the internet

My Take

I like how tightly it fits into the IDE—everything feels connected, and I don’t have to switch windows or tools for most tasks. It’s not perfect, but it handles a lot of the repetitive stuff, and the offline option is a clear plus if you’re working with sensitive code or spotty internet.

8. Augment

Augment is an AI coding assistant that helps developers write, debug, refactor, and understand code in projects of any size, with strong focus on understanding large codebases.

Key Features

• Agent Mode: Launches AI agents to plan, build features, or debug across your codebase—more than just autocomplete
• Deep Context: Grasps your whole project’s structure for smarter, more relevant suggestions, not just line-by-line help
• Team Sync: Shows live code changes and pulls in updates from your team, reducing merge headaches
• Style Learning: Adapts to your coding style over time, making its suggestions fit how you work

My Take

I like how Augment handles tasks end to end, especially in big, messy projects. It feels less like a sidekick and more like a collaborator—sometimes a little too eager, but usually spot-on with what the codebase actually needs. It’s one of the few tools that actually gets what “working at scale” means.

9. Sourcegraph Cody

Sourcegraph Cody is an AI coding assistant that helps developers write, fix, and maintain code, focusing on understanding large and complex codebases.

Key Features

• Full codebase context: Cody sees and understands your entire project, not just a single file
• Inline chat commands: Ask Cody questions about your code, fix bugs, or get explanations directly where you’re working
• Customizable prompts: Create and save your own commands to automate repetitive tasks and enforce coding patterns
• IDE integration: Works inside VS Code, JetBrains, and other editors, so you don’t have to switch environments

My Take

Cody stands out when working on big, messy, or team projects because it actually “gets” the structure and relationships in your code, not just snippets. The custom prompts are handy, but Cody feels most natural when you’re deep in a complex codebase—the more tangled the project, the more it shines.

10. Tabnine

Tabnine is an AI coding assistant that provides code completions and chat functionality while allowing teams to control where and how their code data is processed.

Key Features

• Privacy Control: Deploy on your own servers, VPC, or use SaaS mode to keep your code completely private
• Personalized Suggestions: Learns your coding patterns and team's style to deliver context-aware recommendations
• Multiple AI Models: Switch between Tabnine's private models or third-party options like GPT-4o, Claude, and Codestral in real-time
• Dual Interface: Combines instant code completions with a chat assistant for both quick fixes and complex coding tasks

My Take

The standout feature here is the privacy control - you can actually run Tabnine completely offline or on your own infrastructure, which most other assistants can't match. The personalization works well once it learns your codebase, giving suggestions that feel tailored to your specific project rather than generic completions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are AI coding assistants?

AI coding assistants are tools that use artificial intelligence to help developers write code more efficiently. They offer features like code suggestions, auto-completions, and debugging help to speed up your development process.

How do AI coding assistants work?

AI coding assistants analyze your existing code and provide suggestions based on the context of what you're working on. They learn from patterns in code to offer personalized recommendations that match your coding style over time.

Can AI replace human programmers?

No, AI tools are designed to assist programmers, not replace them. They help speed up coding tasks and reduce errors, but they still need human guidance and oversight to work effectively.

Are AI coding assistants worth it?

AI coding assistants can significantly reduce the time you spend on repetitive coding tasks and help catch mistakes early. By automating routine work, they let you focus on more complex problem-solving and creative aspects of development.

Can AI coding assistants write complete programs?

AI coding assistants can generate code snippets and functions based on your input and context. However, they work best for specific tasks rather than building entire applications from scratch without human direction.

Is my code safe with AI coding assistants?

Most AI coding assistants have security measures in place to protect your code and data. However, it's always smart to review the privacy policies of any tool you choose to understand how your code is handled and stored.