Tools Overview
There are several AI tools useful for programming. They differ in how they integrate into your workflow, what models they use, and how much context they can handle.
Cursor
Cursor is a code editor built around AI. It's a fork of VS Code, so it supports all VS Code extensions, but with deeper AI integration than Copilot: it can reference your entire codebase and reason across multiple files.
GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant integrated directly into your editor. It provides inline completions as you type and a chat panel for longer interactions.
OpenAI Codex CLI
Codex CLI is OpenAI's terminal-based coding agent. It can read your codebase, suggest changes, and execute commands locally, powered by OpenAI's models.
Gemini CLI
Gemini CLI is Google's open-source terminal agent for coding tasks. It connects to Google's Gemini models and offers a generous free tier, making it accessible for individual developers and small teams.
Aider
Aider is an open-source AI pair programming tool that runs in your terminal. It connects to many different LLMs and integrates directly with git, automatically committing changes as it works.
Mistral
Mistral offers a suite of AI coding tools, from a CLI agent to specialized code completion models and IDE integrations. Based in Europe, Mistral emphasizes data privacy and offers self-hosted deployment options.