Autocomplete is dead. Context, refactoring, and agentic workflows are the new battleground.
I tested GitHub Copilot, Rovo Dev, Cursor, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini Code Assist, and Codeium in real dev workflows: Java, TypeScript, backend APIs, refactoring, debugging.
Here’s a developer-focused, side-by-side comparison.
🧠 Quick Comparison
| Tool | Best For | Strengths | Limitations | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Copilot | Teams & general devs | IDE support, autocomplete, GitHub integration | Paid, small free tier | ~$10/mo |
| Rovo Dev | Terminal-centric & enterprise | CLI automation, Jira/Bitbucket integration | Newer, niche | Enterprise pricing |
| Cursor | Power users | Multi-file refactors, deep repo understanding | VS Code–centric | ~$20/mo |
| Claude | Complex reasoning | Architecture & logic understanding | Weak IDE integration | ~$20+/mo |
| Gemini Code Assist | Free tier & cloud devs | Large context, free tier | Less polished | Free/$19+ |
| Codeium | Budget developers | Free, basic autocomplete | Weak deep context | Free |
✅ GitHub Copilot — All-Rounder
- Pros: Works in VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim; strong autocomplete; GitHub PR/chat integration
- Cons: Paid; context window smaller than others
- Best for: Production dev, team workflows
🧑💻 Rovo Dev — Terminal & Enterprise
- Pros: Automates tasks in CLI; deep Jira/Bitbucket/Confluence integration
- Cons: Niche, CLI-focused; enterprise pricing
- Best for: Teams using Atlassian tools
⚡ Cursor — Deep Codebase
- Pros: Multi-file refactors; deep context understanding
- Cons: VS Code fork; some CI integrations weaker
- Best for: Senior devs, large repos
🤖 Claude — Complex Reasoning
- Pros: Architecture, reasoning, explanations
- Cons: IDE integration weaker
- Best for: Designing complex systems, logic review
🆓 Gemini Code Assist — Free & Generous
- Pros: Free tier, large context, CLI support
- Cons: Less polished suggestions
- Best for: Hobbyists, learners, free experimentation
💸 Codeium — Free Basic Help
- Pros: Free forever, basic autocomplete, IDE plugin support
- Cons: Weak for deep context or multi-file logic
- Best for: Students, beginners, free users
🧠 Verdict
- Balanced & mainstream: GitHub Copilot
- Deep VS Code refactoring: Cursor
- Complex reasoning: Claude
- Best free tier: Gemini
- Free basics: Codeium
- Enterprise automation: Rovo Dev
Most serious devs in 2025 use 2+ agents: Copilot/Cursor for coding, Claude/Gemini for reasoning, Rovo Dev for enterprise workflow.
📌 Strategy
- Try Codeium + Gemini to test AI in your flow.
- Evaluate Copilot or Cursor on real projects.
- Enterprise teams: Copilot for GitHub, Rovo Dev for Jira/Bitbucket automation.
References:
DigitalApplied | The Verge | Atlassian Rovo
Top comments (0)