Kudzai Murimi

Posted on Sep 4

AI Tools That Can Make Your Life as a Web Developer SO Much Easier 😊!

#webdev #devops #discuss #javascript

Hey fellow devs! 👋

Let’s be real—we’ve all been stuck in the grind: endless debugging, repetitive tasks, or trying to crack the perfect design. But what if I told you AI could make that grind a little less… grind-y? 😅

In this article, I’m going to share some AI tools that I’ve found super helpful in my workflow. They’ll save you time, take some of the load off, and make those frustrating moments a little less painful. And of course, if you’ve got your own secret weapons, drop them in the comments—I’d love to hear what’s working for you!

1. GitHub Copilot: Your Code BFF 🤖

You’ve probably heard about GitHub Copilot already, but if you haven’t given it a go yet—do it. It’s like having a coding buddy who’s always there, ready to suggest code completions, generate boilerplate code, or help you with that function you just can’t get right. It’s especially awesome for those times when you’re working on repetitive code, or just need to speed things up.

Why you’ll love it:

It suggests code as you type—sometimes even whole blocks!
It works with tons of languages, so whether you’re in JavaScript, Python, or something else, it’s got you.
It’s a great way to learn new coding tricks along the way.

Open question: What’s your experience with Copilot? Have you found it to be a game changer or just another “nice to have”? Let’s talk about it!

2. Tabnine: Code Autocompletion on Steroids 🚀

If you prefer a more lightweight code assistant, check out Tabnine. It’s an AI-powered autocompletion tool that works seamlessly with your favorite IDE. Unlike Copilot, it doesn’t try to take over with massive code suggestions—just quick and helpful hints to keep you moving.

Why you’ll love it:

Tabnine is a lot faster for shorter suggestions and code snippets.
It learns from your codebase, so the more you use it, the more it understands your coding style.
Works offline (a lifesaver if you’re coding on the go).

Let’s chat: Have you ever paired Tabnine with Copilot? Do you think having both makes you more productive, or is it overkill? I’m curious what others think!

3. ChatGPT: The Debugging Lifesaver 🛠️

Okay, I know everyone’s been talking about ChatGPT for everything, but it seriously shines when you’re knee-deep in a tricky bug. Whether you need help figuring out an error or want a quick explanation of a complex concept, ChatGPT can be that “colleague” who always has an answer (even at 2 AM).

Why you’ll love it:

It can help you debug or walk you through a tough problem step by step.
If you’re stuck on a design decision or need a fresh idea, ChatGPT can brainstorm with you.
Sometimes, you just need someone (or something!) to bounce ideas off.

Quick Q: How do you use ChatGPT? Do you find it’s more helpful for problem-solving or brainstorming ideas? Would love to know how it fits into your dev flow.

4. Figma AI Plugins: Design Workflows Made Easy 🎨

Designers, this one’s for you. Figma AI plugins like Magician or Autoflow are great for making design workflows faster and more intuitive. Whether you’re generating icons, tweaking color palettes, or automating tedious layout tasks, these AI tools give you a major productivity boost.

Why you’ll love it:

Need a quick color palette? AI can generate one in seconds.
It helps you create beautiful, functional layouts with less manual work.
Perfect for prototyping without getting too bogged down by the details.

Let’s discuss: What AI tools are you using for design? Have they actually improved your creative process, or do you still prefer doing everything manually? I’m curious about your experiences!

5. DALL·E & MidJourney: AI for Custom Visuals 🖼️

If you need quick visuals for your website, but don’t have time to design them from scratch, DALL·E and MidJourney are your new best friends. Just throw in a description, and these AI tools will generate custom images or graphics that you can use in your projects.

Why you’ll love it:

They’re perfect for generating placeholders, icons, or even full visuals.
Saves you a ton of time when you don’t want to dive into Photoshop or Figma.
Great for early-stage prototyping or client presentations.

Your take: Do you find AI-generated images good enough for real projects, or are they still more of a “quick fix” while you wait for custom designs? I’d love to hear how you use them in your work.

6. AI Testing Tools: Better, Faster, Smarter QA ✅

Testing can be one of the most time-consuming parts of web development, right? Luckily, AI-powered testing tools like Lighthouse are here to make it quicker and more efficient. You can automate performance, SEO, and accessibility checks, getting suggestions on how to improve your app or site.

Why you’ll love it:

It flags performance, SEO, and accessibility issues automatically.
Helps you optimize your site without diving into too much manual testing.
Works well in CI/CD pipelines, so it can automate your checks on every build.

Thoughts?: What tools are you using for automated testing? Do you trust AI for critical testing, or do you still prefer doing some manual tests for peace of mind?

7. Code Snippets AI: Smarter Code Reuse ♻️

There’s nothing worse than writing the same code over and over. Code Snippets AI helps with that by scanning your projects and suggesting code you can reuse. It’s all about keeping your code DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) and making your workflow more efficient.

Why you’ll love it:

Keeps your codebase clean by reducing redundancy.
Helps you reuse snippets across projects (or even teams).
Saves time by suggesting similar code from previous projects.

Curious: How do you manage your code snippets? Do you keep them organized manually, or are you using AI or other tools to do the heavy lifting for you?

Wrapping Up

AI isn’t here to replace us developers (phew!), but it’s here to make our lives a whole lot easier. Whether it’s writing code, creating designs, or testing your site, there’s an AI tool out there that can streamline your workflow and free you up for the fun parts of web development.

Now it’s your turn—what AI tools are you using? Have any favorites that weren’t mentioned? Drop your thoughts, recommendations, and questions in the comments. Let’s keep this discussion going and help each other out!

Happy coding, everyone! 🚀

Top comments (18)

Julian Beck • Sep 5

Amazing insights! I’ll definitely use some of these. By the way, I rely on Replit, Jupyter, and Claude for coding assistance. For image generation, I've been using qolaba as it offers models like SDXL, Flux, and DALL-E, along with coding support from Claude and GPT-4o. I love these type of tools who offers multiple features at a single platform.

Kudzai Murimi • Sep 5

Happy that you already use some of them 😊. Keep sharing with the community.

Andrew Baisden • Sep 6

Great list. I would also add Pieces to that list.

Pieces™ is an on-device AI coding assistant that boosts developer productivity by helping you solve complex development tasks through a contextual understanding of your entire workflow.

It's similar to GitHub Copilot but has more features and more LLM's.

Kudzai Murimi • Sep 6

thank you!

z2lai • Sep 10

How does one use ChatGPT for debugging? Usually debugging requires very specific context. I guess specific error codes and messages into it and asking it for suggestions is one way?