shiva shanker

Posted on Jul 13

I Tested 6 AI Coding Tools So You Don't Have To - Here's My Honest Review

#ai #productivity #programming #coding

After spending the last month testing every major AI coding assistant, I'm here to share the brutal truth about what actually works (and what's just hype).

The Contenders

GitHub Copilot - The OG everyone knows
Cursor - The new kid making waves
Aider - Terminal warrior's dream
Windsurf - The free alternative
Cody AI - Sourcegraph's offering
Amazon Q Developer - AWS's attempt

Quick Stats Before We Dive In

Testing period: 4 weeks
Languages tested: JavaScript, Python, Go, TypeScript
Project types: React apps, Node.js APIs, CLI tools
Lines of code generated: ~15,000

The Real MVP: Cursor

What makes it special:

Context-aware suggestions that actually understand your codebase
Multi-file editing that doesn't break things
The ⌘+K shortcut is chef's kiss

// Asked Cursor to "add auth middleware to all protected routes"
// It correctly identified all routes AND added proper error handling
const authMiddleware = async (req, res, next) => {
  try {
    const token = req.headers.authorization?.split(' ')[1];
    if (!token) {
      return res.status(401).json({ error: 'No token provided' });
    }
    // Cursor even added JWT verification logic specific to my project!
    const decoded = jwt.verify(token, process.env.JWT_SECRET);
    req.user = decoded;
    next();
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(401).json({ error: 'Invalid token' });
  }
};

The catch: You need your own API keys for full functionality.

The Reliable Workhorse: GitHub Copilot 🔧

Still the most consistent performer across different scenarios. AI tools like GitHub Copilot adopted by over 80% of software teams by 2025, and there's a reason for that.

Best for:

Autocomplete suggestions
Boilerplate code generation
Working with popular frameworks

Where it falls short:

Limited context understanding
Can suggest outdated patterns

The Dark Horse: Aider

This one surprised me. Aider stands out as a powerful AI-powered coding assistant that transforms the way developers interact with their codebase with automatic Git integration with intelligent commit messages.

Why I love it:

# This actually works and makes sense
aider src/components/Header.js src/styles/header.css
# Ask: "Make the header responsive and add dark mode toggle"
# Aider modifies both files AND commits with a proper message

Perfect for: Command-line lovers who want AI without leaving the terminal

The Free Alternative: Windsurf 🏄‍♂️

Windsurf is completely free if you bring your own keys. For budget-conscious developers or teams, this is a solid choice.

Pros:

No subscription fees
Good code generation
Decent VS Code integration

Cons:

Setup is more involved
Need to manage API costs yourself

The Enterprise Pick: Cody AI

Cody AI is an AI-powered coding assistant integrated into Sourcegraph, designed to improve how developers navigate, understand, and manage large codebases.

Best for:

Large codebases
Enterprise environments
Teams needing advanced code search

The Disappointment: Amazon Q Developer

While Amazon Q Developer offers powerful capabilities, there are several aspects that could be enhanced: Performance: Response generation times can be notably slow, impacting development workflow.

Honestly, save your time. The other options are just better.

Real-World Performance Test

I gave each tool the same task: "Build a TODO app with React, add authentication, and deploy to Vercel."

Results:

Cursor: 45 minutes, worked perfectly ✅
GitHub Copilot: 1.2 hours, needed manual fixes
Aider: 50 minutes, great git history
Windsurf: 1 hour, solid but required more guidance 👍
Cody AI: 1.5 hours, over-engineered the solution
Amazon Q: 2+ hours, gave up halfway 🚫

My Recommendations

For beginners: Start with GitHub Copilot - it's the most beginner-friendly

For productivity junkies: Cursor is worth every penny

For terminal enthusiasts: Aider will change your workflow

For budget-conscious teams: Windsurf with your own API keys

For large enterprises: Cody AI, but evaluate thoroughly first

The Real Talk Section

None of these tools write perfect code. They're assistants, not replacements. 'Vibe coding' is an emerging trend where developers write software using natural language instructions, but this approach still requires understanding to validate and refine the output.

What they're good at:

Boilerplate generation
Code completion
Quick prototyping
Documentation

What they're not good at:

Complex business logic
Performance optimization
Security considerations
Domain-specific requirements

Final Thoughts

The AI coding assistant space is moving fast. What's true today might be outdated in 3 months. But right now, if I had to pick one tool for the next year, it would be Cursor for most developers.

That said, try them yourself! Most offer free trials, and your mileage may vary based on your coding style and project types.

What's your experience with AI coding tools? Drop a comment below - I'd love to hear about tools I might have missed! 👇

*If this helped you, give it a ❤️