The use of AI coding tools for developing software applications by both software engineers and non-technical individuals is rapidly increasing. Research shows that 76% of respondents said they already use or plan to use AI tools in their development process, and 62% were already using them. A clear sign that AI-powered development is becoming the new standard.
A number of tools exist that can aid engineers with a variety of coding-related tasks, such as writing code, debugging applications, and making multi-file changes, like refactoring the entire codebase of a project.
Because new AI coding tools are being released regularly, selecting the right one for the task at hand can be confusing. A number of coding tools are now available that allow users to select from a variety of development needs, levels of coding experience, and development workflows.
What are AI coding tools?
AI coding tools are programs that can transform natural human language into code, provide feedback on already-written code, and support understanding and navigation of code. Furthermore, AI can execute a sequence of steps in a developer’s workflow. These tools can help new coders by generating code and improve speed and efficiencies for experienced engineers.
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What are the best AI coding tools?
The 10 tools highlighted in this guide are:
- Cursor – best for complex, multi-file projects and agentic workflows
- OpenAI Codex – best for teams already using OpenAI
- GitHub Copilot – best for AI-assisted pair programming
- Claude Code – best for large codebases
- Replit – best for beginners
- v0 by Vercel – generating polished user interfaces
- Windsurf – best for advanced code research
- Amazon Q Developer – best for engineers working in AWS.
- Figstack – best for documenting and analysing existing code
- Tabnine – best for enterprise and team-focused coding
What is Curser used for?
Working across complex codebases
Cursor can help engineers work across multiple files within a project, making it especially useful for larger and more complex applications. Its agent mode can plan tasks, make changes across a codebase and help review areas such as performance, accessibility and protection.
Automating development tasks
Rather than only suggesting individual lines of code, Cursor can support multi-step development tasks. This can help engineers spend less time on repetitive changes and more time reviewing and improving the output.
Software development
Software developers and engineers working on complex applications could use Cursor to navigate codebases, make changes and speed up parts of their development workflow.
What is OpenAI Codex used for?
Planning and completing coding tasks
Codex can help engineers move from an initial task to implementation by planning what needs to be done, running commands and reviewing the results. It can be used in ChatGPT conversations, on the command line, and within coding environments that support Codex.
Reviewing and iterating on code
Software engineers can work back and forth with Codex, reviewing its changes and asking it to make further improvements. This can be useful when working through larger development tasks rather than generating a single piece of code.
Software engineering
Software engineers and developers could use Codex to support development, debugging and code review while retaining oversight of the work produced by AI.
What is GitHub Copilot used for?
AI-assisted coding
GitHub Copilot can provide code suggestions and completions directly within popular development environments, including Visual Studio Code and the JetBrains suite.
Working within present workflows
Copilot can support engineers without requiring them to completely change their existing development environment. Its features include code completion, chat, multi-file editing and an agent.
Software development
Software developers and engineers can use Copilot as an AI-powered coding assistant, helping with everything from writing and explaining code to making changes across files.
What is Claude Code used for?
Understanding large codebases
Claude Code can help engineers explore unknown or complex codebases and understand how different parts of an application work together.
Tracing code and data
Its ability to work with a wider project framework can help engineers trace how data moves through an application and identify relationships between different parts of the code.
Software development and engineering
Engineers joining an existing project could use Claude Code to get up to speed with an unfamiliar codebase, while experienced engineers could use it to navigate large projects more efficiently.
What is Replit used for?
Building applications
Replit provides a browser-based development environment with an integrated AI coding agent. Users can describe what they want to build and use AI to help create the application. Replit even allows users to complete the frontend, backend, database, and deployment of an application all within one environment.
Learning to code
Because Replit does not require users to set up a local development environment, it can be an accessible way for beginners to experiment with software development.
Prototyping ideas
Entrepreneurs, students and non-technical teams could use Replit to turn an idea into an early application or prototype without needing to configure a development environment first.
What is v0 by Vercel used for?
Creating user interfaces
v0 allows users to describe an interface, such as a dashboard, landing page or form, and generate the corresponding React components.
Rapid frontend development
The tool can help engineers move quickly from an initial idea to a polished interface, making it especially useful when experimenting with different designs or prototypes.
Frontend development
Frontend developers and product teams could use v0 to accelerate the creation of interfaces while spending more time improving the user experience.
What is Windsurf used for?
Understanding projects
Windsurf, is an AI-powered development environment + agent that remembers everything about your project between sessions. Windsurf can help engineers understand the wider scope of a project and maintain insight into their work between sessions.
Executing development tasks
The tool can execute terminal commands automatically, assisting engineers with tasks that would otherwise require several manual steps.
Advanced software development
Experienced developers and software engineers working on more complex projects could use Windsurf to support research, navigation and development tasks.
What is Amazon Q Developer used for?
Developing in AWS
Amazon Q Developer is designed for engineers working within the AWS ecosystem. It can provide coding assistance while drawing on AWS documentation and relevant development context.
Testing and refactoring
The tool can support tasks such as generating tests and refactoring code, helping engineers work more efficiently throughout the development process.
Cloud development
Cloud engineers, software developers and other technology professionals working with AWS could use Amazon Q Developer to incorporate AI assistance into their present workflows.
What is Figstack used for?
Writing code documentation
Figstack includes a Docstring Writer that can generate documentation for functions. This can help engineers write code more easily, particularly when working on larger projects or collaborating as part of a development team.
Analysing code efficiency
Figstack can calculate the time complexity of functions using Big O notation. Engineers can use this to understand how efficiently their code performs and identify areas where it could potentially be optimised.
Learning and problem-solving
Figstack also allows users to ask questions about their code, providing answers in a way that can be used to explore programming concepts and understand how particular pieces of code work.
What is Tabnine used for?
Enterprise software development
Tabnine provides AI-powered coding assistance while concentrating heavily on security, privacy and governance. This can make it particularly relevant to organisations with strict requirements around how source code is handled.
Secure AI adoption
Tabnine offers deployment options including SaaS, VPC, on-premises and air-gapped environments. These options can be important for organisations working with sensitive or proprietary code. It has Zero code retention and does not train on your code.
Enterprise technology teams
Software engineers, development teams and technology leaders in highly regulated or security-conscious organisations could consider Tabnine when evaluating AI coding tools.
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How are AI coding tools changing software development?
AI coding tools are changing how engineers approach their work. As AI becomes capable of generating code, navigating projects and completing multi-step tasks, engineers can spend less time on repetitive activities and more time on analytical thinking, testing and technical decision-making.
This does not mean technical skills are becoming less important. In many cases, engineers need a strong understanding of software development principles to assess whether AI-generated code is secure, accurate and appropriate for the application.
It also means organisations may need to think differently about the skills they want within their technology teams. Software developers, engineers, cloud specialists and other technology professionals will increasingly need to understand how to work effectively with AI alongside their existing technical expertise.
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How do you choose the best AI coding tool?
In short, the best coding AI tool is for the type of coder you are (developer, programmer, etc.) and the type of coding project you are working on.
Sandeep Hunjan, Skills Lab Quality Engineer Lead Coach at FDM, shares, “I look at what the project needs and how well the tool fits with the existing technology. I consider reliability, ease of use, maintainability, security, integration and cost. I also prefer to test tools through a small proof of concept before recommending them for wider use.”
- Cursor can help with large multi-file projects such as operating systems or financial modelling tools.
- Codex can integrate easily with your team’s existing OpenAI projects and interfaces.
- Claude Code is optimal for handling large codebases with many files.
- For simple projects Replit or v0 can be a good starting point and help to generate good-looking UIs in no time.
- GitHub Copilot is the natural choice to add AI coding support to your normal workflow.
- Amazon Q Developer is a first-class coding assistant for engineers working within an AWS environment.
- Tabnine is primarily designed for enterprise AI coding support, with a focus on security and governance.
Are AI coding tools replacing developers?
Organisations operate in an environment defined by speed and complexity. At the same time, talent shortages and budget pressures make it difficult to simply “add more people” to solve the problem. While these tools can do lots of work for you, ultimately they are only good for automating certain parts of the development process. Humans will still need to review, test and even debug the generated code.
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What should you check before using an AI coding tool?
How will the selected tool work with your codebase, will it fit into your current workflow and does it provide the appropriate level of agentic functionality?
Security and data handling
It is also important to test how a coding tool handles your source code and your credentials, for example, when logging in to your GitHub account. This is especially important when working with very sensitive data, such as financial or health information.
Testing the code written by an AI is as important as testing code written by a human, especially when it’s to be used in authentication, processing of sensitive data and API interactions.
Sandeep Hunjan, shares, “Before using AI, check that the tool is approved by your organisation and understand how it handles code and data. Avoid sharing credentials, personal information or confidential code. You should understand the code yourself rather than accepting suggestions without checking them.”
How FDM can support
Interested in starting your career in technology? Learn more about FDM’s Practices and how we support diverse talent in launching successful careers in tech.
FAQ
Can AI coding tools write code for you?
Yes. Coding tools using AI can generate code from simple descriptions. They not only write the code for you but also plan out tasks, edit files, run commands and even test out the changes it has made. Human review and testing of any AI– generated code is still highly important though.
Can beginners use AI coding tools?
Yes, it is possible for beginners to learn how to use AI coding tools. Many modern coding tools are designed for beginners. However, an understanding of fundamental development concepts (such as security, APIs, and how software applications work) will help users write safe and effective code.
What’s the difference between AI coding tools and vibe coding tools?
When we refer to “AI coding tools,” we mean tools designed for use in professional development environments, such as integrated development environments (IDEs) or code editors. In contrast, “vibe-coding” tools are designed to enable users with little or no coding background to build applications by entering natural-language prompts.
What’s the difference between AI pair programming tools vs. AI coding agents
An AI pair programming tool (or AI assistant) helps you co-code with you whilst you work, while an AI coding agent can plan and complete larger code changes across files with your review.
Are AI coding tools safe to use?
Many coding AI solutions can pose significant security risks. A developer must always test code written by an AI and pay special attention to authentication, sensitive data, API keys, and access rights.
What AI coding tools are best for large codebases?
For very large or complex codebases, Claude Code and Cursor are often the best option, because they are able to take account of a wider project context than simply generating code for a single file.
Which AI coding tool is best for beginners?
Replit is possibly the most accessible for beginners. It is browser-based, so there’s no need to set up and configure a local development environment. Users can simply describe the project or application they wish to build and get started.
Will AI coding tools replace software developers?
AI tools will support the programmer, not replace them. This new class of software development tools will alter how programming is done, and not merely the functionality of existing workflows.