AI Catchup

Our Top AI Tools

Our top AI coding tool is Cursor, the AI-integrated IDE, at $20 a month for Pro. Claude Code is our pick for autonomous terminal workflows from the $20 Claude Pro plan, Codex is the agent to use with a ChatGPT plan, and GitHub Copilot remains the best for inline completions.

The Picks

  1. #1

    Cursor

    Best AI-integrated IDE

    Combines VS Code familiarity with AI editing, chat, agents, and cloud agents. The best all-around coding experience for developers who want AI baked into every interaction. One caution: OpenAI plans to end Cursor's direct access to OpenAI models, with November 12, 2026 proposed as the shutoff date. Cursor says OpenAI models serve about 5% of its traffic, and models from Anthropic, Google, Meta, and Grok continue through direct partnerships.

    What the OpenAI cutoff changes in Cursor
  2. #2

    Claude Code

    Best CLI AI agent

    Excels at autonomous multi-step tasks, file operations, and complex refactoring. Ideal for developers who prefer terminal workflows and want an AI that can execute entire projects. It comes with Claude Pro ($20 a month billed monthly) and Max (from $100 a month), not the Free plan, and on those plans it defaults to Claude Opus 5.5.

    Cursor vs Claude Code
  3. #3

    Codex

    Best agent for ChatGPT plans

    OpenAI's coding agent runs in the ChatGPT desktop app, the open-source Codex CLI, the IDE extension, the web, and iOS. ChatGPT Plus ($20 a month) includes it with GPT-6.1 Sol, and the Free plan gets GPT-6 Luna in the desktop app as it rolls out. It also runs inside Cursor: the Codex IDE extension installs there, which keeps OpenAI models within reach for Cursor users after the cutoff.

    Codex CLI vs Claude Code vs Cursor
  4. #4

    GitHub Copilot

    Best inline completions

    Fastest tab-complete experience, deeply integrated into VS Code and JetBrains. The gold standard for autocomplete-style AI assistance, and it now supports MCP servers in IDEs, the Copilot CLI, and the cloud agent.

    GitHub Copilot plans
  5. #5

    Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf)

    Best for managing many agents

    Windsurf is now Devin Desktop, built on the Windsurf IDE with an agent command center added: it manages local and cloud agents from one surface, with a full IDE for reviewing what they ship. Pro costs $20 a month, and a $200 Max plan adds higher quotas.

    Devin Desktop
  6. #6

    Aider

    Best open-source option

    Terminal-based, supports multiple LLM providers, fully transparent. The choice for developers who want full control and visibility over their AI tooling. Development has slowed: its last release was 0.86.2 in February 2026, so check activity before you depend on it.

    Aider on GitHub

How They Compare

ToolBest ForInterfacePriceMCP Support
CursorAI-integrated IDEDesktop app (VS Code fork)Free / $20/mo ProYes
Claude CodeCLI AI agentTerminal CLI$20/mo Pro, Max from $100/moNative
CodexAgent for ChatGPT plansChatGPT desktop app, CLI, IDE extensionFree (GPT-6 Luna, rolling out) / $20/mo PlusYes
GitHub CopilotInline completionsIDE extensionFree / $10/moYes
Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf)Managing many agentsDesktop appFree / $20/mo ProYes
AiderOpen-source AI codingTerminal CLIFree (bring your API key)No

Changelog

  • October 9, 2026: Codex added at #3 as the agent for ChatGPT plans, and the remaining picks move down one. Windsurf is now Devin Desktop, its new name, at $20 a month for Pro. The Cursor entry now flags OpenAI's proposed November 12 cutoff of Cursor's direct OpenAI model access. Copilot's MCP support moves from Limited to Yes, and Aider's entry notes its last release, February 2026. Correction: Claude Code was listed at $20 a month on the Max plan; $20 is the Pro plan, and Max starts at $100.
  • March 2026: Initial picks published

Frequently Asked Questions

How do we choose our top tools?

We rank by daily real-world use across coding tasks, weighing capability, reliability, speed, and value, and we re-check each pick's price and plan against the vendor's own pricing page when we update the list. Tools in different categories, such as an IDE and a CLI agent, are ranked by how broadly useful they are.

What happens to OpenAI models in Cursor?

OpenAI plans to end Cursor's direct access to its models, with November 12, 2026 proposed as the shutoff date. Cursor says OpenAI models serve about 5% of its traffic, so most users are unaffected. If you rely on GPT models, you can install the Codex IDE extension inside Cursor and use them through your ChatGPT plan.

Is Windsurf still available?

Windsurf is now called Devin Desktop. Devin's site describes it as the new name for Windsurf, built on the same IDE foundation with an agent command center added. Plans start free, Pro costs $20 a month, and windsurf.com now redirects to Devin's site.

How often are these picks updated?

When a significant release or pricing change shifts the landscape, and at least when a pick's product, price, or plan changes. Every update gets a dated line in the changelog above, so you can see what moved and why.

Sources

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