The Top 10 AI IDE Tools Every Developer Should Know

Ask me next month and it most probably will have changed. (it changed while I was writing this, Codeium is now called Windsurf)

Pros, Pitfalls, and What They Mean in the Real World

Caveat emptor: this is my personal opinion, opinions vary based upon the individual circumstances peoples lives. You may not agree, and that's fine. Just let me know what you prefer and why?

It's 2025, and AI isn't coming for your job—it's already sitting next to you, finishing your code before you've finished your coffee.

Choosing the right AI development environment isn't a marginal choice anymore. It's central to how you think, build, collaborate, and ship. Get it right, and you become a conductor of high-speed, high-quality software. Get it wrong, and you'll find yourself wrestling with a chatty autocomplete that generates more noise than value.

After hands-on testing, community feedback, industry whispers, and the occasional existential debate with my own rubber duck debugger, here are the ten AI IDE tools that every developer ought to know. Warts, gossip, and all.

1. GitHub Copilot: The Original Trailblazer (But Facing Turbulence)

What it is: Microsoft's headline AI assistant, powered by OpenAI's Codex, and fully integrated into the tools developers already live in—VS Code, JetBrains, and even Neovim.

Why It Works:  Ghostwriter on steroids: Writes functions, not just lines. Scarily prescient at times.  Broad language coverage: Handles nearly every modern and legacy language with grace.  Zero-friction install: If you're in the Microsoft ecosystem, it's already halfway set up.  Copilot Chat: Explain, translate, debug—ask in plain English.  Enterprise-grade tools: Security scans, IP filters, and auditing for serious environments.

But Also…  Performance wobble: Recently, a growing number of developers have reported a dip in quality—more boilerplate, less brilliance. Copilot sometimes fails to track context over longer sessions, and suggestions can feel increasingly generic.  Privacy controversies linger: Concerns persist over Copilot's training on public codebases and the implications for IP-sensitive industries. Recent legal challenges around AI training data haven't helped ease these worries.  Can deskill: Left unchecked, it may weaken your own problem-solving instincts.  Subscription-based: £8/month for individuals; £15+ per seat for businesses.

The Gossip: Word around Silicon Valley is that the quality dip isn't accidental—internal tensions between Microsoft and OpenAI over model access and priorities may be affecting Copilot's performance. Some developers are quietly jumping ship to alternatives, and Microsoft knows it.

Best for: Developers and teams already invested in GitHub and Microsoft tooling who want a (mostly) reliable wingman.

2. Cursor: The AI-First Upstart with Real Brains

What it is: A bold reimagining of the IDE, Cursor is a fork of VS Code rebuilt around AI as the protagonist. Less plugin, more paradigm shift.

Why It Works:  Built for AI from scratch: Not an add-on—this is AI-native software engineering.  Codebase fluency: Cursor "understands" your project structure and makes coherent, context-rich suggestions.  Natural-language chat: You can literally ask, "Can you clean up this function and use async properly?"  Multi-model flexibility: Works with Claude, GPT-4, and others depending on your preference or subscription.  Refactoring brilliance: Particularly strong on large-scale architectural tweaks.

But Also…  Different feel: It looks like VS Code but behaves like a different beast—some learning required.  Thin plugin library: Not yet the smorgasbord of extensions you'll find in mainstream IDEs.  Resource hungry: Especially with large projects and model-intensive tasks.  Paid plan required: The free tier is functional, but you'll hit its limits fast.

The Gossip: Cursor's rapid growth has caught everyone off guard, including their own team. Rumours suggest they're in talks with major VCs for a significant funding round, and several big tech companies have quietly approached them about acquisition. The indie developer community has basically adopted them as the "anti-Copilot."

Best for: Brave developers seeking an AI-first way of working and willing to think differently about the IDE itself.

3. JetBrains AI Assistant: The Enterprise Favourite

What it is: Native AI integration across the entire JetBrains suite—IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, and friends—with deep language-specific intelligence.

Why It Works: Context mastery: Understands your project architecture, dependencies, and coding patterns better than most. Language specialists: Particularly brilliant for Java, Kotlin, Python, and JavaScript ecosystems. Seamless integration: Feels like it was always part of your IDE (because it was designed that way). Enterprise ready: Built-in compliance, security scanning, and team collaboration features. Refactoring excellence: Suggests architectural improvements, not just code completion.

But Also…  JetBrains lock-in: Only works if you're already committed to their ecosystem.  Subscription required: No free tier—you're paying for both the IDE and the AI.  Resource intensive: Can make your IDE feel sluggish on older machines.  Conservative suggestions: Sometimes too careful, missing creative solutions.

The Gossip: JetBrains has been quietly poaching AI talent from Google and OpenAI. Their bet is that context-aware, language-specific AI will beat generic code completion. Early enterprise adoption suggests they might be right—several Fortune 500 companies have standardised on JetBrains AI Assistant over Copilot.

Best for: Professional teams already invested in JetBrains IDEs who want enterprise-grade AI integration.

4. Amazon CodeWhisperer (aka Amazon Q Developer): Cloud-Native and Audit-Ready

What it is: Amazon's AI-powered developer assistant, with first-class AWS integration and a strong security and compliance posture.

Why It Works:  Free for individuals: Surprisingly generous, especially for cloud-based projects.  Fluent in AWS: From IAM roles to Lambda invocations—it speaks fluent Amazon.  Security-savvy: Built-in vulnerability scanning and secure code suggestions.  Compliance-friendly: Perfect for teams that need traceability and audit trails.  Multi-IDE support: Works across JetBrains, VS Code, and more.

But Also…  AWS-heavy bias: Tends to push Amazon-native solutions (quelle surprise).  Conservative outputs: Fewer creative flourishes; prefers the safe and familiar.  Needs connectivity: No internet? No CodeWhisperer.  Complex for solo devs: You may feel like you've accidentally started a DevOps course.

The Gossip: Amazon is playing the long game here. Insiders suggest CodeWhisperer is less about direct revenue and more about AWS vendor lock-in. The more developers get comfortable with AI-generated AWS code, the harder it becomes to switch cloud providers. Clever.

Best for: Teams living in the AWS cloud who need secure, compliant, and consistent AI assistance.

5. Windsurf (Formerly Codeium): The Free Champion That Keeps Punching Up

What it is: A free-to-use, cross-platform AI coding assistant that consistently delivers the goods—especially given the price tag.

Why It Works:  Truly free: No bait-and-switch. No subscriptions. Just… free.  Decent performance: Often keeps pace with Copilot, particularly for popular languages.  Snappy and lightweight: Fast suggestions and minimal lag.  Active dev team: Regular updates and a responsive community.  Wide compatibility: Works in nearly all major IDEs.

But Also…  Enterprise support is light: Not designed for audits, reporting, or compliance-heavy environments.  Sustainability question mark: How long can it remain free?  Training data less expansive: Doesn't always catch edge cases.  Missing polish: No Copilot Chat equivalent (yet).

The Gossip: How Codeium stays free is the industry's worst-kept secret—they're venture-funded and burning through cash to gain market share. The question everyone's asking: what happens when the funding runs out? Some suspect they're positioning for acquisition by a larger player. - news just in looks the Windsurf new logo tells the tail!

Best for: Freelancers, learners, side projects, or anyone curious about AI without wanting to splash out.

6. Sourcegraph Cody: The Enterprise Codebase Whisperer

What it is: An AI assistant that excels at understanding massive, complex codebases and helping developers navigate enterprise-scale software.

Why It Works:  Codebase archaeology: Brilliant at understanding legacy code and complex architectures.  Context at scale: Handles monorepos and microservice architectures with ease.  Search integration: Combines AI suggestions with powerful code search capabilities.  Enterprise focus: Built for teams managing millions of lines of code.  Multi-repository awareness: Understands dependencies across multiple repos.

But Also…  Overkill for small projects: Like using a Formula 1 car for the school run.  Learning curve: Complex setup and configuration options.  Enterprise pricing: Not cheap for the full feature set.  Limited creativity: Focused on understanding existing code rather than generating new patterns.

The Gossip: Sourcegraph's pivot to AI has been surprisingly successful. They've quietly become the go-to choice for several major tech companies dealing with massive legacy codebases. Google and Meta are rumoured to be heavy users, though neither will confirm it publicly.

Best for: Large enterprises with complex, multi-repository codebases who need AI that actually understands their architecture.

7. Continue: The Open Source Revolutionary

What it is: A fully open-source AI autopilot that works with VS Code and JetBrains, offering the transparency and customisation that many developers crave.

Why It Works:  Completely open source: No black boxes, no vendor lock-in.  Highly customisable: Modify it to work exactly how you want.  Model agnostic: Works with OpenAI, Anthropic, local models, or your own.  Privacy control: Keep everything on your own infrastructure if needed.  Community driven: Active development and responsive maintainers.

But Also…  Setup complexity: Not plug-and-play like commercial alternatives.  Support burden: You're largely on your own if things break.  Feature lag: Often behind commercial tools in cutting-edge capabilities.  Technical barriers: Requires more technical knowledge to get the most out of it.

The Gossip: Continue has become the darling of the privacy-conscious developer community. Several startups are quietly using it to avoid sending their proprietary code to third-party AI services. The project's growth has reportedly spooked some commercial AI coding companies.

Best for: Privacy-conscious developers, teams with specific customisation needs, or anyone who wants full control over their AI toolchain.

8. Tabnine: The Privacy-Focused Professional's Choice

What it is: An AI coding assistant designed with security and customisability at its core. For those who can't afford to let code leave the building.

Why It Works:  On-prem ready: Complete offline mode for maximum data control.  Team-taught models: Learns from your actual team's style and habits.  Flexible architecture: Cloud, hybrid, or fully air-gapped—your call.  Language and IDE agnostic: Works with almost every language and toolchain.  Highly customisable: Tune it like an engine, if that's your thing.

But Also…  Less magic offline: On-prem models are good—but not quite Copilot-level good.  Setup can be tricky: Especially in enterprise environments.  Costs scale quickly: Not ideal for small or casual teams.  No bells and whistles: Solid, yes. Sexy, no.

The Gossip: Tabnine has quietly become the choice for defence contractors and financial institutions with strict data sovereignty requirements. They're not growing as fast as flashier competitors, but their enterprise revenue is reportedly very healthy.

Best for: Industries with strict compliance needs, or developers who want AI without the surveillance.

9. Replit: The Browser-Based Wonder

What it is: A browser-based development environment with impressive AI features, particularly strong for learning, prototyping, and collaborative coding.

Why It Works:  Zero setup: Code in your browser, AI included.  Collaboration friendly: Real-time collaboration with AI assistance.  Learning focused: Excellent for education and onboarding new developers.  Language variety: Supports dozens of languages out of the box.  Rapid prototyping: Perfect for hackathons and quick experiments.

But Also…  Internet dependent: No offline capability whatsoever.  Performance limits: Not suitable for large or complex projects.  Privacy concerns: Your code lives on their servers.  Limited customisation: Less flexibility than traditional IDEs.

The Gossip: Replit's AI features have made it surprisingly popular in corporate training programs. Several major consulting firms are using it to onboard junior developers, and coding bootcamps have largely standardised on it. The company is reportedly exploring partnerships with major educational institutions.

Best for: Students, educators, rapid prototyping, or anyone who wants to code without installing anything.

10. Aider: The Terminal Purist's Dream

What it is: A command-line AI pair programming tool that works with your existing Git workflow and favourite terminal setup.

Why It Works:  Git-native: Understands your repository structure and commit history.  Terminal integration: Works perfectly with existing command-line workflows.  Model flexibility: Works with various AI models and APIs.  Lightweight: Minimal resource usage compared to full IDE integrations.  Version control aware: Makes sensible suggestions based on your project's history.

But Also…  Command-line only: Not for developers who prefer graphical interfaces.  Learning curve: Requires comfort with terminal-based development.  Limited scope: Focused on code generation rather than broader IDE features.  Setup required: Not as plug-and-play as IDE extensions.

The Gossip: Aider has developed a cult following among senior developers who prefer minimal, focused tools. Several open-source maintainers swear by it for managing complex codebases. It's the kind of tool that makes GUI-loving developers feel slightly inadequate.

Best for: Command-line enthusiasts, Git power users, or developers who want AI assistance without changing their existing workflow.

Choosing Your AI Ally (or Allies)

The dirty secret? Most productive developers use more than one. Here's how to think about it:

For Daily Coding:

• Copilot if you want the most mature option (despite recent wobbles)

• Cursor if you're ready to embrace AI-first development

• JetBrains AI if you live in their ecosystem

For Specific Needs:

• CodeWhisperer for AWS-heavy projects

• Sourcegraph Cody for large, complex codebases

• Tabnine for privacy-critical environments

• Continue for maximum customisation and control

For Learning and Experimenting:

• WindSurf/Codeium for free, full-featured AI assistance

• Replit for browser-based coding and collaboration

• Aider for terminal-based workflows

What's Next: The AI Arms Race

The competition is heating up faster than anyone expected. Google is reportedly working on a major AI coding initiative. Apple has been suspiciously quiet but is hiring AI talent. Even smaller players like Linear and Notion are adding AI coding features.

The real winners will be those who figure out AI collaboration, not just AI completion. The future isn't about AI writing all your code—it's about AI understanding your intent, your codebase, and your constraints well enough to be a genuine thinking partner.

But here's the thing: don't get too comfortable with any single choice. This landscape changes monthly, and what's cutting-edge today might be yesterday's news by summer.

The Truth: Quick Reference Guide

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JetBrains AI Assistant updates are tied to the regular JetBrains plugin update cycle, typically every 1–2 weeks, ensuring tight integration but occasional delays for bleeding-edge features.

Your Turn:

Which of these tools has surprised you? Which has let you down? And what's the weirdest or most surprisingly helpful suggestion you've gotten from an AI coding assistant?

More importantly—which combinations are you using? The most interesting conversations happen when developers share their actual workflows, not just their preferred tools.

Found this helpful? Follow for more thoughts on tooling, AI, and developer culture. And if this sparked a conversation—share it. The more we talk about these tools honestly, the better they'll become.

#AIDevTools #SoftwareCraftsmanship #GitHubCopilot #CursorIDE #JetBrains #AWSDevTools #Codeium #Tabnine #AIinSoftware #DeveloperProductivity #CodingIn2025 #Continue #Sourcegraph #Replit #Aider

👨💼 About the Author

Phil Beresford-Davis is the Managing Director of Advisory Nexus, a consultancy dedicated to transforming businesses through AI, automation, and operational excellence.

With decades of experience ranging from global finance and public sector innovation to leading automation at Associated British Foods, Phil is now focused on helping organisations navigate the new frontier of AI-driven transformation.

You can connect with Phil on LinkedIn or visit AdvisoryNexus.com to learn more.

Phil's career has been defined by a quiet belief in trust, clarity, and making technology work for people—not the other way around.