Is AI about to take your coding job? (Spoiler: No, but it will change it!) Find out how to use AI to become a better, faster, and more valuable developer.
Coding can be brutal. We’ve all been there – staring at a screen, battling bugs that seem to mock us, or feeling like we’re endlessly reinventing the wheel. But what if I told you there’s a way to not just survive, but thrive?. By utilizing AI to assist with coding, you can unlock a range of benefits that save you time and enhance your productivity. Some AI tools are now capable of generating impressive boilerplate code to help you kickstart your projects, while others can assist in documenting your code as you go or creating meaningful and comprehensive tests. Additionally, certain AI solutions are integrated directly into your IDE, providing context-aware support tailored to your specific project needs.
In this article, we review the first five AI coding assistants available in early 2025, assessing them based on their functionality, code generation capabilities, debugging prowess, and pricing.
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AI Assistant
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Type
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Verdict
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Try it
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Plugin
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Improves code quality and testing efficiency, essential for serious development projects
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CLI
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Offering a unique interactive shell, but be mindful of API costs and the need for a local model for cost-effective use.
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Browser, desktop app
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Writes great code and tackles issues well with the right prompts. However, the lack of IDE integration, requiring copy-pasting
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Plugin
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Excellent code completion and context awareness, though it requires oversight for complex tasks
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Plugin
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Context-aware code completion, occasionally generates irrelevant or inaccurate code, limitations in handling complex tasks
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Ranking #1 is Qodo Gen AI, focuses on quality-first coding, performing code reviews and automatic unit test generation. It offers a variety of tests to select from, ensuring comprehensive coverage through its context-aware capabilities. As an open-source solution, it is completely free to use.
Unlike other plugin AI coding assistants like GitHub Copilot, Qodo Gen goes beyond just code completion; it automates testing processes, allowing users to select which tests to run or customize the testing files according to their needs. It operates using the latest AI models, including GPT-4o, o3-mini, o1 Claude 3.5, Sonnet Deepseek-R1 (hosted by Qodo), and Gemini 2.0 Flash.
Qodo Gen also provides customization options that align its output with your team’s coding standards, making it a versatile choice for teamwork looking to enhance their coding practices while ensuring high-quality code and robust testing workflows.
Qodo Gen (formerly Codium AI)
Most well-rounded AI assistant, best at test coverage
Type: AI assistant plugin
Available: Plugin in Visual Studio Code and JetBrains (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm), with support for GitLab and Bitbucket
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Code write
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One of the best code suggestion, quick implementation, not great with very niche function/class
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Pricing
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Free tier. $15/user/month and $45/user/month for team and business
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Debug
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The best AI assistant for unit test and debug support
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Functionality
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Plug in your IDE with real-time code completion, full context aware
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Pros
Cons
Supports multiple programming languages including Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, PHP, and Go, with the flexibility to choose from various LLM models. Qodo positions itself as a premium AI coding assistant with a focus on quality assurance. Its standout feature is exceptional test case generation, creating comprehensive coverage across diverse scenarios for both functions and classes. The platform offers multiple test variations and options for selection.
Qodo excels in code quality improvement and analysis, distinguishing itself by prioritizing reliable, bug-free code through thorough testing rather than focusing primarily on code completion like other tools. It works well alongside other code generation AIs, serving as a dedicated testing and maintenance companion. This makes it particularly valuable for complex, large-scale projects.
One feature that I really like is its git-diff comparison tool, which provides a side-by-side view of your existing code against AI-suggested improvements with one click apply and the ability to select your preferred LLM for analysis
Aider
Recommend for project with large repository map
Type: Agentic AI assistant
Available in: CLI
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Code write
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Great version control management, excels at handling multiple files
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Pricing
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Around $15/Million token
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Debug
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Large library of `/slash` commands to use from
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Functionality
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No IDE integration, only available in CLI. Works very well with powerfull LLM
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Pros
Cons
Aider is a sophisticated command-line AI programming assistant that differentiates itself through robust Git integration and contextual awareness. It maintains an efficient repository overview that captures essential classes, functions, and their signatures. What sets it apart is its ability to seamlessly handle multi-file operations while managing Git version control automatically.
While there is an initial learning curve with its terminal interface, it is not like other AI assistants that allow you to interact with code directly in your IDE—most of Aider’s actions are performed in the CLI. However, Aider offers a streamlined and focused development environment, particularly beneficial for developers who need deep concentration on their projects. At approximately $0.06 per pull request, it presents an economical solution for both personal and professional development work. For those interested in mastering Aider, detailed tutorials are available for reference.
The platform features an extensive set of /slash commands, though mastering these requires some investment in learning. It’s especially valuable for developers comfortable with Git, thanks to its native Git command integration. You should monitor your token usage to manage costs effectively.
Aider might not perform that well when pairing with certain open source local LLM, though it performs optimally when paired with advanced language models like Claude AI or OpenAI’s offerings and even better when paired with strong “reasoning” models like OpenAI o1 and o3-mini, Claude Sonnet 3.5, Grok3, and DeepSeek.
ChatGPT
Best code generation
Type: AI assistant chat
Available in: Web browser, mobile apps
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Code write
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Very good at generate boilerplate code with very good explaination
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Pricing
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Free tier, then starting from $20/month
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Debug
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Great with fixing bug when provide the correct prompt to the problem
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Functionality
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Only available as a chatbox on desktop app
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Pros
Cons
The free version of ChatGPT has limited access to the full capabilities of GPT-4o and primarily relies on GPT-4o-mini. However, its code generation abilities are surprisingly impressive. In my opinion, it is one of the best models available for coding tasks. I frequently use it for debugging purposes, as it excels in this area. To get the most out of ChatGPT, providing a solid prompt is essential. It can generate multiple versions of code snippets, which is very useful for testing different approaches, but this can be a downside to since usually only one of those versions is correct.
One drawback compared to previous AI assistant is that you need to manually copy the generated code into your IDE, even when using ChatGPT as a plugin in XCode. Unlike some other AI tools that can update your database or complete code directly within an integrated environment. Despite this limitation, ChatGPT can create complex systems with ease and handles long pieces of code well. Beyond coding assistance, it performs exceptionally well in many other areas. Compared to tools like Aider or Qodo, ChatGPT is more beginner-friendly due to its straightforward approach to coding and detailed explanations. This makes it an excellent choice for those new to programming who want clear guidance without unnecessary complexity.
Cursor AI
Best project starter
Type: Agentic AI assisstant
Available in: Cursor IDE
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Code write
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Very good at generate boilerplate code
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Pricing
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Free tier. Business starting from $20/month/seat
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Debug
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Auto-debug console errors and offer fixes to correct them, but still need to manually review and adjust suggested fixes
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Functionality
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Works on Cursor IDE and VSCode
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Pros
Cons
You can isolate file(s) for the AI to scan the context and help you debug. When implementing AI-suggested changes, it provides a clear diff-viewer UX for review and approval. Another great feature, allowing developers to upload the most recent documents to the AI’s knowledge, particularly useful for working with newly updated libraries or frameworks that may post-date the AI’s training data.
Github Copilot
Flexible with interactive code generation
Type: AI assisstant plugin
Available in: Visual Studio Code, JetBrains IDEs, Neovim, Azure Data Studio
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Code write
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Code write isn't as good as other assistant but Github Copilot is very fast and it does have pattern recognition
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Pricing
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Free tier and $10/month. Business starting from $19/month/user
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Debug
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Good cleanup suggestions that help identify potential issues or bugs in the code
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Functionality
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Code review, real-time suggestion capabilities, and chat all working together
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Pros
Cons
