AI Tools
Comparison for Developers
Lecture 8
Choosing the right AI assistant for each development task
2026 WayUp
Categories of AI Development Tools
Chat-Based
Conversational interfaces for reasoning, planning, and code generation
Examples: Claude, ChatGPT
IDE-Integrated
AI built into your editor with codebase awareness
Examples: Cursor, Windsurf
Inline Completions
Real-time suggestions as you type code
Examples: Copilot, Codeium
Claude (Anthropic)
Strengths
- Superior reasoning and analysis
- Large context window (200K tokens)
- Excellent at explaining code
- Strong at complex problem decomposition
- Claude Code: terminal & file access
Best For (AIDD)
- Discover: Requirements analysis
- Plan: Task decomposition
- Review: Code review & security
- Execute: Complex implementations
GitHub Copilot
Strengths
- Deep IDE integration
- Fast inline completions
- Context from open files
- Good at patterns and boilerplate
- Copilot Chat for explanations
Best For (AIDD)
- Execute: Quick implementations
- Commit: Commit message generation
- Boilerplate and repetitive code
- Test scaffolding
Cursor IDE
Strengths
- Full codebase indexing
- @-mentions for context (files, docs)
- Multi-file editing with Composer
- Built-in terminal integration
- Supports multiple AI models
Best For (AIDD)
- Discover: Codebase exploration
- Execute: Multi-file changes
- Review: Code analysis
- Refactoring across files
Windsurf (Codeium)
Strengths
- Cascade multi-file agent mode
- Automatic context detection
- Free tier available
- VS Code-based interface
- Good at large refactoring tasks
Best For (AIDD)
- Execute: Large-scale changes
- Refactoring sprints
- Migration tasks
- Exploring unfamiliar codebases
ChatGPT (OpenAI)
Strengths
- Broad general knowledge
- Good at explanations
- Custom GPTs for specific tasks
- Canvas for collaborative editing
- Wide ecosystem of plugins
Best For (AIDD)
- Discover: Research & learning
- Documentation generation
- Quick prototypes
- Brainstorming solutions
Tool Comparison by AIDD Phase
| Phase | Best Tool | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Discover | Claude / ChatGPT | Strong reasoning for requirements |
| Plan | Claude / Cursor | Task decomposition, codebase awareness |
| Review | Claude Code | Deep code analysis, security scanning |
| Execute | Cursor / Claude Code | Multi-file edits, TDD support |
| Commit | Copilot | Fast commit messages |
| Test | Claude / Copilot | Test generation, E2E scripts |
Pricing Overview (2026)
| Tool | Free Tier | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Claude | Limited (claude.ai) | $20/mo Pro, API usage |
| GitHub Copilot | Students, OSS | $10-19/mo |
| Cursor | Limited requests | $20/mo Pro |
| Windsurf | Yes (generous) | $15/mo Pro |
| ChatGPT | GPT-4o limited | $20/mo Plus |
| Codeium | Yes (unlimited) | $12/mo Teams |
How to Choose Your Stack
Beginner Stack
Cursor (IDE) + Claude (reasoning)
All-in-one IDE with powerful AI model access
Pro Stack
VS Code + Copilot + Claude Code
Familiar IDE, inline completions, terminal agent
Budget Stack
Windsurf + ChatGPT Free
Powerful features on free tiers
Enterprise Stack
GitHub Copilot Enterprise + Amazon Q
Compliance, security, enterprise support
Key Takeaways
Right Tool
Different tools for different phases
Combine
Use multiple tools together
Context
Codebase-aware tools for large projects
Experiment
Try free tiers before committing
Questions?
AI Tools Comparison
Next: Building AI Agents
2026 WayUp - way-up.io