AI-powered coding tools are transforming how developers work with code. While Cursor has gained popularity for its AI assistance, several strong alternatives offer powerful AI-driven features for different coding needs and workflows.
Below, you’ll find the best alternatives to Cursor for developers seeking AI tools that can help with code generation, understanding codebases, and automating repetitive tasks. Each of these options uses AI as its core technology to enhance the development experience.
GitHub Copilot
What is it? GitHub Copilot functions as an AI pair programmer that integrates directly into your development environment. It generates code suggestions as you type, completing everything from simple lines to entire functions based on comments and existing code context.
Key features:
- 🔍 Utilizes large language models trained on billions of lines of public code to understand programming patterns across numerous languages
- 🐛 Suggests fixes for bugs and explains unfamiliar code
- ⚙️ Implements large-scale changes through its Agent mode
- 🔄 Tight integration with GitHub repositories provides additional context about your projects
Official site: GitHub Copilot
Tabnine
What is it? Tabnine delivers AI-powered code completions directly within your preferred IDE. Unlike some alternatives that require switching to a specialized editor, Tabnine works as an extension for popular environments including VS Code, IntelliJ, and many others.
Key features:
- 🔒 Learns from your private codebase, creating personalized suggestions that match your team’s coding style
- 💻 Runs models locally while also offering cloud-based options for more powerful completions
- 🔄 Reduces repetitive coding tasks and maintains consistency across large projects
Official site: Tabnine
Replit
What is it? Replit offers a complete browser-based development environment with integrated AI assistance through its Ghostwriter feature. This platform allows you to write, run, and deploy code without leaving your browser, making it particularly useful for collaborative projects and educational settings.
Key features:
- 🚀 Generates entire applications from natural language descriptions
- 🔄 Combines development environment, deployment platform, and AI assistant in one seamless experience
- 👥 Built-in collaboration tools for team programming and educational use cases
Official site: Replit
Zed
What is it? Zed is a high-performance code editor with integrated AI capabilities. Built with a core written in Rust, Zed delivers a responsive editing experience even when working with large codebases while providing sophisticated AI assistance.
Key features:
- ⚡ High-performance editing with minimal latency, even when using AI features
- 🤖 AI-powered edit predictions and “Agentic Editing” for fluid collaboration between programmers and AI
- 👥 Multiplayer features allow real-time collaboration with team members
Official site: Zed
CodeWhisperer
What is it? Amazon’s CodeWhisperer (now part of Amazon Q Developer) provides AI-powered code suggestions integrated directly into popular development environments. The service focuses strongly on security-conscious code generation, with built-in vulnerability scanning and best practice enforcement.
Key features:
- 🔒 Built-in security scanning and AWS best practices enforcement
- 🧪 Automatically generates unit tests based on implementation code
- 🏢 Enterprise features include compliance controls and private customization options
Official site: CodeWhisperer
Windsurf
What is it? Windsurf accelerates development workflows by combining intelligent code completion with broader AI assistance for common programming tasks. The platform helps developers quickly implement features, refactor existing code, and debug problems through natural language interactions.
Key features:
- 🧩 Provides architectural guidance and optimization suggestions beyond code generation
- 🔄 Helps with explaining complex code patterns and implementation strategies
- 🔌 Integrates with existing development environments across different languages and frameworks
Official site: Windsurf
Microsoft IntelliCode
What is it? Microsoft IntelliCode improves the coding experience within Visual Studio and VS Code by providing AI-powered completions that go beyond basic syntax suggestions. The tool analyzes code patterns from thousands of high-quality open-source projects to offer contextually relevant recommendations.
Key features:
- 📊 Adapts to your project’s specific patterns and practices
- 🔄 Learns from your codebase to prioritize completion suggestions matching team conventions
- ✅ Maintains consistency across large projects by identifying patterns
Official site: Microsoft IntelliCode
Continue.dev
What is it? Continue.dev offers an open-source approach to AI-assisted coding that can be integrated into various development environments. The extension allows developers to maintain control over which AI models power their coding assistance, with support for connecting to various commercial and open-source language models.
Key features:
- 🔄 Preserves context during development sessions, allowing AI to reference documentation and related code
- 🧩 Supports custom AI assistants tailored to specific codebases or development practices
- 🔓 Open-source approach provides flexibility for organizations with specialized needs or privacy concerns
Official site: Continue.dev
Bito AI
What is it? Bito AI improves the development process through focused AI assistants for specific coding tasks. The tool specializes in code reviews, offering automated analysis of pull requests and suggesting improvements before human reviewers get involved.
Key features:
- 🔍 Automated code review for pull requests to catch issues early
- ❓ Contextual help for explaining complex code sections and implementation approaches
- 🔌 Integrates into IDEs and command-line interfaces for seamless workflow integration
Official site: Bito AI
Devin AI
What is it? Devin AI functions as an autonomous software engineering assistant capable of handling complex development tasks with minimal human intervention. Unlike tools that simply suggest code as you type, Devin can plan and execute entire development workflows, from understanding requirements to implementing solutions.
Key features:
- 🛠️ Self-contained development environment with code editor, shell, and browser
- 🔄 Tackles large-scale engineering tasks like refactoring and migrations
- 🚀 Can build applications from scratch based on requirements
Official site: Devin AI
