Honest comparisons and practical guides for AI coding tools.
Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, Claude Code, Continue.dev —
tested, compared, and explained for working developers.
Also see: [Local AI Ops](https://localaiops.com) for self-hosted AI guides | [AI Linux Admin](https://ailinuxadmin.com) for AI sysadmin guides
GitHub Copilot Workspace: Complete Guide to AI-Powered Development
TL;DR GitHub Copilot Workspace is Microsoft’s browser-based AI development environment that handles the entire coding workflow—from issue analysis to pull request creation—without requiring local setup. Unlike traditional Copilot that assists within your IDE, Workspace operates as a standalone platform where AI plans, implements, and tests changes across your entire repository. ...
Cursor Composer vs Chat Mode: When to Use Each
TL;DR Cursor Composer is your multi-file architect—use it when changes span multiple files, require coordinated refactoring, or need structural modifications across your codebase. It excels at feature implementation, API integrations, and database schema migrations where context from multiple files matters. Chat Mode is your focused coding partner—use it for single-file edits, debugging specific functions, explaining code snippets, or quick iterations on isolated problems. It’s faster for targeted questions and doesn’t trigger unnecessary file scans. ...
How to Use AI Code Review in Your Pull Request Workflow
TL;DR AI code review tools can catch bugs, security issues, and style violations before human reviewers even look at your PR. Here’s how to integrate them effectively into your workflow. The fastest path: Enable GitHub Copilot’s PR review feature in your repository settings, or add Continue.dev with Claude 3.5 Sonnet to your CI pipeline. Both provide inline comments on your PRs within minutes of setup. ...
Best AI Coding Tools for Python Developers in 2026
TL;DR Python developers in 2026 have exceptional AI coding assistants purpose-built for the language’s ecosystem. Cursor leads with superior Python-specific autocomplete, understanding Django ORM patterns, FastAPI route definitions, and pytest fixtures with remarkable accuracy. GitHub Copilot excels at generating boilerplate for data science workflows, particularly pandas transformations and scikit-learn pipelines. ...
Windsurf AI IDE Review: Is It Worth Switching from Cursor
TL;DR Windsurf is Codeium’s ambitious entry into the AI IDE space, positioning itself as a direct Cursor competitor with its “Flow” agentic coding system. After extensive testing, here’s the verdict: Windsurf excels at multi-file refactoring and context awareness but falls short on extension ecosystem maturity. Key Strengths: Flow mode handles complex tasks like migrating Express.js to Fastify across 15+ files with minimal supervision Cascade context engine automatically pulls relevant files—tested with a 50k-line Terraform monorepo and it correctly identified dependencies Free tier is genuinely usable (unlimited basic completions vs. Cursor’s 2000 completions/month) Terminal integration executes commands directly: npm install, docker-compose up, pytest tests/ Critical Weaknesses: ...
Continue.dev Setup Guide: Free AI Coding Assistant for VS Code
TL;DR Continue.dev is a free, open-source AI coding assistant that runs directly in VS Code and supports multiple LLM providers including Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, and local models like Ollama. Unlike subscription-based tools, you bring your own API keys and pay only for what you use—making it ideal for developers who want flexibility without recurring costs. ...
Claude Code vs Cursor: Comparing AI Coding Agents for Real Projects
TL;DR - 3-4 sentence executive summary covering key differences, pricing, and which tool wins for specific use cases Claude Code and Cursor represent two distinct approaches to AI-assisted development: Claude Code operates as a standalone CLI agent that autonomously executes multi-step coding tasks, while Cursor functions as an AI-enhanced IDE with inline suggestions and chat-based assistance. Claude Code costs $20/month (Claude Pro subscription) and excels at complex refactoring, automated testing workflows, and infrastructure-as-code generation, whereas Cursor offers a free tier with limited completions and $20/month Pro plan optimized for real-time code completion and interactive debugging sessions. ...
GitHub Copilot Tips and Tricks: 15 Features Most Developers Miss
TL;DR - Bullet-point summary of the 15 hidden Copilot features that boost productivity, from slash commands to multi-file editing, with time-saving estimates for each Slash commands in chat (/explain, /fix, /tests) - Save 5-10 minutes per debugging session by getting instant code explanations and test generation without leaving your IDE ...
Getting Started with Cursor IDE: Complete Setup and Workflow Guide
TL;DR - 3-4 sentence summary covering what Cursor is, who it’s for, key differentiators from VS Code/Copilot, and what readers will learn Cursor is an AI-first code editor built on VS Code’s foundation that transforms how you write, refactor, and debug code through deep AI integration. Unlike GitHub Copilot’s autocomplete-focused approach, Cursor provides multi-file editing, codebase-aware chat, and natural language commands that can modify entire functions or generate complex implementations across your project. It’s designed for professional developers who want AI assistance that understands context beyond the current file—whether you’re building a Kubernetes operator, refactoring a React component tree, or writing Terraform modules. ...
Cursor vs GitHub Copilot vs Windsurf: Which AI IDE Wins in 2026
TL;DR - 3-sentence verdict covering which tool wins for different developer profiles (solo devs, teams, specific languages/frameworks) Cursor dominates for solo developers and startups who prioritize speed and contextual awareness—its multi-file editing with Cmd+K and codebase-wide understanding via @Codebase makes refactoring React components or migrating Django models 3x faster than competitors. GitHub Copilot remains the enterprise standard for teams already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, offering unmatched integration with Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions workflows, and corporate compliance frameworks. Windsurf emerges as the dark horse for full-stack developers working across TypeScript/Node.js backends and Next.js frontends, with its Cascade feature excelling at coordinating changes across API routes, database schemas, and frontend components simultaneously. ...