You're probably wondering if those AI coding assistants are the real thing or just Silicon Valley hype.
In this article, we run through the top 5 AI coding assistants to supercharge your coding in 2024.
We’ll go over:
- What are AI coding assistants?
- The top 5 AI coding assistants in 2024
- What to look for in an AI coding assistant
- A breakdown of the best 5 tools
- Is there a free AI coding assistant?
- What’s the best AI coding assistant for students?
We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so let’s get started!
What are AI coding assistants and how do they work?
AI coding assistants are software tools that suggest snippets of code in real time as you're programming. Remember autocomplete on your cell phone? It’s like that but times ten, recommending entire lines or blocks of code to save you time.
Here’s how they work:
- They watch what you type. These assistants use machine learning to analyze tons of code examples and learn your personal style. So as you start typing, they recommend code tailored just for you.
- But they don't do all the work for you (yet). Of course, these programs aren’t yet 100% foolproof, even though they’re already able to create whole programs nearly from scratch. You still need to review and edit the suggestions, and ideally sprinkle in a little of yourself in there.
- They're getting smarter every day. The latest AI coding assistants use advanced neural networks trained on huge datasets of real-world code. They can understand context, adapt to different languages and frameworks, and even explain the logic behind their suggestions.
The top 5 AI coding assistants in 2024
- Lindy: A coding assistant that learns your style, collaborates with other instances of itself (“Lindies”) and actively contributes to your projects.
- Cursor.sh: Interact with your code using natural language, simplifying coding tasks with AI.
- GitHub Copilot: AI pair programmer that suggests code and streamlines code writing with insights from open-source code repositories.
- Replit (with Ghostwriter focus): Cloud-based coding environment with Ghostwriter AI assistant for real time code completion and error prevention.
- Codium: Private, customizable, and open-source alternative to VS Code that integrates with powerful AI coding tools like Codium.
What to look for in an AI coding assistant
So, you’re sold on the idea of an AI buddy to help you code, but how do you choose the right one?
Here are some tips to find your new AI coding ally:
- Choose an AI assistant suited to your skill level. Some are better for beginners, offering lots of hand-holding and explanations. Others are targeted at pros and can crank out advanced code. Pick one that will challenge you but not frustrate you.
Also, make sure that you use an assistant that makes suggestions vs directly editing your codebase – you’ll learn more, and will also avoid potentially unwanted overwrites.
- Make sure any AI you’re considering supports the programming languages you use. Some AI assistants are language agnostic and work across many languages, while others focus on a few specific languages. Check which languages are included before you make a choice.
- AI assistants come at a range of price points. Some are free open-source tools, some charge a monthly subscription, and some are only available through paid enterprise licenses. Think about your budget and how much you’re willing to invest.
- The best AI assistants will learn your unique coding style and preferences over time. Look for one that allows for a high degree of customization and personalization so it can adapt to your needs. The more it learns about you and your coding style, the more useful it will become.
When to use (and not to use) an AI coding assistant
Ready to take the plunge? These tools can be super helpful for boosting your productivity and taking the grunt work out of coding. But they aren’t miracle workers.
Keep these ideas in mind before you buy:
Know their limits. AI assistants are great at suggesting code and fixing syntax errors, and they’re getting more creative by the minute. But you’ll still need to put in the work yourself. If you just copy and paste the AI’s suggestions without understanding them, you’ll end up with a mess of code you don’t understand enough to debug.
Don’t become dependent. Use your AI assistant as a tool, not a crutch. If you rely on it for everything, your coding skills will never improve. You need to get your hands dirty to become a better programmer. An AI can’t teach you the intuition and problem-solving skills that come from experience.
Double-check the suggestions. All AI systems are prone to mistakes and biases, so always review the code suggestions before using them. Make sure the logic makes sense, the syntax is correct, and the code meets your quality standards. If anything looks off, don’t be afraid to ignore the suggestion and go the DIY route.
A detailed breakdown of the 5 best AI coding assistants
Lindy
Lindy changes up the AI coding assistant game by going into uncharted territory. Unlike traditional tools, Lindy moves past simple code completion and refactoring.
It learns your coding patterns, collaborates with other AI instances, and actively contributes code to your projects.
Check out its features:
- Autonomous coding: Lindy can perform routine coding tasks independently, freeing you to focus on complex logic and overall design.
- Smart code generation: Lindy doesn't limit itself to bland “suggestions” – it proactively generates functions, classes, and complex logic based on your project and coding style.
- Adaptive learning: Lindy analyzes your coding patterns, project context, and preferences, continuously tailoring its help for a just-for-you experience.
- A soldier? More like an army: Multiple Lindy instances (“Lindies”) can communicate and collaborate, sharing insights and solutions for optimal problem-solving, code generation, and a huge amount of non-coding AI assistant tasks. Think scheduling, sales, note-taking, you name it.
- Plays ball with other systems: Lindy works effortlessly with git-based workflows. Lindy can check out repositories, create branches, make changes to files, commit and push changes, and even create properly-documented pull requests.
- Ultra-meticulous code reviews: Lindy painstakingly reviews pull requests, identifying potential bugs –that humans fail to catch!– and suggesting improvements.
- Try Lindy for free.
Cursor.sh
Cursor.sh is an AI-powered code editor. This excellent tool brings the power of natural language processing to the coding workspace, allowing you to interact with your code in a much more natural way.
It does so by combining traditional editing features with smart AI capabilities.
Check out its features:
- Code generation with natural language: Describe what you want to code, and Cursor.so helps translate your idea into actual lines of code.
- AI-assisted refactoring: Make changes to your codebase easily with the help of intelligent suggestions and guidance.
- Collaboration features: Work smoothly with others using real-time collaboration tools and shareable code snippets.
- Free plan: Offers basic AI features and limited usage.
- Pro plan: $30/month for individuals, providing full access to AI capabilities and unlimited usage.
GitHub Copilot
Powered by the vast knowledge of GitHub's open-source code repositories, this AI pair programmer offers suggestions, helps autocomplete your code as you type, and even generates entire functions.
Check out its features:
- Predictive code generation: Auto-code completion is great, but GitHub goes one step further by making comprehensive suggestions: We’re talking lines, blocks of code, or even full-fledged functions.
- Multilingual capability: GitHub Copilot is fluent in popular programming languages like Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Ruby, and more.
- Continuous learning: Copilot adapts to your coding patterns and preferences, tailoring its suggestions over time for a more personalized experience.
- GitHub Copilot for Individuals: $10/month or $100/year.
- GitHub Copilot for Business: $19/user/month.
Replit (with Ghostwriter focus)
Replit is a collaborative, cloud-based coding environment where you can jump in and start building projects without the hassle of complex setups.
It's a browser-based coding playground, perfect for rapid prototyping, learning new languages, and collaborating with fellow developers.
Check out its features:
- Real-time code completion with Ghostwriter: Ghostwriter auto-fills code as you type, accelerating your coding speed and reducing syntax errors.
- Instant coding environments: Choose a language and framework, and Replit spins up a ready-to-use workspace in seconds.
- Built-in collaboration: Share projects with others and code together simultaneously.
- Community and learning resources: You can connect with other Replit users, find inspiration, and tap into tutorials and guides to improve your skills.
- Free plan: Ideal for hobbyists and experimentation.
- Hacker plan: $7/month adds more powerful computing resources, private projects, and other perks.
- Team plan: Custom pricing for organizations, offering team management features and better support.
Codium
Codium is an open-source version of Microsoft's popular VS Code editor, offering a familiar environment with the added benefit of privacy, flexibility, and powerful AI coding tools like Codeium (not the same thing).
Codium strips away proprietary telemetry features and allows for deeper customization for developers who want more control over their coding tools.
Check out its features:
- Assistance with Codeium: Codeium's advanced autocomplete, code fixing, and code generation features streamline your workflow and boost efficiency.
- VS Code compatibility: Extensions and themes designed for VS Code work seamlessly in Codium.
- Customizable: Fine-tune settings, install custom plugins, and tailor Codium to your exact preferences.
- Built on open-source: Contribute to the project, report issues, and be part of the Codium community.
- Codium is entirely free and open-source software.
Is there a free AI coding assistant?
Glad you asked, because free AI coding assistants range from 100% open-source to free tiers of paid services. We’ll briefly explore both of them.
Completely open-source options:
- Tabnine: Tabnine is one of the most popular free AI coding assistants available. It's highly versatile, supporting multiple programming languages and integrating with popular code editors.
- Kite: Kite provides in-depth code completions, documentation lookup within your editor, and personalized recommendations.
- Codium: While not an AI coding assistant itself, Codium can be enhanced with various free AI-powered extensions for code completion, generation, and debugging.
Free tiers of paid services:
- GitHub Copilot: Has a limited plan for individual use, which provides basic AI features and code suggestions.
- Replit Ghostwriter: Replit's free plan includes their Ghostwriter AI coding assistant.
- Lindy: While again, not a completely free tool, Lindy offers new users 200 credits to get their coding on.
Can you use AI Coding assistants without knowing how to code?
Yes, AI coding assistants can be helpful even without coding experience!
Here's how:
For beginners:
- AI tools explain code suggestions, helping you understand syntax and best practices.
- You can get started quickly with AI-generated code for basic functions.
- Assistants can identify errors, which speeds up the learning process.
For those with some knowledge:
- AI tools handle routine code; you focus on complex logic.
- AI suggestions expose you to helpful libraries and solutions.
- Assistants catch common errors, improving your coding habits, and leading to cleaner code.
Remember: AI assistants are powerful learning tools, but understanding basic coding concepts and having critical thinking is still very important!
What’s the best AI coding assistant for students?
Want to have your own virtual, 24/7 tutor to teach you the ropes? Here are some great options:
Tabnine: Tabnine stands out for students due to its versatility, ease of use, and generous free plan. It supports a tremendous range of programming languages, offers intelligent code completions, and can integrate smoothly with popular code editors
GitHub Copilot: This is one of your best bets. Copilot was created by GitHub and OpenAI (yes, the guys who built GPT-4!) and it’s free for students. Copilot will suggest lines of code as you type to help you work faster and smarter. The more you use it, the more Copilot adapts to your style.
Lindy: Lindy is an all-purpose AI assistant that does so many things right we’ve lost track. It supports a huge variety of coding languages and integrations (including Git). Plus its natural language, high-power AI is perfect for students who want to learn to code conversationally.
Summing up
We just ran through the crème de la crème of AI coding assistants! Now, it’s time to get coding (or no-coding, if you went with one of the more elite options).
With these assistants, you’ll be writing perfect lines of code faster than you can say “runtime error!”.
