What is the best AI tool for writing code with ai?

On AIToolMaps, Cursor ranks first for writing code with ai, followed by GitHub Copilot and Claude Code. The ranking weighs how central the job is to each tool, how complete and checked its listing is, and what members upvote, save and review.

Is there a free AI tool for writing code with ai?

Yes. 18 of the 21 tools listed for writing code with ai have a free plan or are free to use, including Cursor, GitHub Copilot and LM Studio.

Which AI tools for writing code with ai have an API?

9 of them offer an API for developers, including Cursor, Claude Code and DeepSeek.

Can I do writing code with ai on my phone?

Yes. 7 of the tools have an iPhone or Android app, including DeepSeek, Replit and ChatGPT.

Task · Coding

Best AI tools for writing code with ai

Ranked by how central this job is to each tool, how complete and checked its listing is, and what members upvote, save and review.

Tools: 21
Free options: 18
Updated: Nov 4

Sort

1
CursorVerified Nov 3, 2026
An AI code editor and coding agent that helps developers plan, write, fix, and review code.
Free tier · from $8/moWeb, Mac, Command line, IDE
Visit
2
GitHub CopilotVerified Nov 3, 2026
An AI coding agent for developers and teams, built into GitHub, IDEs, the terminal, and the web.
Free tier · from $10/moWeb, IDE, Command line
Visit
3
Claude Code
Terminal-based agentic coding tool from Anthropic that reads a codebase, edits files and runs commands to complete tasks end to end.
Pay as you goCommand line, Mac, Windows, Linux
Visit
4
LM StudioVerified Nov 4, 2026
LM Studio runs local LLMs and provides a desktop agent for people who want on-device AI.
Free tier · from $20/mo
Visit
5
DeepSeek
DeepSeek's free AI assistant with strong reasoning and coding capabilities, available on the web and mobile.
FreeWeb, iOS, Android, API
Visit
6
Replit
Browser-based coding environment with an AI agent that builds, runs and deploys full-stack applications from a written description.
Free tier · from $20/moWeb, iOS, Android
Visit
7
DevinVerified Nov 4, 2026
Autonomous coding agent that plans, writes, and tests code, then opens a merge-ready pull request.
Free tier · from $20/moCommand line
Visit
8
Qwen Chat
Free assistant powered by Alibaba's open Qwen models.
Free
Visit
9
ChatGPT
OpenAI's AI assistant for questions, writing, coding and research, with a free tier and paid plans for more capable models.
Free tier · from $8/moWeb, iOS, Android, API
Visit
10
AiderVerified Nov 4, 2026
AI pair programming in your terminal that edits code in your local git repo and commits the changes.
Open sourceCommand line, Mac, Windows, Linux
Visit
11
Claude
Anthropic's AI assistant with a long context window, nuanced reasoning and strong performance on writing and analysis.
Free tier · from $20/moWeb, iOS, Android, API
Visit
12
Cline
Open-source VS Code extension that gives Claude, GPT-4 and other models agentic access to your files, terminal and browser.
Open sourceIDE
Visit
13
Amazon Q DeveloperVerified Nov 4, 2026
A coding assistant from AWS with IDE and CLI suggestions, chat, and agentic tasks for developers.
Free tier · from $19/moIDE, Command line, iOS, Android
Visit
14
JetBrains AI Assistant
AI coding assistant built natively into JetBrains IDEs for code completion, chat, documentation and test generation.
Free trial · from $10/moIDE
Visit
15
OpenAI Codex
Cloud-based agentic coding agent from OpenAI that clones a repository, writes code and opens pull requests autonomously.
Pay as you goWeb, API
Visit
16
Zed
Open-source, high-performance code editor with built-in AI completions, inline editing and an agentic mode for multi-file tasks.
Free tier · from $10/moMac, Linux
Visit
17
v0Verified Nov 3, 2026
Builds working web apps from written prompts and publishes them as live sites for teams and solo builders.
Free tier · from $30/moiOS
Visit
18
Le Chat
Mistral AI's consumer chat product with fast models, web search, image generation and document upload.
Free tier · from $14.99/moWeb, iOS, Android
Visit
19
RectoVerified Nov 3, 2026
A free desktop canvas where coding agents like Claude Code and Codex build and edit UI, motion, SVG and 3D designs.
FreeMac, Windows, Linux
Visit
20
Bolt.newVerified Nov 3, 2026
Build apps and websites by chatting with AI, for product managers, founders, marketers, and other builders.
Free tier · from $25/moWeb
Visit
21
KhanmigoVerified Nov 4, 2026
An AI tutor and teaching assistant from Khan Academy for students, teachers, and parents.
Free tier · from $4/mo
Visit

How to choose

Tools for writing code with AI differ mainly in where they run and how you pay. LM Studio runs open models on your desktop, while Cursor is an AI code editor, GitHub Copilot works inside GitHub, IDEs, terminal and web, and Claude Code and Aider run in the terminal. Replit is browser-based with hosting, and Cline is an open-source VS Code extension. Weigh whether you want a local model for privacy, a full editor or repository workflow, or a chat assistant like DeepSeek or Claude for explanations. Check free access versus paid plans, whether API usage is billed separately, and whether you need model choice, bring-your-own API keys, git checkpoints, cloud agents, or deployment. Match that to your codebase size, team review workflow and comfort with the command line.

Narrow it down

Head to head

Reviewing pull requests Chatting with an AI assistant Coding from the terminal Finding and fixing bugs Automating repetitive tasks Building websites Explaining code Building apps without code

Common questions

What is the best AI tool for writing code with ai?: On AIToolMaps, Cursor ranks first for writing code with ai, followed by GitHub Copilot and Claude Code. The ranking weighs how central the job is to each tool, how complete and checked its listing is, and what members upvote, save and review.
Is there a free AI tool for writing code with ai?: Yes. 18 of the 21 tools listed for writing code with ai have a free plan or are free to use, including Cursor, GitHub Copilot and LM Studio.
Which AI tools for writing code with ai have an API?: 9 of them offer an API for developers, including Cursor, Claude Code and DeepSeek.
Can I do writing code with ai on my phone?: Yes. 7 of the tools have an iPhone or Android app, including DeepSeek, Replit and ChatGPT.