Cursor is our pick for most vibe coders moving into real code: an AI-first editor with agent mode, chat and completions. Claude Code is the strongest terminal-first agent for delegating whole tasks, OpenAI Codex is included in ChatGPT plans, and Cline is the best open-source option.
The most approachable step up from app builders: a familiar editor with agent mode, plus cloud agents on Premium and above. Check which models your plan includes, as Cursor's lineup changed recently.
A terminal-first agent that excels at multi-step, multi-file work. Included with Claude Pro and Max plans.
OpenAI's agent as a CLI, IDE extension and cloud agent, included with ChatGPT plans. The obvious choice if you already pay for ChatGPT.
Open-source agent for VS Code and the CLI. Bring your own keys, use any provider including local models, and pay inference at cost.
Editorial picks are never paid for. How we make money.
Prices are checked against each vendor's official pricing page. Our methodology.
You prefer delegating whole tasks from the terminal
→ Move to Claude Code. A terminal-first agent fits multi-step tasks and scripting better.
Pick Cursor if you want to stay in an editor and review changes visually. Pick Claude Code if you're comfortable in a terminal and want to hand off whole tasks. See our full Cursor vs Claude Code comparison.
Cline and Aider are free and open source, though you pay your model provider for usage. Cursor, GitHub Copilot and OpenAI Codex also have free tiers with limits.