Software Development Tools Using AI
Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
Last updated on 4th April 2026
The way software is written has changed more rapidly over the past few years than at any point since the rise of the modern IDE. Surveys now show that 84% of developers are using or planning to use AI tools, with over half of professional developers reaching for them daily. Enterprise buyers increasingly view AI coding assistants as baseline productivity infrastructure rather than an area of experimentation.
The tools driving this shift are remarkably varied. Some integrate directly into the editor and offer subtle inline suggestions, whilst others act as autonomous agents capable of planning, writing and testing entire features with minimal human input. Most engineers now juggle two to four tools simultaneously, adapting their choices to the task at hand. The collection of tools profiled below spans that full range, from privacy-focused self-hosted assistants to fully agentic IDEs, covering a broad sweep of use cases, price points and philosophies.
Whether you are a solo developer looking to accelerate repetitive work, a team seeking greater consistency across a large codebase, or an organisation with strict requirements around data privacy, the landscape has never offered more options. This guide introduces each tool clearly, so you can find the right fit without wading through marketing copy.
Aider is an AI pair programming tool that operates within terminal environments, enabling collaboration with Large Language Models (LLMs) to edit code in local Git repositories. It works optimally with GPT-4 and Claude 3.5 Sonnet but can connect to various LLMs. Key features include editing multiple files simultaneously for complex requests, automatic committing of changes with sensible commit messages, support for popular programming languages like Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, PHP, HTML, and CSS, using a map of your entire Git repo to work effectively in larger codebases, adding images and URLs to the chat for additional context, and enabling voice-based coding. Aider has achieved one of the top scores on SWE Bench, a challenging software engineering benchmark. To use Aider, you can install it via pip and run it within your Git repository using the provided command line instructions. Many users have reported improved coding efficiency and tackling complex tasks after adopting this tool.
This open-source Visual Studio Code extension provides an AI assistant that can perform complex software development tasks through an interactive interface, requiring user approval for each action. The tool can create and edit files whilst monitoring for errors, execute terminal commands, browse the internet using screenshot capabilities, and analyse existing codebases to understand project structure. It supports multiple API providers including OpenRouter, Anthropic, OpenAI and others, whilst tracking token usage and costs throughout development sessions. The extension includes features such as workspace snapshots for comparing and restoring previous states, context addition through URLs and file references, and the ability to create custom tools using the Model Context Protocol. With over 50,000 GitHub stars and active development, it offers a human-supervised approach to autonomous coding assistance that integrates directly into the development environment.
CodeConvert is an AI-driven tool designed to facilitate code conversion across more than 25 programming languages, including commonly used ones such as Python, Java, C++ and JavaScript. The platform features a straightforward interface that enables developers to convert code with a single click, without needing to create an account or provide payment details for basic functionality. Key characteristics of the tool include its AI-powered conversion capabilities, ease of use, and extensive language support. It offers a free version with no registration required, maintaining user privacy by not storing inputs or outputs. For those seeking more advanced features, CodeConvert provides paid options that allow unlimited usage, custom conversion rules, and integration with popular development environments and code repositories. The tool is continually updated to incorporate the latest programming languages and enhancements, serving as a useful asset for developers aiming to optimise their coding workflow.
This open-source AI coding assistant provides similar functionality to GitHub Copilot by integrating directly into popular development environments including VS Code and JetBrains IDEs such as IntelliJ, PyCharm and WebStorm. The tool operates as an extension or plugin depending on the chosen editor and offers comprehensive AI-powered assistance through interactive chat functionality, code explanation, function generation, refactoring support and test creation. Users can access these features through side panels for conversation-based interactions or receive inline completions whilst typing, with JetBrains users additionally able to highlight code and access AI assistance through right-click context menus. Although the core functionality remains consistent across different development environments, the user experience adapts to feel more integrated with each specific IDE's interface and workflow patterns.
Built on a fork of Visual Studio Code, this AI-powered integrated development environment developed by Anysphere offers enhanced coding capabilities for Windows, macOS and Linux users. The editor provides agent mode functionality that allows developers to describe changes in natural language and execute modifications across multiple files, whilst its deep codebase indexing system enables natural language queries about project structure and context. Beyond standard autocompletion, it delivers predictive edits and multi-line suggestions, smart refactoring tools and terminal command assistance that converts natural language instructions into shell commands. The platform includes privacy protection through SOC-2 certification and a privacy mode that prevents remote code storage without consent. Although it excels at complex refactoring and offers powerful context-aware editing for small to medium projects, users report a steeper learning curve compared to alternatives like Windsurf, potential performance limitations with considerable codebases and concerns about subscription costs and plan restrictions. Whilst Cursor generally provides faster local editing and fluid typing experiences, competing tools may offer more intuitive interfaces for beginners and better handling of deeply interconnected projects, though the choice ultimately depends on individual coding requirements and project complexity.
FauxPilot is an open-source, self-hosted tool designed as an alternative to GitHub Copilot, focusing on AI-assisted code generation while maintaining privacy by running locally. It leverages SalesForce CodeGen models within NVIDIA's Triton Inference Server to offer smart code suggestions. Unlike GitHub Copilot, it does not use OpenAI Codex, potentially reducing licensing issues and copyright risks. Users can customise and train their own AI models with specific code bases, allowing greater control over the output. Additionally, it serves as a research platform for developing and assessing code models aimed at producing more secure code. FauxPilot is suited for developers and organisations prioritising control over their coding tools and safeguarding data privacy and security, requiring specific hardware such as an NVIDIA GPU with Compute Capability of at least 6.0 and adequate VRAM.
GitHub Copilot is an AI code completion tool developed by GitHub and OpenAI, launched in October 2021. Supported by popular IDEs like Visual Studio Code, JetBrains IDEs, Neovim, and primarily Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Ruby, and Go, it assists developers with generating real-time suggestions, error correction, documentation assistance, unit testing, code optimisation, security features, increased productivity, accelerated learning, better collaboration, and is used by over 77,000 businesses worldwide. Future developments include the integration of a chatbot based on GPT-4 in March 2023 to enhance user interaction through voice commands and more sophisticated conversational capabilities. GitHub Copilot represents significant advancements in software development tools, improving efficiency, reducing repetitive tasks, and enhancing overall code quality.
Here is an integrated development environment has been introduced as part of a shift from autocomplete style coding tools towards agent-driven development, where autonomous agents can plan, build, test and verify software while the developer focuses on higher level design. Announced by Google in late 2025 alongside the Gemini 3 model family and developed with input from the team acquired from Windsurf, it is built on a fork of Visual Studio Code but redesigned around an AI agent as the primary actor, aiming to reduce the time spent on setup and routine debugging. It runs on macOS, Windows and Linux with relatively demanding requirements, includes an interface with planning and quick edit modes, task management, generated logs and a built-in browser preview and can be used to create projects end to end, such as a simple endless runner game, with guidance emphasising clear goal-oriented prompts, reviewing plans before approval and splitting work into separate tasks.
Privy is an AI-powered coding assistant focused on enhancing developer productivity while maintaining a strong emphasis on privacy and security. It is open-source and self-hosted, granting users control over code and data. Privy supports multiple programming languages and integrates with popular IDEs such as Visual Studio Code. It offers features like AI-driven code completion, generation, and in-editor chat assistance. Additional capabilities include code explanation, documentation generation, unit test creation, and bug detection. Compatible with various AI models like DeepSeek Coder, CodeLlama, and Mistral, users can tailor the tool according to their hardware and preferences. Designed for both individual developers and teams, Privy serves as a comprehensive alternative to proprietary AI coding assistants by promoting open-source principles and user data control.
Refraction is an AI-powered tool that aids developers in optimising their software development by offering an extensive range of features across numerous programming languages. It supports 56 languages, including Python, Java, JavaScript and C++, providing capabilities like AI-driven code generation, automatic unit test creation, code refactoring, and inline documentation. Integrated with Visual Studio Code, it allows users to generate code snippets, create unit tests, refactor existing code, automatically document code, add debugging statements, and convert code between different languages. The tool aims to reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks, empowering developers to dedicate more attention to intricate programming challenges. It is available in both free and paid versions, catering to individual developers and teams striving for greater coding efficiency.
Tabby is an open-source, self-hosted AI coding assistant designed to enhance developer productivity with real-time code suggestions and autocompletion for various programming languages. It provides a self-hosted solution that allows developers to maintain control over their code and data, offering an alternative to proprietary tools. Tabby seamlessly integrates with popular development environments such as Visual Studio Code, Vim/Neovim, and JetBrains IDEs and is compatible with major coding large language models, enabling the combination of preferred models. It emphasises end-to-end optimisation for efficient code completion while ensuring privacy and security by eliminating the need for external database management systems or cloud services. Driven by a community-focused approach, it engages users through various platforms, making it a flexible, secure, and efficient coding assistant for individual developers and teams.
Tabnine is an AI-powered code completion assistant intended to boost developers' productivity. Its key features include real-time intelligent code suggestions, support for over 80 programming languages and frameworks including JavaScript, Python, Java, and C++, and integration with major IDEs like VS Code, Eclipse, and JetBrains products. It offers context-aware completions relevant to the current project and coding context, can translate natural language queries into code snippets, and prioritises security with SOC-2 compliance and options for local adaptability. Tabnine provides three pricing tiers: a free Starter tier with basic completions, a Pro tier with advanced features and an Enterprise tier with custom pricing tailored for large organisations focusing on enhanced security and customisation. In summary, Tabnine seeks to expedite software development, ensure code consistency, and aid in code reviews while upholding privacy and security.
This AI-powered integrated development environment was formerly known as Codeium and focuses on maintaining developer workflow by reducing tool switching through intelligent context awareness across entire codebases rather than simple autocomplete functionality. The platform features Cascade, an agentic layer that understands project structure and provides relevant suggestions for multi-file tasks, alongside integrated live previews for web applications that allow developers to see changes without running separate instances. The editor supports Mac, Windows and Linux systems whilst incorporating automatic lint error fixing and deep project indexing for enhanced code suggestions. The platform has gained significant adoption with over one million users and numerous enterprise customers, positioning itself as more comprehensive than basic AI coding assistants by offering project-wide modifications and debugging capabilities. However, users should remain cautious about AI-generated code quality, potential performance impacts on large projects, and the risk of over-dependence leading to reduced manual coding skills development.