AI Coding Tools Compared: What Actually Works in Production
We tested Copilot, Claude, Cursor, Cody, and Amazon Q across real-world coding tasks. Here's what we found.
📌 Key Takeaways
- → No single tool wins everything
- → Context window size is the key differentiator
- → Enterprise features vary wildly
- → Cost per developer is dropping fast
The Test
We gave five experienced developers the same set of tasks using different AI coding tools: - Implement a REST API with auth - Debug a race condition in existing code - Write tests for a legacy module - Refactor a 500-line function - Add a feature to an unfamiliar codebase
The Results
GitHub Copilot (Business) Strengths: Best IDE integration, most natural autocomplete, good at small completions Weaknesses: Struggles with large context, chat is weaker than competitors Best for: Day-to-day coding in familiar codebases Cost: $19/user/month
Claude (with Cursor) Strengths: Best reasoning, handles complex refactors, excellent at understanding large files Weaknesses: Can be slow, sometimes over-explains Best for: Complex tasks, refactoring, understanding unfamiliar code Cost: ~$40/user/month (Cursor + API)
Amazon CodeWhisperer / Q Strengths: Best AWS integration, good security scanning, free tier Weaknesses: Less capable on non-AWS tasks, smaller training data Best for: AWS-heavy shops Cost: $19/user/month (Pro)
Sourcegraph Cody Strengths: Best codebase understanding, searches your entire repo Weaknesses: Requires setup, less polished UX Best for: Large monorepos, enterprise codebases Cost: $9/user/month + Sourcegraph
Replit AI Strengths: Best for learning, lowest friction, instant environments Weaknesses: Not for production codebases Best for: Prototypes, education, exploration Cost: $20/month
The Bottom Line
The best setup for a professional developer in 2026: - Primary: Cursor + Claude (complex work, refactoring) - Secondary: Copilot (autocomplete, quick completions) - Specialty: CodeWhisperer if AWS-heavy, Cody if massive codebase
Total cost: ~$60/month. ROI: Easily 2-3x productivity on appropriate tasks.
The Trend
These tools are getting better fast. What cost $100/month and required expertise to use in 2024 now costs $20 and works out of the box. By 2027, expect AI coding assistance to be as standard as syntax highlighting — the question won't be whether to use it, but which one.
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