Start building faster with these 5 AI-powered code editors

AI-powered code editors help developers write, refactor, and debug code more efficiently. These intelligent platforms don’t just offer syntax-aware autocompletions, they use full context from your codebase to provide deep code understanding. With natural-language commands, multi-line generation, automated test creation, and one-click refactors, they function more like your AI teammate than a traditional IDE assistant. The most advanced editors now embed agentic AI, autonomous agents that can proactively carry out development tasks, not just respond to prompts.

Cursor

Cursor is a full-fledged AI IDE built on top of VS Code, reimagined with deep AI-native features that go far beyond autocomplete. It uses powerful models like GPT-4 and Claude to offer intelligent, multi-line code suggestions, instant bug fixes, and natural-language commands, all within a fast and familiar interface. Cursor fully indexes your codebase to deliver highly contextual recommendations, making it feel more like a coding partner than a static tool. You can ask questions, refactor entire functions, or generate new files with just a prompt.

Designed with privacy and scalability in mind, Cursor includes a dedicated Privacy Mode to keep your code local and is SOC 2 compliant for enterprise use. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it accessible for most teams. Whether you're building from scratch or navigating a massive legacy project, Cursor adapts to your workflow and accelerates development with AI-driven insight at every step.

Windsurf

Windsurf, the next evolution of Codeium, is an AI-native development environment designed for professional teams building production-ready code. It introduces "Cascade," an agentic AI system that doesn’t just assist—it proactively collaborates. Windsurf reads and understands your codebase, anticipates errors, and suggests actions like fixing test failures, writing functions, or making architecture-level decisions, all in real time.

As a cross-platform desktop IDE (Mac, Windows, and Linux), Windsurf combines the familiarity of a modern editor with AI agents trained on your team’s patterns. The result is a tool that goes beyond reactive code generation, it works with you like a proactive team member. With agentic development becoming the future of software engineering, Windsurf positions itself at the cutting edge of AI-powered coding experiences.

Zed

Zed is a high-performance, open-source AI code editor built in Rust and optimized for speed, collaboration, and AI-enhanced development. Unlike traditional IDEs, Zed supports real-time collaboration with voice chat, shared cursors, and pair-programming features, all from a single ultra-fast GPU-accelerated interface. Its integrated AI system, backed by the custom Zeta model, enables intelligent code completions and a new form of "Agentic Editing" that predicts and assists your next move.

With LSP support, screen sharing, and seamless Git integration, Zed is ideal for developers and teams who prioritize low latency and cooperative workflows. Whether you're writing solo or collaborating live with teammates, Zed combines performance and intelligence to streamline every part of your coding experience.

Trae

Trae is a free, fully featured AI IDE launched by ByteDance that democratizes access to high-end coding assistants. It comes pre-integrated with top-tier LLMs like Claude 3.5 and DeepSeek R1, providing unlimited code generation, chat-driven support, and intelligent Q&A, all without a paywall. Trae is built as a fork of VS Code with an updated UI and a focus on developer productivity.

Beyond completions, Trae includes agent-like features for test creation, file editing, and project exploration. Its combination of powerful LLMs and built-in agent workflows makes it a standout choice for individual developers, startups, and students looking for a zero-cost, high-impact AI coding environment.

PearAI

PearAI is an open-source, AI-native code editor designed to integrate seamlessly with the best LLMs on the market, including GPT-4o, Claude, and Meta Llama. It’s built as a fork of Continue and VS Code, offering a unified, customizable interface and developer-friendly features like inline editing (Cmd+I), real-time chat-based commands, and model routing. That means PearAI automatically picks the best model for your task based on speed, cost, and quality.

Backed by an active developer community (contributing over 40% of the code), PearAI champions openness, flexibility, and high-performance AI workflows. It’s especially useful for developers looking for a transparent, community-driven alternative to closed-source tools, without sacrificing the advanced features needed for serious coding.

Start building with AI code editors

On aisubscriptions.io, you’ll find a curated selection of AI-powered code editors. We personally verify each tool to ensure you're only exploring genuine, full-featured AI development environments, so you can build faster with the best tools available.

Compare the best AI code editors