Best AI Tools for Developers in 2025: Complete Stack Guide
Best AI Tools for Developers in 2025: The Complete Stack
Modern developers use AI tools across the entire development workflow. Here is the definitive guide to building your AI developer stack in 2025.
TL;DR: The optimal developer AI stack: Cursor for daily editing ($20/mo) + Claude Code for complex tasks ($20/mo) + GitHub Copilot for autocomplete ($10/mo). Budget stack: Windsurf (free) + ChatGPT (free). Most developers need 1-2 tools, not all of them.
Developer AI Stack by Category
Code Editors
- Cursor ($20/mo) — Best AI IDE. Cmd+K inline edits, Composer for multi-file.
- Windsurf (Free/$15/mo) — Best free AI editor. Generous free tier.
- All editors compared
Coding Agents
- Claude Code ($20/mo) — Terminal agent for complex multi-file tasks
- All coding agents compared
Autocomplete
- GitHub Copilot ($10/mo) — Universal autocomplete in any editor
- Codeium (Free) — Free Copilot alternative
Databases
- ChatGPT/Claude — SQL generation and optimization
- AI database tools
Testing
- Claude Code — Generate comprehensive test suites
- ChatGPT — Write unit tests and test scenarios
Developer Stack by Budget
| Budget | Editor | Agent | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0/mo | Windsurf free | ChatGPT free | $0 |
| $10/mo | VS Code + Copilot | ChatGPT free | $10 |
| $20/mo | Cursor | — | $20 |
| $40/mo | Cursor | Claude Code | $40 |
Rankings: AI coding assistants ranked. Python: AI for Python. Web dev: AI for web development.
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