AI Tools
AI coding tools range from simple chatbots to agents that can build entire features on their own. Understanding the landscape helps you pick the right tool for the job.
The AI Coding Tool Spectrum
Level 1: Chat Interfaces
Ask a question, get code, copy-paste it into your editor. The AI can't see your files - you're the bridge between the AI and your code.
Best for: Explaining concepts, debugging errors, writing snippets
Level 2: IDE-Integrated
The AI lives inside your code editor and suggests code as you type. No copy-pasting - it autocompletes and refactors inline.
Best for: Autocomplete, inline suggestions, chat within your editor
Level 3: CLI Agents
Terminal-based agents that read and edit files across your whole project, run commands, and handle Git. They see your entire codebase, not just one file.
Best for: Multi-file changes, running tests, Git workflows
Level 4: Autonomous Agents
Give them a feature request and they plan, build, and test it with minimal supervision. Still early - think of them as junior developers who need oversight.
Best for: Experienced developers who can review AI-generated work
During This Workshop
You'll primarily use Level 1 (chat interfaces) and Level 2 (IDE tools like GitHub Copilot). Level 3 CLI agents are available if you want to try them - check the setup guide for Node.js installation.
Quick Comparison
Pricing and models are accurate as of February 2026.
| Tool | Type | Frontier Model | Free Tier | Paid | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Chat | GPT-5.2 | GPT-5.2 Instant (limited) | $20/mo Plus | Broad knowledge, debugging |
| Claude.ai | Chat | Opus 4.6 / Sonnet 5 | Sonnet 4.5 (limited) | $20/mo Pro | Deep explanations, code review |
| Gemini | Chat | Gemini 3 Pro | 2.5 Flash (limited Pro) | $19.99/mo AI Pro | Quick questions, multimodal |
| Grok | Chat | Grok 4 | Grok 3 (limited) | $30/mo SuperGrok | Real-time info, X integration |
| DeepSeek | Chat | DeepSeek-V3 | Unlimited (V3 + R1) | Free | Open-source, reasoning, code |
| Perplexity | Chat | Multi-model | 5 Pro searches/day | $20/mo Pro | Research with cited sources |
| GitHub Copilot | IDE | Multi-model | 2,000 completions/mo | $10/mo Pro | Autocomplete in VS Code |
| Cursor | IDE | Multi-model | 50 premium requests/mo | $20/mo Pro | All-in-one AI editor |
| Windsurf | IDE | Multi-model | Unlimited autocomplete | $15/mo Pro | AI pair programming |
| Claude Code | CLI | Opus 4.6 / Sonnet 5 | None | $20/mo (with Pro) | Multi-file refactoring |
| Copilot CLI | CLI | Claude Sonnet 4.5 | None | $10/mo (with Pro) | Terminal agent (multi-model) |
| Codex CLI | CLI | GPT-5.3-Codex | None | $20/mo (with Plus) | Terminal agent (GPT models) |
| Gemini CLI | CLI | Gemini 3 Flash | 1,000 requests/day | Free | Free terminal AI agent |
Not Sure Where to Start?
Student? Get GitHub Copilot free via the GitHub Education Pack and Gemini AI Pro free for a year via Google for Students. Want free tools? Gemini (chat) and Gemini CLI (terminal) are completely free. Just exploring? All three chat tools (ChatGPT, Claude.ai, Gemini) have free tiers.
Chat Interfaces
These are the simplest tools to start with - just open a website and ask a question.
ChatGPT
The most widely used AI chatbot. Good at explaining concepts, writing code snippets, and debugging errors. Strong general knowledge across programming languages. Currently powered by the GPT-5.2 model family.
- Free: GPT-5.2 Instant (~10 messages/5 hours, then falls back to mini)
- Plus ($20/mo): GPT-5.2 Thinking mode, 5x limits, includes Codex CLI
- Pro ($200/mo): Unlimited GPT-5.2 Pro, maximum reasoning compute
Claude.ai
Known for detailed, thoughtful explanations and strong code review. Handles long conversations well thanks to large context windows. Frontier models: Opus 4.6 (Feb 5) and Sonnet 5 (Feb 3).
- Free: Claude Sonnet 4.5 with dynamic capacity limits
- Pro ($20/mo): Sonnet 5, 5x usage, includes Claude Code CLI, extended thinking
- Max ($100-200/mo): Opus 4.6 access, agent features, 1M context
Gemini
Google's AI assistant with a generous free tier. Supports image and document understanding. The frontier model is Gemini 3 Pro (Nov 2025), available on paid plans. Free users get Gemini 2.5 Flash.
- Free: Gemini 2.5 Flash + limited 2.5 Pro access
- AI Pro ($19.99/mo): Gemini 3 Pro, Deep Search, 2 TB storage
- AI Ultra ($249.99/mo): Highest access, video gen, Deep Research
- Free for students via Google for Students (AI Pro for one year)
Recommended for Workshop
The free tier (2.5 Flash) is plenty for a workshop. No credit card needed, just a Google account. Gemini CLI is also completely free.
Grok
xAI's chatbot with real-time access to X (Twitter) posts and web data. Powered by Grok 4, with the free tier running Grok 3. Good for questions that need current information.
- Free: Grok 3 (~10 requests/2 hours), image generation
- SuperGrok ($30/mo): Grok 4 access, higher limits, advanced reasoning
- Requires an X (Twitter) account
DeepSeek
Chinese open-source AI with unlimited free chat - no rate limits, no subscription needed. DeepSeek-V3 handles general coding, R1 handles complex reasoning. All models are open-source (MIT license).
- Free: Unlimited access to V3 and R1 models
- No paid tier needed - everything is free
- Also available to run locally on your own hardware
Best Free Option for Coding
Completely free with no real limits. Strong at reasoning and code. The open-source models can also be run locally for privacy.
Perplexity
An AI-powered research engine rather than a general chatbot. Every answer comes with cited sources you can verify. Best for literature search, fact-checking, and exploring new topics.
- Free: Unlimited basic searches, 5 Pro searches/day
- Pro ($20/mo): Unlimited Pro searches, file analysis, code mode
- Research-focused - not a general coding assistant
IDE-Integrated Tools
These tools live inside your code editor. They suggest code as you type and can chat about your codebase.
GitHub Copilot
The most popular AI coding assistant. Integrates directly into VS Code and suggests code as you type. The free tier is generous enough for learning.
- Free: 2,000 completions + 50 chat messages per month
- Pro ($10/mo): Unlimited completions, premium models, coding agent
- Free for students via GitHub Education Pack
Recommended for Workshop
If you're a student, get this for free with the Education Pack. Works seamlessly inside VS Code - the editor you'll already be using.
Cursor
A VS Code fork with AI built into every interaction. Uses multiple AI models (Claude, GPT, Gemini) through a credit-based system. Powerful but usage-based pricing can add up.
- Free: 50 premium requests + 500 free model requests per month
- Pro ($20/mo): ~225 Claude or ~500 GPT requests per month
- Credits vary by model - Claude uses credits 2.4x faster than Gemini
Windsurf
VS Code-based editor with the best free tier among IDE tools - unlimited autocomplete forever. Cascade mode handles complex multi-step tasks automatically.
- Free (forever): Unlimited autocomplete and chat, 25 prompt credits per month
- Pro ($15/mo): 500 prompt credits, premium models
- Formerly known as Codeium
CLI Agents
Terminal-based agents for developers comfortable with the command line. They see your whole project and can edit files, run commands, and handle Git.
Claude Code
Anthropic's official CLI agent. Reads and edits files across your entire project, runs terminal commands, and handles Git workflows. Powered by Opus 4.6 and Sonnet 5 for multi-file changes.
- Included with Claude Pro ($20/mo) - not sold separately
- Also available with Max, Team, and Enterprise plans
- Requires Node.js
Copilot CLI
GitHub's terminal agent that knows your repositories, issues, and pull requests. Uses Claude Sonnet 4.5 by default with other models available. The lowest-cost paid CLI agent at $10/mo.
- Included with Copilot Pro ($10/mo) - also Pro+, Business, Enterprise
- Each prompt draws from your plan's premium request allowance
- Supports custom MCP servers for extensibility
Codex CLI
OpenAI's official terminal agent, open-source and built in Rust. Powered by GPT-5.3-Codex - the most capable agentic coding model to date, 25% faster than its predecessor.
- Included with ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo) - not sold separately
- Also available with ChatGPT Pro ($200/mo) with higher limits
- macOS and Linux support; Windows is experimental
Gemini CLI
Google's free terminal AI agent. The most generous free CLI tool - 1,000 requests per day with Gemini 3 Flash and a 1M token context window. Just needs a Google account.
- Free: 1,000 requests/day, 60 requests/minute, Gemini 3 Flash
- No subscription or API key needed
- Open-source, requires Node.js
6 Tips for Working with AI
Plan before you code
Before writing a single line, tell the AI what you want to build and ask it to plan the approach. "Plan how to add a scoring system - what files need to change, what's the data flow?" Planning first prevents wasted effort and wrong turns.
Be specific
Instead of "improve my code," say "refactor this function to use async/await." Vague requests get vague answers.
Give context
Tell the AI what language, framework, and goal you have. "I'm building a Flask REST API and need auth" beats "add authentication."
Always review
AI makes confident mistakes. Read and test generated code before committing it. It might use deprecated libraries or miss edge cases.
Iterate
If the first response isn't right, refine: "That's close, but also handle the error case." Treat it like a conversation, not a single query.
Learn, don't just copy
Ask "Why did you use a dictionary here instead of a list?" Understanding the code makes you a better developer, not just a faster one.
Ready for the Hands-On Session?
Now that you know the landscape, it's time to put these tools to work. Head to the hands-on guide to start coding, or check the setup guide if you still need to install tools.