Best AI Tools for Python Developers (Dec 2025)

Quick picks (what to use when)

• General GitHub-centric: GitHub Copilot (Business $19/user/mo, Enterprise $39; Individual $10/mo or $100/yr; students/OSS free).
• Multi-file edits in a VS Code fork: Cursor (Free; Pro $20; Pro+ $60; Ultra $200; Teams $40).
• Credit-based VS Code fork with agentic flows: Windsurf (Codeium) (Free 25 credits; Pro $15; Teams $30; Enterprise custom).
• Open-source, git-native CLI with BYO keys: Aider (MIT, free; you pay model/API costs).
• Python-native IDE option: PyCharm AI (part of JetBrains AI Assistant; pricing via JetBrains subscriptions).
• Local-friendly OSS sidebar: Continue (free OSS; BYO keys/local models).

Tools, strengths, and pricing (concise)

GitHub Copilot

• Best for: GitHub/VS Code users wanting turnkey chat + inline completions.
• Models: GitHub-managed OpenAI models (GPT-4o/4 Turbo family).
• Pricing: Individual $10/mo or $100/yr; Business $19/user/mo; Enterprise $39/user/mo; 30-day trial; free for verified students/OSS maintainers.
• Why Python devs use it: Strong Python patterns, pytest/test generation, Django/FastAPI fluency.

Cursor

• Best for: VS Code fork with Composer for multi-file edits and fast prototyping.
• Models: Routes to frontier models (GPT-4o/4.1, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Gemini 2.5 Pro, o1-mini) depending on plan.
• Pricing: Free tier; Pro $20; Pro+ $60; Ultra $200; Teams $40/user/mo.
• Why Python devs use it: Composer can scaffold FastAPI/Django services, tests, and migrations in one run; diff review before apply.

Windsurf (Codeium)

• Best for: Credit-based prompt control in a VS Code fork, with reviews and Fast Context.
• Models: Multi-provider credits (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, xAI) plus SWE-1.x.
• Pricing: Free (25 credits/month + unlimited tab/inline); Pro $15/user/mo; Teams $30/user/mo; Enterprise via sales with VPC/on-prem.
• Why Python devs use it: Cascade/agentic flows, inline + reviews, and predictable credit budgeting.

Aider

• Best for: Open-source, git-native CLI that works with your own keys or local models.
• Models: Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, DeepSeek, xAI, OpenRouter, Ollama/LM Studio, others (configurable).
• Pricing: Free OSS (MIT). You pay provider costs.
• Why Python devs use it: Repo maps, automatic commits, strong refactoring workflows, voice mode available.

PyCharm AI (JetBrains AI Assistant)

• Best for: Python-first IDE users (PyCharm/JetBrains).
• Models: JetBrains-managed (frontier providers under the hood).
• Pricing: Included with JetBrains AI Assistant subscription; see JetBrains pricing.
• Why Python devs use it: Tight IDE integration, code insight, type hints, tests, and framework-aware suggestions.

Continue

• Best for: Free OSS sidebar in VS Code/JetBrains with BYO/local models.
• Models: BYO OpenAI/Anthropic/Groq/etc. and local via Ollama.
• Pricing: Free OSS.
• Why Python devs use it: Local-friendly, simple chat + completions, good for private/VPC setups.

Practical tips for Python workflows

• Be explicit with frameworks: e.g., “FastAPI + Pydantic + async SQLAlchemy; generate routes, models, and pytest fixtures.”
• For data work, include sample schemas or DataFrame column names; ask for vectorized pandas/numpy solutions.
• Review and run tests after AI edits; keep pytest/ruff/mypy in the loop.
• Keep prompts scoped: one feature or refactor at a time.
• For local/self-host: use Aider or Continue with Ollama/LM Studio; manage API keys via env vars.
• For diff safety: use tools with review steps (Cursor Composer, Aider commits).

Sources (December 2025)

• GitHub Copilot plans: https://github.com/features/copilot/plans
• Cursor pricing: https://cursor.com/pricing
• Windsurf pricing: https://codeium.com/pricing
• Aider docs: https://aider.chat/docs
• JetBrains AI Assistant: https://www.jetbrains.com/ai/
• Continue: https://github.com/continuedev/continue

Explore more Python-friendly tools in our directory.