Ultimate Guide to AI IDEs in 2025: Everything You Need to Know

Introduction

AI-powered IDEs are now standard issue in 2025. The best tools combine strong models (GPT-4o, Claude 3.5/3.7 Sonnet, Gemini 1.5 Pro/Flash, DeepSeek R1), retrieval over your repo, and agentic workflows that can touch multiple files safely. This guide keeps to verified, vendor-published details—no speculative models or invented benchmarks—and focuses on what is available today.

How AI IDEs Work (2025 snapshot)

• Models in production: OpenAI GPT-4o/4.1 and o3/o1 for reasoning, Anthropic Claude 3.5/3.7 Sonnet, Google Gemini 1.5 Pro/Flash, DeepSeek R1/Chat V3. Tools typically offer a default provider plus BYO API keys.
• Context and retrieval: Most IDEs pair embeddings + vector search or MCP-style connectors to pull the right files before sending prompts. Context windows up to ~1M tokens exist, but effective retrieval matters more than raw window size.
• Agentic flows: Modern IDEs can propose multi-file plans, stage diffs, and run tests. Good tools expose every change as a diff and keep git history intact.
• Privacy modes: Paid/business tiers usually disable training on your code. Self-hosting or local models (Continue, Tabnine Enterprise, Cody self-hosted) remain the safest option for regulated work.

Shortlist: Best AI IDEs Right Now

Cursor (standalone IDE)

• Why it stands out: Composer/Agent for cross-file edits, VS Code compatibility, strong UI around diffs.
• Models: GPT-4o/4.1, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Gemini 1.5 Pro (BYOK supported).
• Pricing (official, Dec 2025): Hobby free tier with limited completions/agent calls; Pro $20/mo; Pro+ $60/mo; Ultra $200/mo; Teams $40/user/mo.

Windsurf (standalone IDE from Codeium)

• Why it stands out: Cascade agent, Fast Context, built-in SWE-1.5/SWE-1 models; BYO OpenAI/Anthropic/Gemini/xAI.
• Pricing: Free with 25 prompt credits/month; Pro $15/user/mo; Teams $30/user/mo; Enterprise contact sales.

GitHub Copilot (extensions for VS Code/JetBrains/Vim)

• Why it stands out: Deep GitHub integration, code-reference detection, chat + inline, policies for business use.
• Models: OpenAI GPT-4o/4 Turbo family and GPT-4o-mini for speed.
• Pricing: Individual $10/mo or $100/yr; Business $19/user/mo; Enterprise $39/user/mo; 30-day trial and free for students/verified OSS maintainers.

Claude Code (terminal + IDE add-ins)

• Why it stands out: Official Anthropic experience that runs in the terminal, VS Code, JetBrains, or web; designed for million-line codebases with clear diff previews.
• Models: Claude 3.5/3.7 Sonnet as default, Opus for heavy reasoning where available.
• Pricing: Included with paid Claude plans (Team/Enterprise/Max); usage metered per Claude pricing. Check Anthropic’s pricing page for current rates.

JetBrains AI Assistant (IntelliJ/PyCharm/WebStorm, etc.)

• Why it stands out: Native refactors, code insight, and test generation inside JetBrains IDEs; supports multiple providers (OpenAI, Anthropic) selected by JetBrains.
• Pricing: Requires an active IDE license plus the AI Assistant add-on (monthly/annual billing via JetBrains). No free tier for commercial use.

Sourcegraph Cody (enterprise)

• Why it stands out: Code Graph with repository-scale search, chat grounded on your code, and BYO model options (OpenAI/Anthropic/local). Self-host or cloud.
• Pricing: Enterprise contracts; contact sales. Free/Pro plans discontinued.

Amazon Q Developer (IDE/CLI)

• Why it stands out: Strong AWS expertise (CDK, CloudFormation, Lambda, boto3), security scans, and code modernizations. Ships as VS Code/JetBrains extensions and CLI.
• Pricing: Per-user monthly fee plus metered usage for certain transformations; see AWS pricing page for current numbers.

Replit AI (browser IDE)

• Why it stands out: Zero-setup browser IDE with code generation, unit test help, and deploy hooks. Great for learning, interviews, and quick prototypes.
• Pricing: Included in Replit paid plans (Pro/Teams); free tier with limited AI calls.

Continue (open-source extension)

• Why it stands out: Fully open-source, customizable prompts, supports local models via Ollama/llama.cpp and BYO API keys for OpenAI/Anthropic/DeepSeek.
• Pricing: Free; you pay only for external API usage if you choose cloud models.

Aider (terminal-first)

• Why it stands out: MIT-licensed CLI that edits multiple files safely, stages diffs, and writes git commits. Great for SSH and server-side work.
• Models: Claude 3.7 Sonnet, OpenAI o1/o3-mini/GPT-4o, DeepSeek R1/Chat V3, plus local models.
• Pricing: Tool is free; model usage billed by your provider.

How to Choose

• Match to your IDE: If you live in VS Code/JetBrains, start with GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, or Continue. If you want a purpose-built environment, try Cursor or Windsurf.
• Data stance: For regulated data, pick self-hostable/BYO options (Cody self-hosted, Tabnine Enterprise, Continue with local models) or enforce privacy modes on paid plans.
• Model preference: If you need strongest reasoning, prefer Claude 3.5/3.7 Sonnet or OpenAI o1/o3-mini; for speed/cost, use GPT-4o-mini or Gemini 1.5 Flash.
• Collaboration: Teams that need central billing/SSO/audit logs should skip free tiers and go straight to Copilot Business/Enterprise, Cursor Teams, Windsurf Teams, or Cody.
• Offline/remote: Terminal-first workflows (Aider + git) and local models (Continue) work well over SSH.

Quick Comparison (safe-to-use claims)

| Tool | Form factor | Free option | BYO models | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Cursor | Standalone IDE | Hobby tier | Yes | Composer/Agent, VS Code compatible | | Windsurf | Standalone IDE | Free credits | Yes | Built-in SWE-1.5, Cascade agent | | GitHub Copilot | VS Code/JetBrains/Vim | Trial + student/OSS | No (managed) | Business/Enterprise privacy controls | | Claude Code | Terminal + IDE | Usage-based with Claude plan | Limited (Claude family) | Strong long-context chat and diffs | | JetBrains AI Assistant | JetBrains IDEs | No | No (provider chosen by JetBrains) | Deep IDE refactors and docs | | Sourcegraph Cody | Cloud or self-hosted | No | Yes | Code Graph + enterprise search | | Amazon Q Developer | IDE + CLI | Limited trial | No (managed) | AWS-focused guidance and upgrades | | Replit AI | Browser IDE | Yes (limited) | No (managed) | Best for learning and quick prototypes | | Continue | VS Code/JetBrains | Yes | Yes | OSS, local or cloud models | | Aider | CLI | Yes (tool) | Yes | Git-first terminal workflow |

Setup Snippets

GitHub Copilot (VS Code)

code --install-extension GitHub.copilot
# Sign in when prompted, then enable inline + chat

Cursor (macOS/Linux/Windows)

# Download from cursor.com/download and install
# Import VS Code settings on first launch
# Try Composer with Cmd/Ctrl + K

Aider (CLI)

pip install aider-chat
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="your-key"  # or OPENAI_API_KEY/DEEPSEEK_API_KEY
aider app.py utils.py --message "Add JWT auth and tests"

Continue (local models example)

# Install extension from VS Code marketplace
ollama run deepseek-coder:latest  # start a local model
# In Continue settings, set provider to ollama and point at the model

FAQs

Will AI IDEs replace developers? No. They accelerate routine work, but architecture, reviews, and production accountability stay human-led.

Are free tiers safe for sensitive code? Assume no. Use paid privacy modes, self-hosted options, or local models for confidential repos.

Which models are best right now? For reasoning: Claude 3.5/3.7 Sonnet or OpenAI o1/o3-mini. For speed/cost: GPT-4o/4o-mini or Gemini 1.5 Flash. Pick per task.

How do I avoid bad diffs? Require tools to show plan + diff, run tests in a temp branch, and keep auto-commit disabled unless you trust the agent (Aider supports controlled commits).

What about compliance? Look for SOC 2/ISO/SSO/audit logs. Copilot Business/Enterprise, Cursor Teams, Windsurf Teams, Cody, and Tabnine Enterprise publish these controls.

Continue exploring: Browse our AI coding tools directory for tool-by-tool deep dives and pricing that is kept current.