The VS Code AI Tools That Elite Developers Use – Beyond Copilot
VS Code AI tooling has now clearly exceeded the realm of simple auto-completion.
Today you can chat with an assistant, get multi-file edits, generate tests, and even run commands straight from natural language prompts.
There’s also been an increased set of tooling options to pick from, beyond the default of GitHub Copilot.
These are what high-powered developers use to elevate their coding efficiency and stay ahead of the curve.
1. Gemini Code Assist
Google’s Gemini Code Assist brings the Gemini model into VS Code. It stands out for its documentation awareness and Google ecosystem ties.

Why it’s great:
- Answers come with citations so you can see which docs were referenced.
- It can do code reviews, generate unit tests, and help debug.
- Works across app code and infrastructure (think Terraform, gcloud CLI, etc.).
Great for: Anyone working heavily in Google Cloud, Firebase, or Android, or who values transparent, sourced answers.
2. Cline for VS Code

Cline is an autonomous coding agent for VS Code built around Claude. It can read your project, plan multi-step tasks, edit files, and run commands — all with human-in-the-loop approval.
Why it’s great:
- Agent-style workflow: reads files, proposes plans, applies diffs you can review.
- Runs commands, tests, and dev servers while reacting to errors.
- Can open and interact with your app in a browser using computer control.
- Supports MCP tools for extra capabilities.
- Works with many models (Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, local models, etc.).
Great for: Developers who want a powerful, Claude-driven coding agent that can operate on real projects while keeping them fully in control.
3. Amazon Q for VS Code

Amazon Q is AWS’s take on an “agentic” coding assistant — it can read files, generate diffs, and run commands all from natural language prompts.
Why it’s great:
- Multi-step agent mode writes code, docs, and tests while updating you on its progress.
- MCP support means you can plug in extra tools and context to extend what it can do.
- Inline chat and suggestions feel native to VS Code.
Great for: AWS developers who want more than autocomplete — a true assistant that can execute tasks in your environment.
4. Blackbox AI

Blackbox AI is one of the most popular AI coding agents in the Marketplace, designed to keep you in flow while it helps with code, docs, and debugging.
Why it’s great:
- Agent-style workflow: run commands, select files, switch models, and even connect to MCP servers for extra tools.
- Real-time code assistance: completions, documentation lookups, and debugging suggestions that feel native to VS Code.
- Understands your project: conversations and edits can reference the broader codebase, not just a single file.
- Quick start: install and start using it without a complicated setup.
Great for: Developers who want a free, quick-to-try AI agent inside VS Code that can go beyond autocomplete and interact with their workspace.
5. Tabnine
Tabnine is all about privacy, control, and customization. It offers a fast AI coding experience without sending your proprietary code to third parties.
Here it rapidly created tests for code:

Effortless code replacement:

Why it’s great:
- Privacy first: can run self-hosted or in your VPC, and it doesn’t train on your code.
- Custom models: enterprises can train Tabnine on their own codebases.
- Versatile assistant: generates, explains, and refactors code and tests across many languages.
Great for: Teams with strict data policies or anyone who wants an AI coding assistant they can fully control.
How to choose?
Best by area:
- Deep integration & agents: GitHub Copilot, Amazon Q, or Blackbox AI.
- Doc-aware answers with citations: Gemini Code Assist.
- Strict privacy and custom models: Tabnine.
- Fast and free: Windsurf Plugin.
Also consider your stack and your priorities.
- On AWS? Amazon Q makes sense.
- All-in on Google Cloud? Gemini is your friend.
- Need privacy? Tabnine is your best bet.
- Want the smoothest VS Code integration? Copilot.
- Want to try AI coding with no cost barrier? Windsurf Plugin.
If you’re not sure where to start, pick one, try it for a real project, and see how it fits your workflow. The best AI coding tool is the one that actually helps you ship code faster — without getting in your way.
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