Directory / AI for a task / Coding with an AI agent
The best AI to write code with an AI agent
Claude Code, because it works across a whole repository rather than the open file: it runs your tests, fixes failures in a loop and handles multi-file refactors. It needs a Claude subscription from $20/mo; there is no free tier. If you want the agent inside a familiar editor instead of the terminal, use Cursor.
- 01 Claude Code: Serious development work on real codebases
- 02 Cursor: Developers who want AI woven into their editor
- 03 Codex: Handing off a well-scoped task and walking away
- 04 Cline: Agentic coding with no subscription and full transparency
- 05 Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): Long multi-file sessions in one editor
Top pick
Claude Code
From $20/mo (Claude Pro)
Multi-file refactors and features on real codebases, run from the terminal, IDE, web or phone, with subagents and skills for team workflows. From $20/mo on Claude Pro, sharing a usage pool with Claude chat.
- Free tier
- None: the free Claude.ai plan does not include Claude Code, only a small one-time API credit on a new Console account
- Entry plan
- $20/mo (Claude Pro, $17/mo billed annually), shares a 5-hour rolling + weekly usage pool with Claude.ai chat
Pick 02
Cursor
Free · Pro from $20/mo
An editor you already know, with an agent that sees the whole project and cloud agents that fire on a new PR or a failed CI run. Free with limited Agent requests; Pro is $20/mo. It is now a SpaceXAI subsidiary, if vendor independence matters to you.
- Free tier
- Limited Agent requests, access to Composer, no credit card required
- Entry plan
- $20/mo
Pick 03
Codex
Limited free access · Go from $8/mo · full Codex with Plus from $20/mo
For a well-scoped task you hand off and walk away from: it runs in a sandbox and opens a pull request when done. Full cloud delegation comes with ChatGPT Plus at $20/mo.
- Free tier
- Limited access on the ChatGPT Free tier ($0), no cloud task delegation
- Entry plan
- Go, $8/mo (ChatGPT Go): limited Codex access, no cloud task delegation; Plus, $20/mo, is the practical entry point for full Codex with cloud task delegation
Pick 04
Cline
Free, you pay your own model costs
Free and auditable: every action is shown and approved before it runs, and you bring your own model key, so you pay the model provider directly and no margin on top. The trade is a token bill that is harder to predict.
- Free tier
- The extension itself is entirely free; you supply your own model API key and pay that provider directly
- Entry plan
- No required paid tier; optional ClinePass at $9.99/mo bundles curated open-weight models with higher rate limits
Pick 05
Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf)
Free · from $20/mo
The closest rival to Cursor, renamed Devin Desktop, with a board showing every running agent by status and a choice of frontier models. Pro is $20/mo; the free tier includes unlimited Tab autocomplete and a light agent quota.
- Free tier
- Unlimited Tab autocomplete plus a light Devin Local agentic usage quota (reported as roughly 25 Flow Actions/month or 2-3 days of active agentic coding, sources disagree on the exact mechanic), no premium model access
- Entry plan
- Pro, $20/month (raised from $15/month around March 2026, before the June 2026 Devin Desktop rebrand), unlocks premium/frontier models and a larger daily/weekly Devin Local quota than Free
Skip if
Skip a coding agent if you want inline autocomplete and nothing more: GitHub Copilot's free tier covers that with 2,000 completions a month.
The free option
Cline itself costs nothing; you pay your model provider for the tokens you use. For a free start with no API bill, Cursor's free tier includes limited Agent requests. Cline profile.
Prices side by side
| Tool | Free plan | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | No | From $20/mo (Claude Pro) |
| Cursor | Yes | Free · Pro from $20/mo |
| Codex | No | Limited free access · Go from $8/mo · full Codex with Plus from $20/mo |
| Cline | Yes | Free, you pay your own model costs |
| Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Yes | Free · from $20/mo |
Is there a free AI to write code with an AI agent?
Cline itself costs nothing; you pay your model provider for the tokens you use. For a free start with no API bill, Cursor's free tier includes limited Agent requests.
When is Claude Code the wrong choice?
People who want inline autocomplete and nothing more.
Deciding between these
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