Can you give an overview of the major AI coding assistants in 2026 and how they broadly differ?

beginner

Re-explain

The major assistants differ in where they run, how much work they do alone, and which models they support.

GitHub Copilot covers the editor and GitHub, and its cloud agent can take a task and open a pull request.
Cursor and Windsurf are AI-focused editors with codebase search and agent features, and Windsurf is now called Devin Desktop.
Claude Code, OpenAI Codex and Gemini CLI are terminal agents, and Claude Code and Codex also run in IDEs and the browser.
JetBrains builds its AI tools into its IDEs.
Aider works from the terminal, and Continue is an open-source option that works with the model you choose.

Choose by workflow rather than brand. An editor assistant suits quick suggestions while typing, and a terminal agent suits multi-file changes, test runs and automation.

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Likely follow-ups

How would you pick between Copilot, Cursor and Claude Code for your own daily work? Start from your workflow and typical task size, then check team limits like privacy settings and cost. Try each one on a real task before deciding.
When does a terminal agent beat an IDE assistant, and when does it lose? Terminal agents win on multi-file changes, test runs and scripting. The editor wins on small edits where you want to see each suggestion as it lands.
Some of these tools take a whole task and open a PR alone. When is letting an agent run on its own risky? Name what it can touch, how you review before merge, and where a quiet mistake costs a lot, such as auth code or data migrations.
When would you choose an open-source option like Aider or Continue over a commercial tool? Cover model choice, including self-hosted models, control over where code goes, cost, and the setup and upkeep your team then owns.
Most of these tools let you pick the model. How do you decide which one to use for a task? Match the model to how hard the task is and weigh speed and cost. A fast model for small edits, a stronger one for planning or a hard bug.

What you can say

They mostly differ on where they run, how much work they do on their own, and which models you can use.
GitHub Copilot lives in the editor and on GitHub, and its cloud agent can take a task and open a pull request.
Cursor and Windsurf are AI-focused editors with codebase search and agent features, and Windsurf is now called Devin Desktop.
Claude Code, OpenAI Codex and Gemini CLI are terminal agents, and Claude Code and Codex also run in IDEs and the browser.
JetBrains builds its AI tools into its own IDEs, Aider works from the terminal, and Continue is open source and works with the model you choose.
I'd pick by workflow, not brand. An editor assistant suits quick suggestions while typing, and a terminal agent suits multi-file changes, test runs and automation.

Weak answers to avoid

Lists brand names with no way to compare them A list of names only proves you've heard of them. Sort the tools by where they run, how much they do alone and which models they support, then place each one.
Crowns one tool as the best It sounds like fandom, and the right tool depends on the task. Say which workflow each kind of tool suits and pick by workflow rather than brand.
Describes Copilot as just autocomplete That picture is years old. Copilot now has a cloud agent that takes a task and opens a PR, and several tools edit many files and run tests on their own.
Makes up prices, scores or feature details Interviewers check specifics, and one wrong number costs you trust. Stay with what you know well and say where you would confirm the rest.

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