====== Coding Agent Comparison ======

A practical comparison of all major AI coding agents and assistants as of Q1 2026. Based on benchmarks, developer reports, and real-world testing.

===== Coding Agent Comparison Table =====

^ Agent ^ Open Source ^ Language ^ Stars ^ SWE-bench ^ IDE Support ^ CLI ^ MCP ^ Best For ^
| **Claude Code** | No | Multi | 55k | 80.9% | Terminal, Web | Yes | Yes (native) | Hard problems, multi-file refactors, agentic workflows |
| **Cursor** | No | Multi | N/A | ~49% | Built-in IDE (VS Code fork) | No | Yes | Daily feature work, visual feedback, 360K+ paying users |
| **Aider** | Yes | Multi | 28k | 26-79% (model-dependent) | No (terminal) | Yes | No | Git-native terminal workflows, budget-friendly |
| **Devin** | No | Multi | N/A | N/A | Web-based | No | No | Fully autonomous tasks, 67% PR merge rate on defined tasks |
| **OpenCode** | Yes | Multi | 8k | Varies | No (terminal) | Yes | Yes | Budget developers, multi-model flexibility |
| **Cline** | Yes | Multi | 22k | N/A | VS Code extension | No | Yes | VS Code users, 5M+ installs, zero markup pricing |
| **Roo Code** | Yes | Multi | 12k | N/A | VS Code extension | No | Yes | Cline alternative, custom modes |
| **Goose** | Yes | Multi | 10k | N/A | Terminal + extensions | Yes | Yes | Block's open agent, extensible |
| **Continue** | Yes | Multi | 23k | N/A | VS Code, JetBrains | No | No | Customizable IDE assistant, multi-IDE |
| **Codex CLI** | Yes | Multi | 18k | 77.3% Terminal-Bench | No (terminal) | Yes | No | Speed (240+ tok/s), volume, code review |
| **Gemini CLI** | Yes | Multi | 5k | N/A | Terminal, VS Code (Gemini Code Assist) | Yes | Yes | Google ecosystem, 1M context window |
| **GitHub Copilot** | No | Multi | N/A | 12.3% | VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim, Vim | No | No | Inline suggestions, 15M+ developers, team workflows |

===== Tier Ranking (March 2026) =====

<mermaid>
graph TD
    T1["Tier 1: Default Choices"] --> CC["Claude Code<br>80.9% SWE-bench<br>Terminal-native"]
    T1 --> CU["Cursor<br>360K paying users<br>IDE-native"]
    T1 --> CX["Codex CLI<br>77.3% Terminal-Bench<br>Open source, fast"]

    T2["Tier 2: Strong for Specific Workflows"] --> CL["Cline<br>5M installs<br>VS Code, zero markup"]
    T2 --> DV["Devin<br>67% PR merge<br>Autonomous"]
    T2 --> CP["GitHub Copilot<br>15M devs<br>Inline suggestions"]
    T2 --> WS["Windsurf<br>$15/mo<br>Best value"]

    T3["Tier 3: Worth Watching"] --> AI["Aider<br>Git-native CLI"]
    T3 --> RC["Roo Code<br>Custom modes"]
    T3 --> GO["Goose<br>Extensible"]
    T3 --> CT["Continue<br>Multi-IDE"]
    T3 --> OC["OpenCode<br>Multi-model"]
    T3 --> GC["Gemini CLI<br>1M context"]

    style T1 fill:#e74c3c,color:#fff
    style T2 fill:#e67e22,color:#fff
    style T3 fill:#3498db,color:#fff
    style CC fill:#2ecc71,color:#fff
    style CU fill:#2ecc71,color:#fff
    style CX fill:#2ecc71,color:#fff
</mermaid>

===== Decision Guide =====

^ Your Situation ^ Recommended Agent ^ Why ^
| Need the best code quality | Claude Code | Highest SWE-bench score (80.9%), best multi-file reasoning |
| Prefer a full IDE experience | Cursor | AI-native IDE, visual diffs, inline chat |
| Team already uses VS Code | Cline or Roo Code | Extensions that work in existing VS Code |
| Budget-conscious / open source | Aider or OpenCode | Free, terminal-based, bring your own API key |
| Want zero config inline help | GitHub Copilot | 15M+ users, works in every major editor |
| Fully autonomous development | Devin | Hands-off task completion |
| Need speed + volume | Codex CLI | 240+ tokens/sec, open source |
| Google ecosystem | Gemini CLI | 1M context, Google integration |
| Multiple IDEs (VS Code + JetBrains) | Continue | Only agent supporting both major IDE families |

===== MCP Support Status =====

MCP (Model Context Protocol) enables agents to connect to external tools and data sources.

**Full MCP support:** Claude Code, Cursor, Cline, Roo Code, Goose, OpenCode, Gemini CLI

**No MCP yet:** Aider, Devin, Codex CLI, GitHub Copilot, Continue

===== Pricing Overview =====

^ Agent ^ Pricing Model ^ Approximate Cost ^
| Claude Code | Subscription | $20/mo (Pro) - $200/mo (Max) |
| Cursor | Subscription | $20/mo (Pro) - $40/mo (Business) |
| Aider | BYO API key | Free (API costs only) |
| Devin | Subscription | $500/mo |
| Cline | BYO API key | Free (API costs only) |
| Roo Code | BYO API key | Free (API costs only) |
| Goose | BYO API key | Free (API costs only) |
| Continue | BYO API key | Free (API costs only) |
| OpenCode | BYO API key | Free (API costs only) |
| Codex CLI | BYO API key | Free (API costs only, open source) |
| Gemini CLI | BYO API key | Free (API costs only, open source) |
| GitHub Copilot | Subscription | $10/mo (Individual) - $39/mo (Enterprise) |

//Last updated: March 2026//