I'm broke. Which tool should I use?

**Windsurf** - it's free and actually decent. Don't fall for the "free trial" bullshit from the others. If you have $10/month, GitHub Copilot Pro is the safe bet. Don't touch Cursor unless you can afford $50/month in surprise charges.

Is GitHub Enterprise worth $39/month or is Microsoft just being greedy?

**Microsoft is being greedy.** Enterprise is aimed at companies, not individual devs. The $10 Individual plan handles 95% of what you need. Only pay for Enterprise if your company is footing the bill and you need the advanced features.

Can I run multiple AI tools at the same time?

**Don't.** You'll get conflicting suggestions and your IDE will slow to a crawl. Pick one primary tool. If you want context management, add Pieces on the side. But running Copilot + Cursor + Windsurf simultaneously is a recipe for confusion and rage.

Which one handles large codebases without dying?

**Cody** is built for enterprise-scale repos and actually understands your architecture. **Copilot** works but gets confused in complex codebases. **Cursor** chokes on anything over 100k lines. **Windsurf** is decent but still new. If you're working on a monolith with millions of lines, pay for Cody.

Do any of these work without internet?

**Only Pieces runs locally.** Everything else needs constant internet or it becomes a glorified syntax highlighter. If you code on planes or have shitty internet, these tools will frustrate you. The offline mode promises are mostly marketing lies.

How long until I stop sucking with these tools?

Anywhere from **2 weeks to 2 months** depending on how stubborn you are. **Cursor** has the steepest learning curve - expect to hate it for the first week. **Copilot** is easiest if you're already in VS Code. **Windsurf** feels familiar but has weird quirks. Don't judge any tool by your first day experience.

Will AI code break my app in production?

**Oh, absolutely.** AI tools are confident liars - they'll suggest code that looks perfect but has subtle bugs. **Always** review AI suggestions. Set up proper testing. Don't trust any AI to write authentication, security, or payment processing code. Use AI for boilerplate, not critical business logic.

Can these actually help debug my broken code?

**Sometimes.** **Cursor's Composer** is surprisingly good at finding bugs across multiple files. **Copilot chat** can explain error messages you're too tired to parse. **Windsurf** might fix simple issues automatically. But complex debugging still requires human brain cells - the AI will get distracted by red herrings.

Which one works with my weird programming language?

**Copilot** knows the most languages because it trained on everything on GitHub. **Cursor/Windsurf** are great for JS/Python/TypeScript but suck at niche languages. **Cody** depends on what's in your codebase. If you're writing COBOL or Assembly, you're screwed with all of them.

What's this overage bullshit about?

**Cursor** gives you 500 "premium" requests then charges extra. Use Composer mode for a real feature and you'll hit the limit. **Copilot Enterprise** has higher limits but counts everything. **Windsurf** claims unlimited but we'll see how long that lasts. **Cody** is actually unlimited if you pay. Read the fine print or get fucked by your bill.

My startup has no money. What should we use?

**Start with Windsurf** - it's free and actually good. If you're making money, upgrade to Copilot Pro ($10) or Cursor ($20, but watch overages). Don't waste money on enterprise features until you have 10+ developers and actual revenue. Free tools are good enough for most startups.

I want to switch tools. How screwed am I?

**Copilot** is easiest - just install the plugin. **Cursor** means importing projects and relearning shortcuts (plan to be angry for a week). **Windsurf** imports VS Code settings but has weird behaviors. **Pieces** works alongside anything. **Cody** needs setup if you want the good features. Budget 2 weeks of reduced productivity for any major switch.

Can I use these with sensitive/proprietary code?

**Pieces** runs everything locally - your code never leaves your machine. **Cody Enterprise** can run on-premises if you pay enough. Everything else sends your code to the cloud, regardless of what their privacy policy claims. If you work with classified/financial/medical data, use Pieces or pay for enterprise deployment.

Which one won't disappear in 2 years?

**Copilot** has Microsoft money behind it - it's not going anywhere. **Cursor** has good VC funding but needs to prove the business model. **Windsurf** depends on Codeium's enterprise success. **Cody** is tied to Sourcegraph's survival. **Pieces** has a sustainable freemium model. Bet on Microsoft if you need certainty.

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AI Coding Tools: Technical Reference and Decision Matrix

Executive Summary

Five AI coding assistants analyzed: GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Windsurf, Sourcegraph Cody, Pieces. Real-world testing cost $347 over 3 months. Productivity drops 2-3 weeks during adoption. Only 2-3 tools provide net positive value after learning curve.

Critical Decision Matrix

Tool	Real Monthly Cost	Usage Limits	Learning Curve	Best Use Case	Critical Failure Mode
GitHub Copilot	$10-39	Heavy caps on basic plan	2 weeks	Existing GitHub workflows	Suggests deprecated APIs confidently
Cursor	$20 + overages	Usage credits burn fast	3-4 weeks (new editor)	New projects, multi-file refactoring	Overage billing nightmare
Windsurf	Free (temporary)	None currently	1-2 weeks	Side projects, experimentation	Pricing will appear post-adoption
Sourcegraph Cody	$19	Truly unlimited	2-3 weeks	Large codebases (50+ devs)	Over-engineered for small teams
Pieces	Free	None (local processing)	1-2 weeks	Privacy-sensitive code	Not actually code generation

Configuration Requirements

GitHub Copilot

Production Settings: Enterprise plan required for multi-file context
Failure Modes:
- Basic plan hits request limits in 3 days with heavy usage
- Autocompletes variable names into full applications
- File reading errors when suggesting non-existent dependencies
Hidden Costs: Enterprise upsell pressure, request counting includes every autocomplete

Cursor

Production Settings: VS Code project migration required
Failure Modes:
- Composer mode burns monthly credits in 8 days for complex features
- Overage notifications trigger after $20 equivalent usage
- Extension ecosystem smaller than VS Code
Migration Pain: 3 days reconfiguring workflows, muscle memory reset required

Windsurf

Production Settings: Opt-out of training data collection (setting buried)
Failure Modes:
- Free tier economics unsustainable long-term
- Code used for model training unless explicitly disabled
- Support limited to Discord and GitHub issues
Breaking Points: Enterprise pivot expected post-Series B funding

Sourcegraph Cody

Production Settings: Repository integration required for full functionality
Failure Modes:
- Performance degrades on repositories >1M lines without proper setup
- Complex enterprise authentication requirements
- Feature set wasted on teams <10 developers

Pieces

Production Settings: Local processing only, no cloud dependencies
Failure Modes:
- No code generation capabilities
- UI performance issues with large snippet collections
- Limited integration compared to editor-native tools

Resource Requirements

Time Investment

Initial Setup: 2-8 hours depending on tool complexity
Productivity Loss: 2-3 weeks reduced output during adoption
ROI Timeline: 4-6 weeks minimum before net positive productivity

Expertise Requirements

Cursor: VS Code migration knowledge, understanding of usage credit system
Cody: Enterprise infrastructure setup, Sourcegraph configuration
All Tools: Code review discipline to catch AI confidence errors

Financial Planning

Usage Pattern	Annual Cost Range	Hidden Costs
Weekend projects	$0-240	Time lost to tool switching
Daily development	$120-600	Overage charges, productivity dips
Enterprise refactoring	$228-900	Training time, team coordination

Critical Warnings

Security and Privacy

Data Exposure: All tools except Pieces send code to cloud processors
Training Data: Windsurf uses code for model training unless opted out
Compliance: Only Cody Enterprise and Pieces meet enterprise security requirements

AI-Generated Code Risks

Confidence Bias: AI suggests plausible but incorrect solutions with high confidence
Security Vulnerabilities: Never use AI for authentication, payments, or security logic
Testing Requirements: AI code requires same validation as junior developer output

Billing Traps

Usage Credits: Cursor's credit system burns faster than expected with advanced features
Enterprise Upsells: Copilot basic plan intentionally limited to drive upgrades
Free Tier Exits: Windsurf pricing will appear after user base establishment

Implementation Reality vs Documentation

What Actually Works

Code Completion: All tools handle basic autocomplete for popular languages
Boilerplate Generation: React components, API endpoints, CRUD operations
Error Explanation: Helpful for parsing complex error messages

What Consistently Fails

Complex Debugging: AI gets distracted by red herrings in multi-file bugs
Architecture Decisions: Cannot understand business requirements or trade-offs
Legacy Code: Performs poorly on codebases with custom frameworks or old patterns

Performance Thresholds

Codebase Size: Tools degrade significantly above 100k lines without enterprise features
Request Frequency: Heavy usage hits rate limits faster than documented
Context Window: Multi-file understanding limited to 10-20 files maximum

Decision Criteria

Choose GitHub Copilot If:

Already using GitHub ecosystem
Need stable, predictable pricing
Team size <10 developers
Risk tolerance low

Choose Cursor If:

Building new projects from scratch
Budget allows $300-600 annually
Willing to learn new editor
Multi-file refactoring primary use case

Choose Windsurf If:

Budget constrained
Working on non-critical projects
Comfortable with eventual pricing changes
Need immediate AI assistance

Choose Sourcegraph Cody If:

Team size >20 developers
Codebase >500k lines
Enterprise compliance required
Budget allows dedicated tooling

Choose Pieces If:

Privacy paramount concern
Context management priority over generation
Local processing required
Working with sensitive/proprietary code

Migration and Switching Costs

Technical Migration

Cursor: 2-3 days importing projects, reconfiguring shortcuts
Cody: 1-2 days repository integration, authentication setup
Others: <1 day plugin installation

Productivity Impact

Week 1: 50% productivity loss learning new workflows
Week 2: 25% productivity loss adjusting to AI suggestions
Week 3-4: Gradual return to baseline
Month 2+: Potential productivity gains if tool fits use case

Risk Mitigation

Test tools on non-critical projects first
Maintain fallback development environment
Budget 1 month reduced sprint velocity
Train team on AI code review practices

Support and Longevity Assessment

Vendor Stability

Microsoft (Copilot): Highest longevity probability
Cursor: Well-funded but business model unproven
Codeium (Windsurf): Dependent on enterprise sales success
Sourcegraph (Cody): Established enterprise presence
Pieces: Sustainable freemium model

Community and Documentation Quality

Copilot: Extensive Microsoft documentation, large community
Cursor: Active Discord, growing knowledge base
Windsurf: Limited but responsive community support
Cody: Enterprise-focused documentation, smaller community
Pieces: Developer-focused community, technical documentation

Useful Links for Further Investigation

Where to Actually Get Useful Info (Not Marketing Fluff)

Link	Description
GitHub Copilot	typical Microsoft marketing but has the real pricing
Copilot Plans	they bury the Enterprise costs here
GitHub Copilot Docs	actually useful for setup, ignore the "productivity studies"
Copilot Business	if your company has money to burn
Get Cursor	prepare to lose 3 days reconfiguring everything
Cursor Pricing	they explain the usage credits but not how fast you'll burn through them
Cursor Forum	where people complain about overage bills and share workarounds
VS Code to Cursor Migration	optimistic about how smooth this will be
Windsurf Pricing	"free forever" until it isn't
Windsurf VS Code Guide	if you want to stay in your current editor
About Windsurf	classic startup "we're changing the world" copy
Sourcegraph Cody	enterprise-focused, looks boring but works
Installing Cody in VS Code	decent if you have a huge codebase
Cody Docs	actually comprehensive, unlike most AI tool docs
Cody Enterprise	for companies that love complexity
Get Pieces	privacy nerds will love this
Pieces VS Code Extension Guide	context management, not code generation
Pieces Documentation	on GitHub like everything else
Local-First Architecture	actually runs locally (rare these days)
Awesome Cursor Rules	community-curated configuration files and tips
AI Coding Discussion	AI tool debates and real developer experiences
Developer Tool Usage 2025	actual usage stats, not marketing claims
Join Cursor Community	complaining about billing and sharing Composer tricks
Windsurf Community	surprisingly helpful for free tool users
Cody Community	enterprise-focused but good technical discussions
Bug Reports	where people complain about the editor crashes
AI Assistant Tags	actual solutions, not sales pitches
Copilot Community	Microsoft's official "we're listening" theater
Copilot Business Setup	for when Microsoft owns your soul
Cody Enterprise Deployment	complex but actually works at scale
AI Code Assistant Security	CYA documentation for compliance
Copilot Productivity Claims	take with massive grain of salt
Developer Productivity Research	actually legitimate research on dev productivity
Enterprise Results	customer success stories (aka marketing)

AI Coding Tools: Technical Reference and Decision Matrix

Executive Summary

Critical Decision Matrix

Configuration Requirements

GitHub Copilot

Cursor

Windsurf

Sourcegraph Cody

Pieces

Resource Requirements

Time Investment

Expertise Requirements

Financial Planning

Critical Warnings

Security and Privacy

AI-Generated Code Risks

Billing Traps

Implementation Reality vs Documentation

What Actually Works

What Consistently Fails

Performance Thresholds

Decision Criteria

Choose GitHub Copilot If:

Choose Cursor If:

Choose Windsurf If:

Choose Sourcegraph Cody If:

Choose Pieces If:

Migration and Switching Costs

Technical Migration

Productivity Impact

Risk Mitigation

Support and Longevity Assessment

Vendor Stability

Community and Documentation Quality

Useful Links for Further Investigation

Where to Actually Get Useful Info (Not Marketing Fluff)

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