"Which AI coding tool is the best?" I get this question a lot, so I tested it.

I gave four AI coding assistants the same project and the same instructions, and let each one build it.

The setup

The project was SprintBoard, a sprint board web app. Every tool got the same loop:

open the project → give it context → build → review → test → iterate

Same project, same instructions, four different approaches.

The results (for this project)

1. Google Antigravity (Gemini 3.5 Flash)

The best UI polish, and it tested its own work in the browser. A fast agentic workflow.

2. OpenAI Codex (GPT-5 family)

The cleanest first-pass build. I had to step in the least, and the output was the closest to production quality.

3. Cursor (multi-model, Composer)

The most autonomous IDE workflow. Strong at planning and debugging, and you can switch models whenever you want.

4. GitHub Copilot (multi-model, inside VS Code)

The easiest choice if you already live in VS Code, or if your team works around GitHub issues and pull requests.

Short version: Codex built the strongest first version. Antigravity won on UI polish and browser testing.

The real lesson: your workflow beats your tool

The ranking matters less than you'd think. The same habits made every tool productive:

  • Clear prompts. Say exactly what you want and what "done" means.
  • The right context. Point the agent at the files and rules that matter.
  • Code review. Read every diff before you accept it.
  • Small iterations. Build, test, fix, repeat.

Your model, your prompt and your plan will change the outcome more than the logo on the IDE.

So don't ask "Which tool is objectively best?" Ask "Which one helps me build software more efficiently?"

What about Claude Code?

Claude Code gets its own deep dive. I use it for the bigger projects: an AI legal document generator and a multi-agent drone operations platform, with MCP servers, skills, sub-agents, hooks and plugins.

Try it yourself

This comparison is one lesson from my course "AI Coding Agents", where you build 8 real projects with Cursor, Copilot, Codex, Antigravity and Claude Code:
https://www.udemy.com/course/ai-coding-agents-from-vibe-coding-to-agentic-engineering/?referralCode=9ECB4360B280E33F41D3

Which AI coding tool are you using right now, and why? 👇