How to choose your AI coding companion

Start with a small change in a real codebase. Ask each assistant to explain the relevant files, implement the change, and identify how to verify it. Compare the result against your acceptance criteria.

Look beyond the first answer. Does the assistant ask for missing context? Can it find the conventions your project already follows? Does it invent packages or APIs? These observations are more useful than the length of its response.

Check the developer experience. Editor integration, repository indexing, diff review, and control over file changes affect how confidently you can use the tool. Test the full workflow, including undoing a change.

Record your results in a small scorecard: correctness, time saved, review effort, and fit with your environment. Revisit the evaluation as your project and the tools evolve.