What AI Coding Tool to Use? A Sincere Founder-to-Founder Opinion for 2025

TL;DR for busy founders

• Cursor AI Editor → best for technical founders; $20/month, exceptional autocomplete, “Bugbot” feature; worth every penny for daily coding.
• Lovable → fastest path to polished MVP; one prompt gets UI + backend + paywall; $25/month for 100 messages; perfect for idea validation.
• Google Gemini Code Assist → currently free with unlimited personal use; 1M token context; best free option for bootstrapped founders.
• Local VS Code + Qwen → complete privacy, no monthly fees; requires RTX 3090/4090; saves $240/year but needs setup time.

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Let’s be honest. As founders, we don’t have time to become experts on every new AI tool that drops on Twitter. We have a product to build, customers to talk to, and a firehose of other problems to deal with.

So when it comes to the new wave of AI coding tools, the question isn’t “what’s the coolest tech?” It’s “what’s going to help me ship a product and make money this week?”

I’ve seen the spectrum, from AI that writes single lines of code to platforms that build your entire business. Here’s my no-BS take on what to use in 2025, depending on the job to be done.

The New Reality: Local vs Cloud AI

Before diving into specific tools, there’s a fundamental choice every founder needs to make: local or cloud AI coding assistance?

Local AI means running models like Qwen3-Coder on your own machine using VS Code extensions like Continue or Cline. Your code never leaves your computer, and after the hardware investment, it’s completely free. But you need a decent GPU (RTX 3090/4090 recommended) and some setup time.

Cloud AI means services like GitHub Copilot, Cursor, or Google Gemini Code Assist. They’re plug-and-play but cost monthly fees and send your code to external servers.

For founders working with sensitive IP or planning heavy long-term usage, local AI can save thousands in subscription fees. For everyone else, cloud tools offer convenience and cutting-edge features.

Scenario 1: You’re a Technical Founder with a Complex SaaS Product

You and your team are deep in the code. Your bottleneck is the sheer volume of work: features, bug fixes, tests, refactors.

My advice: Use Cursor AI Editor or a local VS Code + Qwen setup.

Cursor AI Editor ($20/month Pro plan) is what Copilot should have been. It uses frontier models (GPT-4, Claude, Gemini) and has exceptional autocomplete that feels like “tabnine on steroids.” The AI can ingest your entire codebase for context and even has a “Bugbot” feature that autonomously fixes errors. For a technical founder who codes daily, this is worth every penny.

Alternative: Local VS Code + Continue + Qwen3-Coder (free after hardware). Set up VS Code with the Continue extension, run Qwen3-Coder locally (it rivals Claude on coding benchmarks), and you get Copilot-like features with zero monthly fees. The setup takes an hour, but you’ll save $240/year and keep your code private.

Scenario 2: You Have an Idea and Need a Polished MVP, Fast

You need to validate an idea, but you know that design and user experience matter. A clunky prototype won’t cut it.

My advice: Use Lovable or Google Gemini Code Assist.

Lovable is still the fastest path from idea to polished product. One prompt gets you a beautiful UI, Supabase backend, and Stripe paywall. The $25/mo plan gives you 100 messages - enough to build a micro-SaaS like PrintPigeon in three days.

Google Gemini Code Assist (currently free) is the dark horse here. It offers unlimited personal use with Gemini 2.5 Pro and a massive 1 million token context window. You can describe your entire app concept and get working code. The VS Code extension and CLI tool make it easy to iterate quickly. Google’s free tier is incredibly generous - use it while it lasts.

Scenario 3: You’re Building a Secure B2B Tool or Internal Dashboard

Your priority is security, data management, and reliability over pixel-perfect design. You need to manage user roles, view analytics, and you’d rather not duct-tape five different services together.

My advice: Use Base44 or a local Goose + Qwen setup.

Base44 remains the go-to for secure, all-in-one B2B tools. It’s designed for customer portals and lightweight CRMs where data visibility rules are critical.

For maximum security: Goose + Qwen (free, local). Goose is an open-source AI agent that can orchestrate complex coding tasks. Tell it “build me a secure user management system with role-based access” and it will generate the code, create files, and even run tests. Since it runs locally with Qwen, your sensitive B2B code never touches external servers.

Scenario 4: You Want Flexibility and Long-Term Control

You’re a maker who is comfortable with code and knows you’ll eventually need to scale, customize, and own your stack completely.

My advice: Use Replit AI Agent or GitHub Copilot Pro+ with Spark.

Replit still offers the best “Swiss-army workshop” experience. The AI agent helps plan your app and generates the starting repo, then you have a full cloud IDE, terminal, and database GUI. You can build anything and export your code anytime.

GitHub Copilot Pro+ ($39/month) includes Spark, which can generate entire full-stack applications from natural language descriptions. It’s like having a senior developer who can scaffold complete projects. For founders who want to move fast but maintain control, this is powerful.

Scenario 5: You’re Bootstrapped and Want Maximum ROI

You’re watching every dollar and need AI assistance that pays for itself.

My advice: Use Google Gemini Code Assist (free) + local VS Code setup as backup.

Google Gemini Code Assist is currently free for personal use with no limits. That’s right - you get GPT-4-level AI coding assistance for $0. Use it for your main development work.

Backup with local setup: Install VS Code with Continue extension and run Qwen3-Coder locally. This gives you a free fallback when you’re offline or if Google’s service has issues. The combination gives you enterprise-level AI assistance for the price of hardware you probably already own.

Updated Pricing Reality Check (2025)

• GitHub Copilot: Free tier available, Pro $10/month, Pro+ $39/month (includes Spark)
• Cursor AI: Free limited, Pro $20/month, Ultra $200/month
• Google Gemini Code Assist: Free (personal use, unlimited)
• Claude Code: Pay-per-use API (no flat subscription)
• Local AI: Free after hardware (RTX 3090/4090 recommended, ~$1000-1500)

The Bottom Line: Use a Hybrid Stack

Don’t marry one tool. Use the best one for the job at each stage.

1. Prototype fast with Lovable or Google Gemini Code Assist (both can build polished MVPs from prompts)
2. Export the code to GitHub
3. Scale with Replit or Cursor for complex backend logic
4. Maintain with local AI (VS Code + Qwen) for sensitive work and offline development

For bootstrapped founders: Start with Google’s free Gemini Code Assist. It’s genuinely powerful and completely free. As you scale, add a local setup for privacy and offline work.

For funded startups: Use Cursor Pro ($20/month) for the team - it’s the best cloud option for serious development work.

For enterprise/B2B: Consider local AI setups for sensitive code, or GitHub Copilot for Business with privacy controls.

That’s how you win in 2025. You combine the speed of high-abstraction tools with the power and control of code-level AI, all while keeping costs in check. Now go build something.