Cursor vs Lovable What AI Tools Are Actually Good? (Tier List)
AI Summary
This video is a detailed review and ranking of various AI coding and editing tools, aimed at helping non-technical founders and developers choose the best AI tools for coding and productivity. The host, Rob, a coder with over 20 years experience, tests and spends on many AI services to evaluate their utility and value. Key points include:
- Windsurf is downgraded from S tier to B tier due to loss of partnership with Enthropic and some quality issues after acquisition by OpenAI.
- Cursor is rated S tier for its robust cloud-based AI editing features, including multiple cursors and advanced code context handling.
- VS Code remains a solid B tier as the open-source foundation for many AI coding plugins, being free and highly extensible.
- Trey, an AI editor by ByteDance (TikTok’s parent), offers extremely low pricing but raises privacy concerns; rated C tier.
- Whisper Flow, an accurate voice-to-code tool, is rated S tier and highly recommended as a daily coding aid.
- ChatGPT is a solid A tier all-rounder but not the host’s personal top choice for some specific tasks.
- Claude (Anthropic) is S tier for its superior writing and coding capabilities and advanced features like voice mode.
- Grock, supported by Elon Musk, is B tier due to overlap with ChatGPT but is a good research and writing companion.
- Various AI extensions for VS Code like Klein, R code, and Augment code offer different pros and cons; Augment code is rated S tier for its subscription pricing and deep codebase understanding.
- Coding models Gemini and OpenAI 03 are rated A tier with Gemini the stronger competitor.
- Autonomous coding tools like Google Jewels and OpenAI Codeex are promising but still evolving, rated B or C tier.
- No-code tools like Lovable, Bold, V0ero, and Replet vary in quality and pricing; V0ero and Replet are rated B tier while Lovable and Bold are C tier.
Final advice: all these tools are quite capable today; the best strategy is to start building with whichever tool fits your style and needs. For beginners, the host suggests Cursor as a balanced starting point with a video tutorial link provided.