Tree source definition
open-source: Does the tool need to be open source?
Open source means you can audit the code, self-host, and avoid vendor lock-in — often a hard requirement for sensitive codebases.
os-form-factor: What form factor fits your workflow?
- A full standalone editor
- An extension inside my current IDE
- A self-hosted server for my team (air-gapped)
extension-style: What matters most in the extension?
- Autonomous agent workflows — edit files, run terminal commands
- Model flexibility — bring my own keys, run local models offline
commercial-form-factor: Switch editors, or stay where you are?
rec-zed: Zed
Zed — open-source (GPL-3.0 core) standalone editor. Supports OpenAI-compatible providers and local LLMs via Ollama, so you can bring your own keys or keep prompts and code entirely on-device.
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rec-tabby: Tabby
Tabby — open-source (Apache 2.0), self-hosted AI coding assistant. Runs fully offline (Docker or from source) against local backends such as Ollama or llama.cpp — built for sensitive codebases and air-gapped environments.
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rec-cline: Cline
Cline — open-source VS Code extension with agentic workflows: file editing, terminal and browser automation, MCP plugin support, and checkpointed human-in-the-loop control.
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rec-continue: Continue
Continue — open-source (Apache-2.0) IDE extension. Configure your own API keys and model endpoints, switch between local and remote models, and run local workflows via Ollama — including headless operation for air-gapped setups.
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rec-cursor: Cursor (or Windsurf)
Cursor — commercial AI-first editor; the core platform and Composer model are proprietary. Also consider Windsurf, a cloud-hosted agentic IDE that understands entire repositories and performs multi-file edits.
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rec-copilot: GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot — AI pair-programmer from GitHub/Microsoft: inline completions, multi-file suggestions, Copilot Chat, and autonomous agent features, integrated across IDEs and github.com.