Do affiliate links affect your scores?

No. Scores come from the scoring sheet below, filled in during hands-on testing. Whether a tool has an affiliate program — or none at all — has no effect on its score or position. This page itself carries no affiliate links. See our affiliate disclosure for the full policy.

What does “tested on real projects” mean?

We run the same set of real tasks — the same features, bugs and refactors on our own repositories — through every tool, instead of relying on a vendor demo. We screenshot what we see and note the date, so each verdict is tied to a specific version at a specific time.

Why are some scores still marked “in progress”?

AI coding tools change fast, and a fair score takes a real test. Until that hands-on testing is finished for a given tool, we show the factual comparison only and mark the score “in progress” — we never publish a number we have not earned.

How often do you re-test?

We re-run the task script and refresh prices, models and screenshots on a regular cadence and after major releases, because this category moves monthly. Each comparison shows when it was last tested.

Methodology

How We Test AI Coding Tools

Every tool we cover is tested the same way: real projects, the same tasks for all of them, our own repositories, and screenshots of what we actually saw. Affiliate links never move a score — and this page carries none.

Last updated: June 17, 2026

01 / Scoring

What we score, and how much it counts

Each tool gets a weighted score across six dimensions. The weights reflect what matters when you are actually building, not what is easiest to demo.

Dimension	Weight	What we look at
Code quality & correctness	25	Does the output compile, run and actually solve the task on a real repo?
Agent autonomy	20	How reliably it completes multi-step work — edits, runs, fixes — without hand-holding.
Context handling	15	How well it understands a large existing codebase, not just a single file.
Speed & flow	15	Latency and how little it interrupts your flow during real work.
Ease of use & setup	15	How quickly you get value without fighting configuration.
Price & value	10	What you actually get for the money, including free tiers and real limits.

02 / Process

The testing process

01
Use it for real
We set up each tool with a genuine account — paid where needed — and use it like a working developer, not a demo.
02
Run the same tasks
Every tool runs the identical set of tasks on the same repositories, so the results are comparable side by side.
03
Screenshot everything
We capture the real output and interface, with dates, so you can see what we saw on the testing day.
04
Score and write honestly
We fill the scoring sheet, list specific pros and cons, and say who each tool is not for.
05
Publish only when earned
If testing is not finished, the page shows the facts and marks the score “in progress” — never a placeholder number.

03 / Independence

How we stay independent

We make money from affiliate links on our comparison and best-of pages — never from vendors paying for placement. There is no pay-to-play. A tool with no affiliate program is scored and ranked exactly like one that pays well. Full details are in our affiliate disclosure.

Who writes these reviews

Reviews are produced by the AI Coding Hub editorial team and bylined as we credit each reviewer. We use these tools on our own projects every day, which keeps us honest about what actually helps versus what only demos well.

04 / FAQ

Questions

Do affiliate links affect your scores?: No. Scores come from the scoring sheet below, filled in during hands-on testing. Whether a tool has an affiliate program — or none at all — has no effect on its score or position. This page itself carries no affiliate links. See our affiliate disclosure for the full policy.
What does “tested on real projects” mean?: We run the same set of real tasks — the same features, bugs and refactors on our own repositories — through every tool, instead of relying on a vendor demo. We screenshot what we see and note the date, so each verdict is tied to a specific version at a specific time.
Why are some scores still marked “in progress”?: AI coding tools change fast, and a fair score takes a real test. Until that hands-on testing is finished for a given tool, we show the factual comparison only and mark the score “in progress” — we never publish a number we have not earned.
How often do you re-test?: We re-run the task script and refresh prices, models and screenshots on a regular cadence and after major releases, because this category moves monthly. Each comparison shows when it was last tested.