These 7 AI Tools Helped Me Write Better Code in 2024

Coding can be hard sometimes, especially with bugs that are tough to fix.

I tried a lot of AI tools in 2024 but only 7 of those made sense for my developer workflow. The ones that actually helped me write better code.

Right now, I'm only using a couple of those but each tool on this list is worth it.

Let's understand how they helped me and how they can do the same for you.

1.

 

I've always heard that testing should be the main focus and any code that is not tested is unreliable.

I believe a little knowledge of the codebase and automating the testing part is important because it might be overkill in other cases as there are different thresholds for people to ensure that the app works correctly.

That is where I came across and

Check the by comparing the power to generate unit tests.

🎯 Right now, what am I using Qodo for?

I'm mainly using it to validate the code by generating the tests since it's easy with context awareness. I haven't used it for every project but it's easier to use Qodo whenever I work with a new codebase (open source project).

Qodo is completely open source with all of its tools. You can check the repo below!

, , and I'm sure there are many more out there.

I was skeptical at first, but I chose Cursor because many developers on Twitter were talking about it (maybe the hype got to me).

In my experience, Cursor actually understands your project, unlike other editors who just say it for the sake of saying it.

It gets your coding style, knows your project structure and even picks up on your team's best practices. It's just that good.

It's a fork of VS Code so you can just import the settings, themes, keybindings and extensions to maintain the same experience. The switch is very easy which is why developers started using it.

next level code generation

 

code generation on demand

 

terminal

 

⚡ Chat

The cursor understands what file you're in and where your cursor is. It's like chatting with a dev who's looking at your screen. These conversations are context-aware which makes them far better.

visual context with image support

 

⚡ Composer

This is one of the most crazy features and can help generate an entire app from scratch. Yes, complete the functional codebase in minutes with all the necessary imports and boilerplate code.

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When I was starting, I just read the blog

3.

 

I remember a time in my project when I was stuck on a problem. I went through 50+ Stack Overflow threads and even asked senior developers. That’s how frustrating it was!

Then ChatGPT came along, making it easier to find information. It could’ve solved that issue much faster. Of course, when ChatGPT first launched, it wasn’t great at writing code. It took a few tries to get useful answers.

With new models like GPT-4o and GPT-4o mini, it has become much better and now has a memory with context to provide more accurate answers.

At first, I used ChatGPT and DevGPT (which now limits you to 10 requests) to cross-check answers. But I eventually stopped using DevGPT.

Today, ChatGPT is way more advanced, with plugins and agents making them even more powerful.

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4.

 

Whenever I'm stuck with a coding problem, Perplexity is usually my first stop. It’s like a smarter, faster search engine that gives clear answers without making me sift through a bunch of links.

I prefer Perplexity over other search engines like Bing or Google because those are often filled with ads. On Perplexity, every answer feels direct and backed up with sources.

⚡ You can create a custom space where you can organize information in a much better way. You can later upload files (ppt, pdf, word, excel) as a source for your knowledge database. Then you can invite collaborators to brainstorm and work together on cool ideas.

⚡ You can discover new stuff to remain updated (don't really use it) and bookmark it for later.

all the sources

 

. It uses advanced machine learning algorithms like similarity searching and embeddings to refine results and provides clear answers with sources cited.

They use SearxNG to stay current and has also 6 focus modes. You can definitely learn a bunch of stuff from the codebase.

🎯 Right now, what am I using Perplexity for?

Using it to get clear, direct answers rather than sifting through multiple Google links. Plus, endless follow-ups make it convenient for complex queries.

✅ I tried it for the live context which is basically hyper-aware assistance to guide you right back to where you left off. Like you can ask, What was I working on an hour ago? and it will give you all the details.

✅ You can even browse docs (web browser) and let the AI learn from them. Then you can ask questions and it will answer using those docs.

You can see the complete .

🎯 Right now, what am I using Pieces for?

I'm not using it right now, but I used it for a few months when working on many projects. As I said earlier, it's more powerful when you use the full ecosystem (browser extension + desktop app + VS Code extension).

Pieces is open source with all some of its tools.

You can install the . You can read more on their

7.

 

I didn’t have a specific reason, just decided to try Continue as an AI coding assistant while working on a blog. It didn’t disappoint for sure.

The main reason might have been working with local LLMs to save some bucks. Plus, it can take context in the form of codebase, issues, docs and even files.

and

Step 1

 

step2 complete

 

step3 complete

 

It's that simple. After you have configured it, you can use all the amazing concepts like:

⚡ Tab feature to autocomplete code suggestions.

⚡ Asking questions about your codebase.

⚡ To understand terminal errors immediately.

⚡ Kicking off actions with slash commands.

⚡ Refactor functions where you are coding.

If you're still curious, you can watch this .

🎯 Right now, what am I using Continue for?

I switched to Cursor since it covers most of my needs. Still, Continue is a good option if you want to avoid cloud subscription costs and rely on local LLMs (it might be slower but it's worth it).

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