Find the tool.Skip the hype.
Sharp comparisons, useful shortcuts, tested prompts, and honest hardware advice for people building with AI every day.
THE WORKBENCH
Tools worth your time.
Every listing is scored for utility, learning curve, value, and the one thing its landing page will not tell you.
Cursor
AI code editorAn AI editor for codebase aware changes and fast iteration.
ChatGPT
General AIA flexible assistant for writing, research, files, and everyday work.
Claude
Coding agentCareful reasoning and a powerful terminal coding workflow.
Codex
Coding agentAn OpenAI coding agent for local and cloud software work.
Lovable
Web app builderBuild and ship full stack web apps through conversation.
v0
Web UI builderGenerate polished React interfaces and full stack starts.
Gemini
General AIGoogle assistant for research, files, code, and creation.
Perplexity
AI researchSearch the web and keep sources close to the answer.
Windsurf
AI code editorAn agentic code editor for planning and implementation.
Ollama
Local modelsRun open models on your own computer.
Replit
Cloud codingA browser IDE with agents, hosting, and managed services.
Manus
General agentA task agent that can research, create, and build.
Bolt
Web app builderBuild full stack JavaScript apps in the browser.
Anything
Web and mobile builderBuild mobile apps, sites, tools, and products from words.
Grok
General AIxAI assistant with web, apps, and coding tools.
Rork
Mobile app builderBuild mobile apps by chatting with AI.
Sonar
Search APIPerplexity search models for grounded AI applications.
Emergent
Full stack builderAgentic prompt to app building with many integrations.
Rocket
Full stack builderPrompt to production apps with built in services.
Vibecode
Mobile app builderCreate and test mobile apps from a phone.
OnSpace
No code builderTurn ideas and screenshots into web and mobile apps.
Firebase Studio
Cloud developmentGoogle cloud development workspace moving toward AI Studio.
CURATED PATHS
Start with a stack.
The indie builder stack
Seven tools that take an idea from blank page to shipped product.
Run models on your Mac
What works on 16GB, what needs 32GB, and what is not worth the heat.
Prompts that survive production
Reusable patterns for research, code, data, and structured output.
OPEN-SOURCE RADAR
Good code travels fast.
A living shortlist of repositories with real momentum, selected for builders, not star collectors.
Browse every repository