With 20+ AI coding agents on the market, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. Here's a framework to help you decide based on your workflow, budget, and technical requirements.
Start with the agent's architecture score. An agent scoring 70+ like Claude Code or Claw Code will handle complex multi-file tasks autonomously. Agents below 50 like Goose or Bolt.new are better suited for simpler, single-file tasks. Our architecture rubric breaks this down across 7 dimensions.
Some agents (Claude Code, Codex) are locked to specific LLMs. Others (Cursor, Aider, Cline) let you choose. If you want access to DeepSeek V4's low pricing or Gemini's long context, pick a multi-model agent.
Monthly subscription + LLM API costs. An open-source agent with DeepSeek V4 Flash costs ~$5-10/month. Claude Code Max with Opus 4.7 costs $200/month. See our pricing guide for details.
Terminal-first developers: Claude Code. IDE users: Cursor or Codex. Open-source advocates: Aider or Cline. Enterprise: Codex or Claude Code Max.
Use our interactive comparison tool to compare any two agents side by side with architecture radar charts.