AI coding assistants
A short comparison of the tools that work well with this kit. The kit ships instruction files for all of them. Pick based on your budget, comfort with setup, and how often you plan to iterate.
The docs below are ordered from easiest to most involved.
1. VS Code + an official AI extension (recommended)
Each major AI provider ships an official VS Code extension. All four read files, chat about them, and make edits directly in the editor.
| Extension | Provider | Reads |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code for VSCode | Anthropic (official) | CLAUDE.md, .claude/ |
| Codex | OpenAI (official) | AGENTS.md |
| Gemini Code Assist | Google (official) | GEMINI.md, AGENTS.md |
| GitHub Copilot Chat | Microsoft (official) | .github/copilot-instructions.md |
Most of these read the kit's instruction files on their own when you open the folder. If yours does not, paste the relevant file into chat as context.
2. Standalone AI apps and AI-first IDEs
If you prefer a dedicated application over an extension.
Provider desktop apps
| App | Provider | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Claude desktop | Anthropic | Native macOS and Windows app. Drag this folder in. |
| ChatGPT desktop | OpenAI | Native macOS and Windows. "Work with Apps" reads your VS Code window. |
AI-first IDEs (VS Code forks)
| IDE | Provider | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cursor | Cursor | Reads .cursor/rules/ |
| Antigravity | Google DeepMind | Agentic coding IDE for Gemini |
3. Terminal / CLI
For the command-line comfortable.
| Tool | Install |
|---|---|
| Claude Code CLI | npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code |
| Gemini CLI | npm install -g @google/gemini-cli |
| Codex CLI | npm install -g @openai/codex |
4. Web chat (zero setup)
| Tool | URL |
|---|---|
| ChatGPT | chat.openai.com |
| Claude.ai | claude.ai |
| Gemini | gemini.google.com |
Works but slow: you copy files into chat and paste edits back. Fine for one-off questions or initial setup help, not for ongoing editing. Switch to section 1 once VS Code is running.
Which files each tool reads
| Tool | Rules file | Slash commands |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code (CLI + VS Code ext) | CLAUDE.md | .claude/commands/ |
| Codex (CLI + VS Code ext) | AGENTS.md | (none) |
| Gemini CLI + Code Assist | GEMINI.md, AGENTS.md | .gemini/commands/ (CLI only) |
| GitHub Copilot Chat | .github/copilot-instructions.md | (none) |
| Cursor | .cursor/rules/ | (chat only) |
| Antigravity | GEMINI.md, AGENTS.md | (none) |
| Claude desktop / ChatGPT desktop | attach project or files | (none) |
| Web chat | copy-paste into chat | (none) |
Picking one
- If you already use Claude: Claude Code extension in VS Code.
- If you already use ChatGPT: Codex extension in VS Code.
- If you have a Google account: Gemini Code Assist extension, or Gemini web chat.
- If you live in the Microsoft / GitHub stack: Copilot.
- If you prefer a standalone app over an extension: Claude desktop, ChatGPT desktop, or Cursor / Antigravity.
- If you do not want to install anything: any web chat.
Check each tool's current pricing on its own site. We do not list prices here because they change.
Switching is cheap
Nothing about this kit locks you to one tool. The rules files are duplicated across formats on purpose. If you start with web chat and move to Claude Code next month, no migration is needed.
Where to read more
- Each tool's official docs are the source of truth. They move fast.
- For how to actually start chatting once you pick one, see how-to-start.md.