Independent reviews. No paid placements.
The AI coding tool landscape, tested honestly.
Side-by-side reviews of Cursor, Windsurf, GitHub Copilot, Cline, Aider and more — with real coding sessions, verified pricing, and verdicts you can actually use.
Aider + Ollama Local LLM Setup Guide 2026: Official Config, Model Selection, Context Fix
Step-by-step: run Aider with any local model via Ollama. Covers env var config, the 2K context truncation fix, VRAM-based model picks, and when local inference actually beats cloud APIs.
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Stop hand-writing AI configs. Get 6 production-ready stacks.
CLAUDE.md + .cursorrules for Next.js, Python, Go, Rust, Monorepo — plus 4 subagents, slash commands, and hook recipes. $9 launch price.
Most popular
The articles developers keep reading.
- Setup Guide
Aider + Ollama Local LLM Setup Guide 2026: Official Config, Model Selection, Context Fix
Step-by-step: run Aider with any local model via Ollama. Covers env var config, the 2K context truncation fix, VRAM-based model picks, and when local inference actually beats cloud APIs.
Read → - Tutorial
How to use Claude Sonnet 4.6 inside VS Code: three setup paths compared
Three ways to get Claude Sonnet 4.6 running in VS Code in 2026 — official Claude Code extension, Cline, or Continue.dev — with real API cost breakdowns and a clear verdict on which to use.
Read → - News & Pricing
GitHub Copilot June 2026 billing change: what the AI Credits switch means for your monthly bill
GitHub Copilot dropped Premium Request Units on June 1, 2026. Here is the complete credit math for Pro, Pro+, and Max — plus when to switch to Cursor or Claude Code.
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What we cover
Four lenses on every tool we touch.
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Tool Reviews
Hands-on with Cursor, Windsurf, GitHub Copilot, Cline, Aider, Continue.dev — and whatever's launching this month.
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Side-by-Side
Cursor vs Copilot. Windsurf vs Cline. Paid vs free. Cloud vs local. Same task, different tools — verdict at the bottom.
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Setup & Workflows
Configure each tool for Python, TypeScript, Go, Rust. Local LLM integration. Custom rules that actually move the needle.
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Cost & Value
When $20/month for Cursor beats free alternatives — and when it doesn't. Cost-per-feature breakdowns, no hand-waving.
Latest posts
Freshly tested.
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GitHub Copilot + Ollama in 2026: Local Models in VS Code Chat, What Works Without a Plan, and What Stays Cloud-Only
GitHub Copilot + Ollama setup for 2026: the official extension, which VS Code features work with local models, the 4K context trap, and what still needs a plan.
Read review → -
Claude Code Subagents and Web Search Through Ollama in 2026: Zero MCP Config, the Models That Auto-Spawn Agents, and the Sign-In Catch
Claude Code subagents and web search via Ollama in 2026: the one-command setup, models that auto-spawn parallel agents, and the ollama signin catch.
Read review → -
Laguna XS 2.1 as a Local Cursor and Cline Backend in 2026: Free Weights on a 24GB GPU — and What 'Beats Claude Haiku' Actually Means
Laguna XS 2.1 local setup for Cursor and Cline: the 20GB Ollama pull, verified SWE-bench numbers vs Claude Haiku 4.5, and the OpenRouter free tier.
Read review → -
LM Studio Connection Errors in Cline, Continue.dev, and Aider: Every Fix for ECONNREFUSED, 404, and 'No Models Loaded' in 2026
LM Studio runs but Cline, Continue.dev, or Aider won't connect. Fix ECONNREFUSED 127.0.0.1:1234, 'No models loaded', and the silent 200-on-404 trap.
Read review →