system-prompts-and-models-of-ai-tools/QUICK_REFERENCE.md

🚀 Quick Reference Guide

Find the right AI coding tool in seconds

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🎯 Quick Tool Finder

"I want to..."

...start coding with AI right now

→ GitHub Copilot (if you have GitHub) → Cursor (if you want the most powerful) → Bolt.new (if you want free + web-based)

...build a website quickly

→ v0.dev (best for UI/design) → Bolt.new (best for full-stack) → Replit (best for deployment)

...work in the terminal

→ Claude Code (most powerful) → Warp.dev (best UI) → Codex CLI (OpenAI)

...use AI in VSCode

→ GitHub Copilot (most popular) → Cline (open source) → Augment Code (advanced features)

...have an autonomous agent work for me

→ Devin AI (most autonomous) → Cursor Agent Mode (balanced) → Poke (multi-phase)

...write better documentation

→ Notion AI (in Notion) → Perplexity (research-focused) → GitHub Copilot (inline docs)

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💰 Budget-Based Selection

Free / Open Source

• Bolt - Full-stack web development
• Cline - VSCode extension
• RooCode - Coding assistant
• Codex CLI - Terminal tool
• Gemini CLI - Google's tool
• Lumo - Open source option

Budget-Friendly ($10-20/mo)

• GitHub Copilot - $10/mo individual
• Replit - $7/mo starter
• Warp.dev - $15/mo team

Professional ($20-50/mo)

• Cursor Pro - $20/mo
• v0 Pro - $20/mo
• Augment Code - Pricing varies

Enterprise

• GitHub Copilot Enterprise - Custom
• Devin AI - Enterprise only
• Claude Code - API-based (can be costly)

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🎓 Skill Level Recommendations

Beginners (Just starting)

1. GitHub Copilot - Easiest to start
2. Replit - Learn by building
3. Bolt - Visual feedback

Why: Simple interfaces, good documentation, large communities

Intermediate (Some experience)

1. Cursor - More control
2. v0 - Design + code
3. Warp.dev - Terminal efficiency

Why: Balance of power and usability

Advanced (Experienced developers)

1. Claude Code - Maximum control
2. Amp - Powerful agents
3. Windsurf - Cutting edge

Why: Advanced features, customization, sub-agents

Experts (Team leads, architects)

1. Devin AI - Autonomous work
2. Cursor + Claude Code - Best of both
3. Custom setups - Open source tools

Why: Enterprise features, security, integration

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🛠️ By Programming Language

JavaScript/TypeScript

Best: v0, Cursor, Copilot Good: Bolt, Replit, Windsurf

Python

Best: Cursor, Copilot, Claude Code Good: Replit, Cline, Augment

Go

Best: Copilot, Claude Code, Cursor Good: Cline, Augment

Rust

Best: Copilot, Claude Code, Cursor Good: Cline, Augment

Java/Kotlin

Best: Copilot, Cursor Good: Claude Code, Augment

C/C++

Best: Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code Good: Cline

PHP

Best: Copilot, Cursor Good: Cline, Replit

Ruby

Best: Copilot, Cursor Good: Claude Code, Cline

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🎨 By Use Case

Web Development

Frontend	Full-Stack	Backend
v0	Bolt	Cursor
Bolt	Replit	Copilot
Cursor	Cursor	Claude Code

Mobile Development

iOS	Android	Cross-Platform
Xcode	Copilot	Cursor
Copilot	Cursor	Copilot
Cursor	Claude Code	Replit

Data Science / ML

Analysis	Training	Deployment
Copilot	Cursor	Replit
Cursor	Copilot	Claude Code
Replit	Claude Code	Copilot

DevOps / Infrastructure

Scripting	CI/CD	Cloud
Claude Code	Copilot	Copilot
Warp.dev	Claude Code	Claude Code
Copilot	Cursor	Cursor

Game Development

• Unity: Copilot, Cursor
• Unreal: Copilot, Cursor
• Godot: Copilot, Cline

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🏢 By Team Size

Solo Developer

Top Pick: Cursor or Claude Code

• Why: Maximum flexibility
• Cost: Affordable individual plans
• Features: All you need

Small Team (2-10)

Top Pick: GitHub Copilot or Cursor

• Why: Collaboration features
• Cost: Per-user pricing
• Features: Shared context

Medium Team (10-50)

Top Pick: GitHub Copilot Enterprise

• Why: Admin controls
• Cost: Predictable per-user
• Features: Security, compliance

Large Team (50+)

Top Pick: GitHub Copilot Enterprise or Devin AI

• Why: Enterprise features
• Cost: Volume discounts
• Features: SSO, audit logs, custom models

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⚡ By Speed Requirement

Fastest Response (Tab completion)

1. GitHub Copilot
2. Cursor
3. Augment Code

Fast Reasoning (Chat)

1. Cursor
2. Copilot
3. Claude Code

Deep Analysis (Complex tasks)

1. Claude Code
2. Amp (Oracle)
3. Devin AI

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🔒 By Security Needs

Maximum Privacy

Choose:

• Open source self-hosted (Bolt, Cline, RooCode)
• Claude Code (API only, not stored)
• Local-only models (if available)

Enterprise Security

Choose:

• GitHub Copilot Enterprise
• Cursor Pro (with enterprise features)
• Self-hosted options

Standard Security

Most tools are fine:

• Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code
• Check privacy policies

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🌐 By Platform

Windows

✅ Works Great: Cursor, Copilot, VSCode extensions, Warp.dev ⚠️ Limited: Some CLI tools (use WSL)

macOS

✅ Works Great: All tools, Xcode, Warp.dev ✅ Best Experience: Cursor, Claude Code, Warp

Linux

✅ Works Great: Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code, all CLI tools ✅ Best Experience: Claude Code, Warp.dev, Open source tools

Web Only (Chromebook, iPad)

✅ Best Options:

• Replit
• Bolt
• v0
• GitHub.dev (with Copilot)

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🎯 Feature-Specific Recommendations

Need Git Integration

→ Claude Code, Copilot, Cursor

Need Web Search

→ Claude Code, Amp, Perplexity

Need Image Understanding

→ Copilot (GPT-4V), Claude Code, Amp

Need Sub-Agents

→ Amp, Cursor, Claude Code

Need Memory/Context

→ Cursor, Claude Code, Amp

Need Terminal Access

→ Claude Code, Warp.dev, Cursor

Need Multi-Model Support

→ Cursor, Copilot, Cline

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📊 Model Preference Guide

Want GPT-5

• GitHub Copilot ✅
• Cursor ✅
• Amp ✅
• Augment Code ✅

Want Claude 4 Sonnet

• Claude Code ✅
• Cursor ✅
• Amp ✅
• Augment Code ✅

Want Gemini 2.5 Pro

• GitHub Copilot ✅
• Gemini CLI ✅
• Cline ✅

Want Local Models

• Cline ✅
• Open source tools ✅

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🚦 Decision Tree

Start Here
    │
    ├─ Do you want to pay?
    │   ├─ No → Bolt, Cline, or RooCode
    │   └─ Yes → Continue
    │
    ├─ Where do you code?
    │   ├─ Terminal → Claude Code or Warp.dev
    │   ├─ VSCode → Copilot or Cline
    │   ├─ Browser → Bolt, Replit, or v0
    │   └─ Want new IDE → Cursor or Windsurf
    │
    ├─ What's your priority?
    │   ├─ Speed → Copilot
    │   ├─ Power → Cursor or Amp
    │   ├─ Privacy → Open source
    │   └─ Autonomy → Devin AI
    │
    └─ Team or solo?
        ├─ Solo → Cursor or Claude Code
        └─ Team → Copilot Enterprise

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📚 Learning Resources

Getting Started Guides

• Each tool's directory has actual system prompts
• See COMPARISON.md for detailed feature comparison
• Check INSTALL.md for this repository's setup

Tool Documentation

• Official websites (linked in README.md)
• Discord communities
• GitHub discussions

Prompt Engineering

• See system prompts in this repo
• Study tool-specific patterns
• Compare approaches across tools

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🎁 Special Recommendations

Best Value for Money

🥇 GitHub Copilot - $10/mo, works everywhere 🥈 Cursor - $20/mo, most powerful 🥉 Bolt - Free, surprisingly capable

Best for Learning AI

🥇 Bolt - Open source, see how it works 🥈 Cline - Simpler architecture 🥉 Claude Code - Official tool, good docs

Best for Production

🥇 Cursor - Battle-tested, powerful 🥈 GitHub Copilot Enterprise - Enterprise features 🥉 Claude Code - Anthropic-backed

Most Innovative

🥇 Amp - Oracle + agents 🥈 Windsurf - Wave architecture 🥉 Devin AI - Fully autonomous

Best Open Source

🥇 Bolt - Most complete 🥈 Cline - Best VSCode integration 🥉 RooCode - Good alternative

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⚠️ Things to Know

Common Gotchas

1. Context Limits: Even large models have limits
2. API Costs: Some tools charge per-token
3. Internet Required: Most need connectivity
4. Learning Curve: Advanced features take time
5. Not Perfect: Always review AI-generated code

Best Practices

1. ✅ Always review generated code
2. ✅ Test thoroughly
3. ✅ Use version control
4. ✅ Start simple, build up
5. ✅ Learn the tool's strengths
6. ✅ Keep security in mind
7. ✅ Stay updated on new features

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🔄 Migration Guide

From Copilot to Cursor

• Why: More features, agent mode
• How: Export settings, install Cursor
• Time: < 1 hour

From Cursor to Claude Code

• Why: Terminal focus, more control
• How: Install CLI, configure
• Time: 30 minutes

From Closed to Open Source

• Why: Privacy, customization
• How: Install Bolt or Cline
• Time: 1-2 hours

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📞 Getting Help

Tool Issues

1. Check tool's documentation
2. Search Discord/GitHub
3. Open issue on their repo
4. Ask in community

General AI Coding Questions

• Discord: LeaksLab
• This repo's discussions
• Tool-specific communities

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🎯 Final Recommendations

Just Starting Out?

→ GitHub Copilot or Bolt

Want Maximum Power?

→ Cursor or Amp

Need Terminal Focus?

→ Claude Code or Warp.dev

Building Web Apps?

→ v0 or Bolt

Enterprise Needs?

→ GitHub Copilot Enterprise

Want Open Source?

→ Bolt or Cline

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Can't decide? Start with GitHub Copilot for 30 days, then try Cursor for 2 weeks. You'll quickly learn what matters most to you.

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Last Updated: October 2, 2025