Editorial pick · plain English · last reviewed June 2026
Which AI is best for coding?
If you build software — real projects, multi-file changes, fixing existing code — here is the tool we recommend and where it falls down.
Our pick for coding
Claude (Anthropic)
Try ClaudeGreat at
Real projects, multi-file changes, fixing your existing code.
Weaker at
Bleeding-edge libraries from the last few weeks.
What you'll actually notice
It holds a whole project in its head, so fixes fit your code instead of generic snippets.
Free route: DeepSeek is free and genuinely strong at code — the gap only shows on big, messy codebases.
Also worth a look: Gemini — huge memory for pasting an entire repo at once.
Compare it head-to-head
Cost, plainly: ~£17/mo. The one task where paying clearly earns its keep.
Honest catch: a recommendation is a starting point, not the last word — for coding, treat the pick as a sharp first-drafter and check anything with real consequences.
Keep exploring
Which AI for another task?
These are hand-reviewed editorial picks (last reviewed June 2026), kept deliberately simple — we re-check them as prices and models change.