| ⭐ Rating | Type | Tool Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 🔌 Extension | Continue | Often paired with Cline as a popular Cursor replacement |
| ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 🔌 Extension | Cline | Commonly used with Continue |
| ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 🔌 Extension | Codeium | |
| ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 📝 Standalone | Zed AI | |
| ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 📝 Standalone | Void | |
| ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ | 🔌 Extension | Tabnine | |
| ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ | 🔌 Extension | twinny | |
| ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ | 🔌 Extension | Cody | |
| ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ | 📟 Terminal | aider | |
| ⭐⭐⭐★★ | 🔌 Extension | Blackbox AI | |
| ⭐⭐⭐★★ | 📝 Standalone | Tabby | |
| ⭐⭐⭐★★ | 📝 Standalone | Melty | |
| ⭐⭐⭐★★ | 🔌 Extension | CodeGPT | |
| ⭐⭐⭐★★ | 📝 Standalone | PearAI | ℹ️ Controversial |
Look, I’m going to say something controversial: Cursor isn’t God’s gift to coding, and we need to stop pretending it is.
Don’t get me wrong. Cursor has its fans, and maybe they’re onto something. But when I actually tried downloading it, I discovered what many refuse to acknowledge: it’s closed-source subscription ware that wants you to just trust that they’re handling your code responsibly. They promise they delete your code from their servers. But do they? Who knows! Just trust them, bro.
Sorry, but sharing my source code with random strangers is where I draw the line. Even if they’re the coolest, trendiest strangers in Silicon Valley with perfect pitch decks and Series A funding.
So I did what any reasonable developer would do: I went hunting for open-source alternatives that respect my privacy and my intellectual property. And let me tell you, the options are plentiful and impressive.
Why Open Source Matters for AI Coding Tools
Before we dive into the list, let’s address the elephant in the room: why should you care if your AI coding assistant is open source?
First, transparency. When the code is open, you can actually verify what’s happening with your data. Is it being sent to third-party servers? Is it being stored somewhere? With open source, you don’t need to take anyone’s word for it.
Second, community. Open source projects benefit from the collective intelligence of developers worldwide. Bugs get fixed faster. Features get added based on actual user needs, not corporate roadmaps.
Third, longevity. That shiny new proprietary tool might get acquired tomorrow and shut down next week (looking at you, every Google product ever). Open source projects can survive their original creators.
The Definitive Ranking
After extensive testing and gathering community feedback, here’s my current ranking of the best open source alternatives to Cursor. I’ll keep updating this list as new tools emerge and existing ones evolve.
Top-Tier Options (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
1. Continue + Cline Combo 🔌
The Continue and Cline extension combo is currently the most powerful Cursor replacement available. Continue handles the heavy lifting of AI code generation, while Cline provides an elegant chat interface for more complex interactions.
What makes this combo special is how they complement each other without duplicating features. Continue excels at understanding your codebase context, while Cline provides the flexible chat interface for exploring ideas.
The privacy story is solid here too. Both are fully open source, and you can configure them to use your preferred API keys, including local models if you’re extra privacy-conscious.
2. Codeium 🔌
Codeium has been gaining massive popularity, and for good reason. It offers remarkably accurate code completions that often feel borderline telepathic. The extension integrates seamlessly with most popular IDEs.
What really sets Codeium apart is its performance. Even when using remote APIs, the response time is lightning fast. Their open source commitment means you can audit exactly what happens with your code, and their community is incredibly active.
3. Zed AI 📝
Created by the brilliant minds behind Atom and Tree-sitter, Zed AI is a standalone editor built from the ground up with performance in mind. Being written in Rust gives it blazing speed even with complex codebases.
Zed’s AI features are deeply integrated into the editing experience rather than feeling bolted on. The multi-cursor implementation is particularly impressive—something Cursor itself could learn from.
The learning curve is slightly steeper than some options, but the payoff in productivity is worth it for daily coding.
4. Void 📝
Void is the new kid on the block, but don’t let that fool you. This standalone editor was designed specifically around the AI coding workflow, and it shows in every interaction.
What makes Void special is its context awareness. It seems to understand not just what you’re typing, but why you’re typing it. This leads to suggestions that feel almost prescient at times.
The UI is minimalist in the best way possible—staying out of your way until you need it.
Great Options (⭐⭐⭐⭐)
5. Tabnine 🔌
Tabnine has been in the AI coding game longer than most, and that experience shows. Their completions are accurate, relevant, and impressively contextual.
The open source version gives you full control over what models you use and where your data goes. It’s slightly less feature-rich than the top tier options, but makes up for it with rock-solid reliability.
6. Twinny 🔌
Twinny has the most intuitive interface of all the extensions I’ve tested. It feels like pair programming with an actual human who understands your coding style.
Where Twinny shines is in refactoring tasks—it has an uncanny ability to understand the intent behind code and suggest improvements that preserve that intent while making the implementation cleaner.
7. Cody 🔌
Cody from Sourcegraph leverages their deep understanding of code navigation to provide an assistant that excels at helping you understand complex codebases.
If you’re working on a large project with many contributors, Cody’s ability to trace relationships between different parts of the code is invaluable. It’s like having institutional knowledge built into your editor.
8. Aider 📟
Sometimes the simplest tools are the most powerful. Aider takes a different approach by operating entirely in your terminal. This might seem limiting at first, but there’s something magical about the focused experience it provides.
For terminal enthusiasts, Aider feels like a natural extension of your workflow rather than a separate tool. The tight integration with git is particularly well thought out.
Solid Contenders (⭐⭐⭐)
9. Blackbox AI 🔌
Blackbox AI offers a clean, straightforward implementation of AI coding assistance. It doesn’t try to do everything, but what it does, it does well.
The strength here is simplicity. If you want AI to help with your coding without radically changing how you work, Blackbox strikes a good balance.
10. Tabby 📝
Tabby takes the open source commitment to the extreme—you can self-host every component of the system, including the models themselves if you have the hardware.
This makes it the most private option by far, at the cost of some setup complexity. For teams with strict data governance requirements, this trade-off is well worth it.
Honorable Mentions
Melty (⭐⭐⭐) delivers a streamlined experience that focuses on getting out of your way.
CodeGPT (⭐⭐⭐) offers solid integration with various LLMs and has an active community.
PearAI (⭐⭐⭐) makes the list with reservations—their controversial history of forking continue.dev and license issues gives me pause. I’ll update if their practices improve.
Pro Tip: VSCodium + Extensions = Privacy Win
If you’re privacy-conscious but still want the VS Code experience, consider VSCodium—an open source fork of VS Code with all the telemetry removed. You can use most of the extensions mentioned above with VSCodium, getting the best of both worlds.
The Bottom Line
The ecosystem of open source AI coding tools is thriving, and in many ways surpassing their closed-source counterparts. Unlike Cursor, these tools let you keep control of your intellectual property while still benefiting from AI assistance.
My personal setup? I’m currently using the Continue + Cline combo with VSCodium as my daily driver, with Zed AI for certain projects that benefit from its performance advantages. But your mileage may vary based on your specific needs.
The beautiful thing about open source is that you don’t have to take my word for it—you can try these tools yourself, inspect their code, and make an informed decision about what works for your workflow.
Because at the end of the day, the best editor isn’t the one with the most hype or the slickest marketing. It’s the one that respects your privacy, enhances your productivity, and feels like it was made for you.
What’s your experience with these tools? Drop a comment below with your review and rating to help make this list even more accurate for everyone.
