What Is Vibe Coding?
Vibe coding is an AI-assisted approach to software development where you describe what you want in natural language and let AI generate the code. The term was coined by Andrej Karpathy, co-founder of OpenAI, in February 2025. He described it as "fully giving in to the vibes, embracing exponentials, and forgetting that the code even exists."
According to the Stack Overflow 2025 Developer Survey, 84% of developers now use or plan to use AI tools in their workflow. Collins Dictionary named "vibe coding" the 2025 Word of the Year, cementing its place in developer culture.
"There's a new kind of coding I call vibe coding, where you fully give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and forget that the code even exists."
— Andrej Karpathy, Co-founder of OpenAI, Former AI Lead at Tesla
Natural Language
Describe features in plain English. The AI understands context and generates appropriate code.
Rapid Iteration
Generate, test, refine in seconds. Traditional debugging becomes conversational refinement.
Production Output
Get working, deployable code—not just snippets. Complete functions, components, and modules.
Setting Up GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot started the AI coding revolution and remains the most widely adopted tool. It works inside your existing editor—VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs, Xcode, and Eclipse—without requiring you to change your workflow.
GitHub Copilot Plans (January 2026)
| Plan | Price | Premium Requests | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 50/month | 2,000 code completions, basic chat |
| Pro | $10/month | 300/month | Unlimited completions, agent mode, premium models |
| Pro+ | $39/month | 1,500/month | All models including Claude Opus 4 and GPT o3 |
| Business | $19/user/month | 300/user | Admin controls, IP indemnity, no training on code |
| Enterprise | $39/user/month | 1,000/user | Knowledge bases, custom models, full integration |
Source: GitHub Copilot Plans
Quick Setup Guide
Install the Extension
Search for GitHub Copilot in your IDE marketplace (VS Code: Cmd+Shift+X). Click Install.
Authenticate
Sign in with your GitHub account. Free tier works immediately; Pro features require subscription.
Start Vibe Coding
Use Copilot Chat (Cmd+I or Ctrl+I) to describe what you want. For Agent Mode, enable it in settings.
Cursor: The Purpose-Built Vibe Coding IDE
Cursor is not just another VS Code extension—it is a complete IDE rebuilt from the ground up with AI at its core. Built on VS Code, it feels familiar but adds capabilities specifically designed for vibe coding workflows.
Agent Mode
Handles complex, multi-file tasks autonomously. Describe a feature, and Cursor will plan, write code, run terminal commands, and fix errors automatically.
Tab Completion (Supermaven)
The fastest AI autocomplete available. Supermaven powers predictions that feel instant and understand your coding patterns.
Composer
Multi-file editing interface that lets you describe project-wide changes. Refactor entire codebases with natural language.
Model Selection
Choose between Claude, GPT-4o, and other models. Cursor is model-agnostic, letting you pick the best tool for each task.
Cursor Pricing (Updated June 2025)
| Plan | Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Hobby | Free | Limited Tab and Agent usage |
| Pro | $20/month | Unlimited Tab, $20/month credit pool for premium models |
| Pro+ | $60/month | Higher usage limits for medium-to-heavy users |
| Ultra | $200/month | 20x Pro usage pool, priority features |
| Teams | $40/user/month | SSO, admin controls, ~500 Agent requests/user |
Source: Cursor Pricing
Windsurf and Alternatives
Windsurf (formerly Codeium) offers a generous free tier with agentic AI capabilities. Its Cascade system provides deep codebase understanding through local indexing, making it particularly strong for enterprise environments where security is paramount.
Cascade AI System
Three modes: Write Mode (direct edits), Chat Mode (contextual help), Turbo Mode (fully autonomous execution).
Memories Feature
Learns your architecture patterns over 48 hours for increasingly personalized suggestions.
Supercomplete
Predicts next moves by analyzing code before and after your cursor. Shows diffs inline.
Drag & Drop Images
Drop Figma exports or screenshots, and Windsurf generates matching React components with Tailwind CSS.
Windsurf Pricing
Free tier available for individuals. Pro tier at $15/month includes GPT-4, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Gemini access. The credit-based system means heavy users may hit limits faster than with Copilot or Cursor.
Google acquired the Windsurf team in late 2025, suggesting strong continued development.
Claude Integration Options
Claude Code from Anthropic has emerged as the leading AI coding assistant. Claude Opus 4 achieves 72.5% on SWE-bench, and Claude Sonnet 4 leads with 72.7%—making them the most capable coding models available. As of January 2026, Claude Code is widely considered the best AI coding assistant on the market.
Claude Code Key Capabilities
IDE Integration
- Native VS Code and JetBrains extensions
- CLI access from integrated terminal
- GitHub Actions for background tasks
Autonomous Features
- Checkpoints with instant rollback (Esc twice)
- Subagents for parallel development
- Hooks for automated testing and linting
Claude Code is available with Claude Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise subscriptions. Pay-as-you-go API credits also work.
Claude Model Benchmarks
| Model | SWE-bench | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 4 | 72.5% | Complex, multi-hour tasks requiring sustained focus |
| Claude Sonnet 4 | 72.7% | Agentic coding, powers GitHub Copilot agent |
Source: Anthropic Claude 4 Announcement
Effective Prompting Within IDEs
The quality of your vibe coding output depends heavily on how you communicate with the AI. Here are battle-tested prompting strategies that work across Cursor, Copilot, Claude, and Windsurf.
Good Prompts
"Create a React hook called useDebounce that delays updates by 300ms. Include TypeScript types.""Refactor this function to use async/await instead of .then() chains. Keep error handling.""Add input validation to this form. Email must be valid, password 8+ chars with number and symbol."
Vague Prompts (Avoid)
"Make this better"— Better how? Performance? Readability? Security?"Fix this"— What is the expected behavior?"Add authentication"— OAuth? JWT? Session-based? What provider?
Pro Prompting Tips
Include file context
Mention which files or components should be affected
Specify the tech stack
React 18, Next.js 14, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS
Define edge cases
What should happen with empty input? Null values?
Request tests
Ask for unit tests with your implementation
Iterate naturally
Chat back and forth to refine the output
Use @mentions
In Cursor/Copilot, @file or @symbol for context
Keyboard Shortcuts & Productivity Tips
Essential Shortcuts by Tool
GitHub Copilot
Cursor
Claude Code (VS Code)
Windsurf
When to Use IDE Tools vs Full Platforms
IDE-based vibe coding tools excel when you already have coding experience and want AI to accelerate your workflow. But for complete beginners or specific use cases like native mobile apps, dedicated platforms may be more effective.
Complete Tools Comparison
| Tool | Type | Price | Best For | Coding Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natively | App Platform | $5/mo | Native mobile apps (iOS/Android) | None |
| Cursor | IDE | $20/mo | Complex multi-file projects | Intermediate |
| GitHub Copilot | Extension | $10/mo | Inline suggestions, existing workflow | Intermediate |
| Windsurf | IDE | Free/$15/mo | Budget-conscious, enterprise security | Intermediate |
| Claude Code | Extension | Pro subscription | Autonomous multi-hour tasks | Advanced |
Find Your Ideal Tool
What type of project are you building?
Combining IDE Tools with Platforms Like Natively
The most effective developers in 2026 are not choosing between tools—they are combining them strategically. Here is how to create a powerful workflow that leverages both AI app builders and IDE-based vibe coding.
The Hybrid Workflow
Prototype with Natively
10 minutesDescribe your mobile app idea in plain English. Natively generates a complete React Native app with Supabase backend in minutes. No coding required.
Export Source Code
1 minuteDownload your full React Native project from Natively. You own the code completely—no vendor lock-in.
Enhance in Cursor or VS Code
As neededOpen your exported project in Cursor with Copilot. Use vibe coding for custom features, advanced animations, or third-party integrations.
Deploy via Expo
MinutesPush updates through Expo or re-import to Natively for app store deployment. Best of both worlds.
Build Native Mobile Apps Without Code
Natively generates production-ready React Native apps from plain English descriptions. Full code ownership, Supabase backend, app store deployment—from $5/month.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cursor is a purpose-built IDE for vibe coding. Install it from cursor.com, open your project, and use Cmd+K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Windows) to describe what you want to build. Cursor will generate code, refactor files, and even run terminal commands autonomously. The Pro plan at $20/month gives you access to premium models like Claude and GPT-4o for more accurate code generation.
Related Articles
Best Vibecoding Tools with Supabase
Compare vibecoding tools that integrate with Supabase for your backend.
Read moreCursor vs Natively
When to use an AI IDE versus a dedicated app builder platform.
Read moreAI App Development Guide
How artificial intelligence is transforming mobile app development.
Read more