How to Boost Your Coding Speed by 200% Using AI Tools

As indie hackers and solo founders, we often find ourselves stretched thin, trying to ship products while juggling multiple tasks. One of the biggest bottlenecks? Coding. If you’re looking to boost your coding speed by 200% (yes, really), AI tools can be a game changer.

In this guide, I'm sharing a list of AI coding tools that can help you write code faster, debug smarter, and streamline your workflow. We’ve tried many of these tools ourselves, and I'm here to break down what works, what doesn’t, and how you can get started.

Prerequisites

Before diving into these tools, you'll want to ensure you have:

• A basic understanding of coding (JavaScript, Python, etc.)
• A good code editor like VSCode or JetBrains
• An open mind for experimenting with AI solutions

Time Estimate

You can implement these tools and see a boost in your coding speed in about 2-3 hours.

AI Coding Tools We Use

Here’s a breakdown of the AI coding tools that can help you increase your productivity, along with their pricing and limitations.

| Tool Name | Pricing | Best For | Limitations | Our Take | |--------------------|----------------------------|-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| | GitHub Copilot | $10/mo | Autocompleting code in real-time | May suggest incorrect code | We use this for quick code snippets. | | Tabnine | Free, Pro at $12/mo | Autocomplete suggestions | Limited context understanding | Great for common patterns but can miss edge cases. | | Replit | Free tier, Pro at $20/mo | Collaborative coding | Performance can lag with large files| We've found it useful for pair programming. | | Codeium | Free | Code suggestions across languages | Limited integration options | Useful for quick fixes, but not a replacement for deep work. | | Sourcery | Free, Pro at $19/mo | Code review and refactoring | Only supports Python | Excellent for improving code quality. | | DeepCode | Free for open-source, Pro at $30/mo | Static code analysis | Limited language support | We don't use this because we prefer more integrated tools. | | AI Dungeon | Free, Pro at $15/mo | Game development | Focused mainly on narrative coding | Fun for prototyping game ideas. | | Codex by OpenAI | Pay-per-use | Complex code generation | Costs can add up quickly | We use it for generating boilerplate code. | | Ponic | $0-20/mo | AI-driven code documentation | Learning curve for setup | Great for keeping docs in sync with code. | | Jupyter Notebook with AI integrations | Free | Data science and visualization | Requires setup for AI features | We use this for quick data analysis. | | AI-Enhanced Git | Free | Version control insights | Limited to GitHub | Helpful for understanding changes over time. | | Codeium | Free | General coding assistance | Lacks deep learning capabilities | Good for basic tasks but not for complex problems. | | Cogram | $29/mo | AI pair programming | Not as intuitive as others | We don't use this because of the cost. | | Kite | Free, Pro at $16.60/mo | Python coding assistance | Limited to Python | We use it for Python projects. | | Glitch | Free, Pro at $10/mo | Rapid prototyping | Performance issues with large apps | Fun for quick projects, but not for serious work. |

What We Actually Use

In our experience at Built This Week, we primarily use GitHub Copilot for coding assistance and Kite for Python projects. They strike the right balance between functionality and ease of use.

Decision Framework: Choose the Right Tool

When selecting an AI coding tool, consider the following:

• Choose GitHub Copilot if you want real-time code suggestions and are working in a collaborative environment.
• Choose Tabnine if you prefer a free tool that integrates well with various IDEs and offers decent autocomplete features.
• Choose Sourcery if you are primarily coding in Python and need help with code quality and refactoring.

Conclusion: Start Here

To kickstart your journey in boosting your coding speed, I recommend starting with GitHub Copilot. It’s one of the most versatile tools out there and can significantly improve your coding efficiency in just a few hours.

Experiment with these tools, find what fits your workflow, and watch your coding speed soar.