A guide to supercharging Claude Code with Skills and the Model Context Protocol (MCP), including running Claude Code in an IDE like Cursor or VS Code. It covers setting up Skills, connecting to MCP servers, and combining both for powerful workflows.
An overview of the top AI-powered coding tools available in 2025, including Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf, VSCode, and others, highlighting their features and popularity among developers.
| **Tool** | **Developer** | **Key Features** | **Notes** |
|-------------------|----------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **Cursor** | Anysphere | AI-powered autocomplete, code rewriting, agent mode, integrates with Web resources | Most popular AI-focused IDE, fork of VSCode |
| **Claude Code** | Anthropic | Works in MacOS/Linux terminal, command-line interface, high control over workflow | Preferred by developers who like command-line tools |
| **Windsurf** | Codeium (acquired by OpenAI)| AI autocorrect, agentic AI, Cascade interface, works in other IDEs (e.g., Jetbrains) | Rebranded from Codeium, acquired by OpenAI for $3 billion |
| **VSCode** | Microsoft | Extensions support, GitHub Copilot (agent mode in preview), slow AI integration | Popular IDE, but slower to adopt AI features compared to startups |
| **Vibe Coding Tools** | Various (e.g., Lovable, Replit, Bolt, Firebase) | Chat interface, no software installation, browser-based, minimal coding required | Designed for "vibe coding," where users describe what they want to build |
| **Other Tools** | OpenAI, Mistral, Apple, etc. | Codex (OpenAI), Mistral Code, Apple’s AI tools, Zed, Devin (AI software engineer) | Rapidly evolving, many new tools emerging frequently |
| **Tool** | **Developer** | **Key Features** | **Notes** |
|-------------------|----------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **Cursor** | Anysphere | AI-powered autocomplete, code rewriting, agent mode, integrates with Web resources | Most popular AI-focused IDE, fork of VSCode |
| **Claude Code** | Anthropic | Works in MacOS/Linux terminal, command-line interface, high control over workflow | Preferred by developers who like command-line tools |
| **Windsurf** | Codeium (acquired by OpenAI)| AI autocorrect, agentic AI, Cascade interface, works in other IDEs (e.g., Jetbrains) | Rebranded from Codeium, acquired by OpenAI for $3 billion |
| **VSCode** | Microsoft | Extensions support, GitHub Copilot (agent mode in preview), slow AI integration | Popular IDE, but slower to adopt AI features compared to startups |
| **Vibe Coding Tools** | Various (e.g., Lovable, Replit, Bolt, Firebase) | Chat interface, no software installation, browser-based, minimal coding required | Designed for "vibe coding," where users describe what they want to build |
| **Other Tools** | OpenAI, Mistral, Apple, etc. | Codex (OpenAI), Mistral Code, Apple’s AI tools, Zed, Devin (AI software engineer) | Rapidly evolving, many new tools emerging frequently |
