Compare AI tools

	Cursor S	Windsurf A	Sudowrite S	Perplexity S
Tagline	VS Code fork that made AI coding actually work.	Codeium's agentic IDE. Cascade agent + strong free tier.	AI writing tool built specifically for fiction writers.	AI search done right. Cited answers, not chat theater.
Category	coding	coding	writing	research
Pricing	Free + $20/mo Pro + $40/mo Business	Free + $15/mo Pro	$19-$59/mo	Free + $20/mo Pro
Best for	Developers. Non-developers who want to ship working code.	Developers who want Cursor-like power for less money.	Novelists, screenwriters, fiction short-form writers.	Replacing Google for any question where you want a cited answer in seconds.
Strengths	Tab completion feels like mind-reading Composer for multi-file edits Runs Claude, GPT, Gemini — you pick	Cheaper than Cursor Cascade agent for multi-file tasks Solid free tier	Brainstorm, expand, rewrite modes designed for fiction Story Bible for character + plot tracking Understands voice + tone better than generic chatbots	Sources every claim Fast, current answers Pro Search runs multi-step research Spaces for persistent context
Weaknesses	Can feel overwhelming for non-coders Expensive at scale	Smaller community Model selection more limited	Pricey for casual use Fiction-only focus — not for business writing	Not a general chatbot Answers can be shallow on complex topics
Kai's verdict	S-tier for coding. If you write code of any kind, this pays back the $20 in a day.	A-tier. Close second to Cursor. If $5/mo matters, start here.	S-tier for fiction. If you're writing a novel, this beats raw ChatGPT every time.	S-tier for search. I use it before Google now. If you're still Googling everything, try this for a week.
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