In this blog, we’ll explore the best free AI tools for coding, how they work, and how you can get started with them—without spending a dime.
- GitHub Copilot (Free for Students and OSS Developers)
GitHub Copilot, developed by GitHub and OpenAI, is one of the most popular AI code assistants in the world. While it is a paid tool for most users, students and open-source contributors can access it for free through GitHub’s Education Pack.
What It Does:
- Suggests entire code snippets or functions as you type
- Supports dozens of languages including Python, JavaScript, and Go
- Works inside VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, and Neovim
Why Use It?
Copilot drastically reduces time spent writing boilerplate code or googling syntax. It understands your intent based on comments and variable names, making it feel like pair programming with an experienced coder.
- Codeium
Codeium is a completely free AI-powered code completion tool with no usage caps. It integrates with over 70 IDEs and supports more than 40 languages. Unlike Copilot, Codeium’s core offering remains 100% free for individual developers.
What It Does:
- Real-time autocompletion
- Multi-language support including Python, Java, C++, and more
- Built-in chat AI for explanations and debugging
Why Use It?
It’s lightweight, blazing fast, and free—perfect for developers who want AI assistance without a subscription. Whether you're a student, hobbyist, or freelance developer, Codeium offers reliable and accurate code suggestions.
- Amazon CodeWhisperer (Individual Tier)
Amazon CodeWhisperer is AWS’s answer to Copilot. The Individual Tier is free and includes unlimited code suggestions with support for popular languages like Python, Java, and JavaScript.
What It Does:
- Context-aware code suggestions based on current file and project
- Flags potential security vulnerabilities in code
- Seamless integration with IDEs like VS Code and JetBrains
Why Use It?
If you're already using AWS services, CodeWhisperer makes perfect sense. It even integrates with AWS SDKs to provide relevant cloud-based code snippets, saving you time on infrastructure tasks.
- Keploy – Free AI Testing Tool for Developers
Testing is a critical part of software development, and Keploy brings AI to the testing table—completely free. Keploy is an open-source API testing tool that auto-generates unit, integration, and E2E tests from real API traffic.
What It Does:
- Captures and replays real API requests
- Automatically creates mocks and test cases
- Supports multiple languages like Python, Go, Java
Why Use It?
Keploy eliminates the need for manual test writing, saving developers hours of repetitive work. It’s especially powerful if you're building microservices or REST APIs and want to ensure high test coverage from day one.
???? Try Keploy on GitHub
- Replit Ghostwriter (Free Tier)
Replit Ghostwriter is an AI code assistant built into the Replit online IDE. While the full version is paid, Replit offers free credits that allow developers to try Ghostwriter features like AI code suggestions and debugging.
What It Does:
- Real-time code suggestions inside browser-based IDE
- Converts natural language prompts into code
- Debugs and explains code snippets
Why Use It?
If you're learning to code or want to code directly in your browser, Replit + Ghostwriter is a solid combo. It’s particularly useful for quick prototyping and learning new languages.
- Tabnine (Free Tier)
Tabnine is a well-known AI code assistant that offers a free basic tier with code completion and IDE support. It’s trained on open-source repositories and provides privacy-focused suggestions locally.
What It Does:
- AI-based code autocompletion
- IDE plugins for VS Code, IntelliJ, and more
- Local model support (no code sent to the cloud)
Why Use It?
For developers concerned about data privacy, Tabnine’s local suggestions are ideal. The free tier is generous enough for solo developers and supports all major languages.
How to Choose the Right Free Coding AI Tool
Here’s a quick comparison to help you decide:
| Tool | Best For | Free Plan Includes |
| GitHub Copilot | Students and open-source devs | Full Copilot experience (limited access) |
| Codeium | All developers | Unlimited code suggestions |
| CodeWhisperer | AWS developers | Unlimited usage (individual tier) |
| Keploy | API developers & testers | Full open-source test automation |
| Replit Ghostwriter | Beginners & browser coders | Limited free credits for AI help |
| Tabnine | Privacy-conscious devs | Autocomplete with local model |
Final Thoughts
AI is no longer just hype—it’s here, and it’s helping developers build faster, better, and smarter. Whether you’re looking to generate boilerplate code, test APIs, or fix bugs, there’s a free AI coding tool for you.
Start experimenting with these tools today. Combine them with your favorite IDE and see how much more productive and creative you can become. Coding is no longer a solo journey—AI is your new coding partner.
Read more https://keploy.io/blog/community/best-free-ai-code-generators