The Modern IDE Landscape in 2025
The integrated development environment (IDE) market has undergone a dramatic transformation with the rise of AI-powered coding assistants. Google's entry with Antigravity in November 2025 has intensified competition among VSCode, Cursor, and traditional IDEs.
This comprehensive guide compares the top IDEs across key dimensions: AI capabilities, performance, pricing, extensibility, and developer experience.
🔍 At a Glance: Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Antigravity | VSCode | Cursor | JetBrains |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI Agent | ✅ Full autonomous | ⚠️ Via extensions | ✅ Built-in | ⚠️ AI Assistant |
| Price | Free (preview) | Free | $20-40/mo | $149-779/yr |
| Browser Integration | ✅ Native | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Extensions | Limited (new) | 50,000+ | VSCode compatible | Marketplace |
| Performance | Fast (Electron) | Fast (Electron) | Fast (VSCode fork) | Heavy (Java) |
| Best For | AI-first dev, Prototyping | Customization, Web dev | AI pair programming | Enterprise, Java/Kotlin |
🤖 Google Antigravity: The New Agentic IDE
What Makes Antigravity Different?
Google Antigravity, launched November 18, 2025, represents a paradigm shift in IDE design. Unlike traditional code editors with AI plugins, Antigravity is built from the ground up for agentic development.
🎯 Core Strengths
- Autonomous AI Agents: Gemini 3 Pro agents can independently write, test, and debug code
- Browser Integration: Unique ability to preview and test changes in real-time within the IDE
- Multi-pane Workflow: ChatGPT-style prompt window + editor + terminal + browser preview
- Plan-Execute-Validate: Structured workflow that plans tasks before executing
- Free During Preview: No cost with generous rate limits during public preview
Antigravity Limitations
- New Platform: Limited ecosystem compared to mature IDEs
- Cloud Dependency: Requires internet connection; no offline mode
- Extension Marketplace: Not yet available (coming soon)
- Learning Curve: Different workflow from traditional IDEs
Who Should Use Antigravity?
Best for: Solo developers, startups, rapid prototyping, full-stack web development, AI-first workflows
Not ideal for: Teams with strict code conventions, enterprise compliance requirements, offline development
💻 VSCode: The Industry Standard
Why VSCode Dominates
Visual Studio Code from Microsoft has become the most popular IDE globally (70%+ market share among web developers). Its success stems from a perfect balance of simplicity, performance, and extensibility.
🎯 Core Strengths
- 50,000+ Extensions: Massive marketplace covering every language and framework
- 100% Free: Completely free and open-source
- Lightning Fast: Optimized Electron app with excellent performance
- Universal Language Support: Works with virtually any programming language
- Git Integration: Best-in-class version control integration
- Remote Development: SSH, containers, WSL support out of the box
VSCode + AI: GitHub Copilot Integration
VSCode becomes AI-powered through extensions:
- GitHub Copilot: $10-19/month for AI code completion
- Copilot Chat: Conversational AI coding assistance
- Limitation: Not agentic - requires manual code acceptance
VSCode Limitations
- Not Agentic: AI is addon, not core functionality
- Extension Overload: Can become slow with too many extensions
- No Browser Preview: Requires external browser for testing
Who Should Use VSCode?
Best for: Everyone, especially web developers, open-source contributors, teams, polyglot developers
VSCode is the safe choice for 90% of developers.
✨ Cursor: AI-Native VSCode Fork
What is Cursor?
Cursor is a fork of VSCode rebuilt specifically for AI pair programming. It maintains VSCode compatibility while adding powerful AI features.
🎯 Core Strengths
- Best AI Chat: Superior conversational AI compared to Copilot Chat
- Multi-Model Support: GPT-4, Claude, Gemini options
- Cmd+K Inline Edits: Edit code inline with AI suggestions
- Codebase Awareness: AI understands your entire project context
- VSCode Compatible: Can use most VSCode extensions
Cursor Pricing
- Free: 2,000 completions + 50 premium requests/month
- Pro ($20/mo): Unlimited completions + 500 premium requests
- Business ($40/mo): Centralized billing + admin controls
Cursor Limitations
- Paid for Best Experience: Free tier is limited
- Not Fully Agentic: More interactive than autonomous
- VSCode Dependency: Updates lag behind VSCode
Who Should Use Cursor?
Best for: Developers who love VSCode but want better AI, professional developers willing to pay for productivity
🚀 JetBrains IDEs: The Enterprise Choice
The JetBrains Family
JetBrains offers specialized IDEs: IntelliJ IDEA (Java), PyCharm (Python), WebStorm (JavaScript), and more.
🎯 Core Strengths
- Intelligent Code Analysis: Best refactoring and static analysis
- Framework Support: Deep integration with Spring, Django, etc.
- Database Tools: Built-in database management
- Professional Features: Code coverage, profiling, decompilers
JetBrains Pricing
- Individual IDEs: $149-249/year
- All Products Pack: $779/year (first year $249)
- Free: Community editions available (limited features)
JetBrains Limitations
- Resource Heavy: High RAM usage (2-4GB typical)
- Expensive: Subscription cost adds up
- AI Limited: AI Assistant is not as advanced as Copilot or Cursor
Who Should Use JetBrains?
Best for: Enterprise Java/Kotlin development, companies with budgets, developers who value IDE intelligence over speed
📊 Head-to-Head Comparisons
Antigravity vs VSCode
| Category | Antigravity Wins | VSCode Wins |
|---|---|---|
| AI Capabilities | ✅ Native agentic AI | ❌ Extension-based |
| Ecosystem | ❌ Limited | ✅ 50,000+ extensions |
| Browser Preview | ✅ Integrated | ❌ External only |
| Maturity | ❌ Brand new | ✅ Battle-tested |
| Offline Work | ❌ Requires internet | ✅ Fully offline |
Verdict: Antigravity for AI-first development, VSCode for everything else.
Antigravity vs Cursor
| Category | Antigravity Wins | Cursor Wins |
|---|---|---|
| Autonomy | ✅ Full agentic workflow | ⚠️ Semi-autonomous |
| AI Models | Gemini 3 Pro only | ✅ GPT-4, Claude, Gemini |
| Browser Testing | ✅ Native integration | ❌ No |
| VSCode Compatibility | ❌ New platform | ✅ Full compatibility |
| Price (Full Features) | ✅ Free (preview) | $20-40/month |
Verdict: Antigravity for autonomous development, Cursor for AI-assisted coding with more control.
🎯 Which IDE Should You Choose?
Choose Antigravity if:
- You want AI to do most of the work
- You're building web applications
- You value browser preview integration
- You're prototyping or building MVPs
- You're a solo developer or small team
Choose VSCode if:
- You want maximum flexibility
- You need offline development
- You work with many languages/frameworks
- You're part of a large team
- You prefer established tools
Choose Cursor if:
- You love VSCode but want better AI
- You want to choose your AI model
- You're willing to pay for productivity
- You want AI chat during coding
- You need VSCode extensions
Choose JetBrains if:
- You work at an enterprise
- You mainly code in Java/Kotlin
- You need advanced refactoring tools
- Your company pays for tools
- You value IDE intelligence over speed
💡 Can You Use Multiple IDEs?
Yes! Many developers use different IDEs for different purposes:
- Antigravity: For quick prototypes and AI-driven experiments
- VSCode: For daily web development work
- Cursor: For complex features requiring AI assistance
- JetBrains: For specific language ecosystems (Java, Python)
The IDE landscape has never been more exciting with options for every workflow.
🔮 The Future: Hybrid Workflows
The future of development isn't about choosing one IDE forever. Expect:
- Protocol Standardization: LSP, DAP enabling consistent experience across IDEs
- Cloud-First IDEs: GitHub Codespaces, Gitpod, Replit gaining traction
- AI-Native Design: More IDEs rebuilt from scratch for AI workflows like Antigravity
- Multi-IDE Teams: Teams using different IDEs with shared tooling
📊 Final Verdict
Our Recommendations by Use Case
🥇 Best Overall IDE: VSCode (most versatile, free, huge ecosystem)
🤖 Best AI IDE: Antigravity (most autonomous, browser integration)
💬 Best AI Chat Experience: Cursor (best conversational AI)
🏢 Best for Enterprise: JetBrains IntelliJ (advanced features, support)
⚡ Best for Prototyping: Antigravity (fastest idea to working app)
🆓 Best Free Option: VSCode (completely free, no limitations)
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is Google Antigravity better than VSCode?
It depends on your priorities. Antigravity is better for AI-driven autonomous development with browser integration. VSCode is better for customization, offline work, and has a mature ecosystem.
Can I use VSCode extensions in Antigravity?
Not yet. Antigravity is a new platform and doesn't support VSCode extensions. This feature may be added in the future.
Is Cursor worth paying for vs free Copilot?
Yes, if you want better AI chat experience and multi-model support. Cursor's AI is more conversational and context-aware than Copilot.
Can I switch from VSCode to Antigravity easily?
Partially. You can open VSCode projects in Antigravity, but you'll need to adapt to a different workflow focused on AI agents rather than manual coding.
Which IDE uses least resources?
VSCode and Cursor are the lightest (Electron-based). Antigravity is similar. JetBrains IDEs are the heaviest (Java-based, 2-4GB RAM typical).