The Ultimate Vibe Coding Stack 2025
Vibe coding is about momentum. It's that feeling when the tools get out of your way, and you're just building. In 2025, the landscape has exploded with "agentic" tools that don't just autocomplete code—they write it, fix it, and deploy it.
We've tested them all. Here is the ultimate stack for the modern vibe coder.
The Champion IDE: Cursor
The "It Just Works" Choice.
Cursor remains the king of vibe. With the release of Cursor 2.0 and the Composer agent, it has mastered the balance between being a familiar editor (it's a VS Code fork) and a futuristic coding partner.
- Vibe Check: 9.5/10
- Killer Feature: "Composer" mode (Cmd+I) lets you edit multiple files with a single prompt. It feels like magic.
- Why it wins: It's reliable, fast, and the "Tab" autocomplete is still the best in the game.
Honorable Mention: Antigravity is the new challenger from Google, bringing Gemini 3 Pro and deep browser integration. Watch this space.
Read our deep dive on Native AI IDEs here
The Web Builder: Bolt.new
From Prompt to Production in Seconds.
If you want to build a full-stack app without touching a terminal, Bolt.new is the answer. It sets up the environment, installs packages, and runs the dev server right in your browser.
- Vibe Check: 9/10
- Killer Feature: One-click deployment to Netlify. You can go from "idea" to "URL" in under 60 seconds.
- Why it wins: It handles the boring stuff (setup, config) so you can focus on the product.
Read our comparison of Web Builders here
The CLI Agent: Aider
For the Terminal Purists.
Aider is the open-source hero. It lives in your terminal and works with your existing editor. It's git-aware, meaning it makes sensible commits for you.
- Vibe Check: 9.5/10
- Killer Feature:
Architectmode. Ask it to "add a voice chat feature," and it will plan the files, edit the code, and fix the bugs. - Why it wins: It's free, open-source, and works with any model (Claude, GPT-4, Gemini).
Explore more Agentic CLI Tools here
The Essential Extension: GitHub Copilot
The Reliable Sidekick.
If you can't switch IDEs, GitHub Copilot is the must-have extension. In 2025, it's evolved with "Agent Mode" and deeper integration into VS Code.
- Vibe Check: 9/10
- Killer Feature: Deep integration with GitHub. It knows your PRs, your issues, and your repo history better than you do.
- Why it wins: It's everywhere. VS Code, JetBrains, Xcode—it just works.
Read our guide to Top AI Extensions here
Conclusion
The "best" tool is the one that keeps you in the flow.
- Want a new editor? Cursor.
- Building a web app fast? Bolt.new.
- Love the terminal? Aider.
- Stuck in corporate VS Code? Copilot.
Pick your weapon and start building.
