10-Tool Cheatsheet

April 30, 2026 · View on GitHub

10-Tool Cheatsheet

Key parameters, commands, and hotkeys for all 10 tools on one page. Models and pricing move fast — check each tool's website for the current truth.

Snapshot date: 2026-04

1. Pick a Tool in 30 Seconds

What you want	First pick	Alternatives
Tab completion inside an IDE	Cursor	Copilot / Windsurf / Trae
Agent in the terminal for complex tasks	Claude Code	Codex CLI / Aider / Gemini CLI
Already subscribed to ChatGPT	Codex CLI	Cursor with GPT
Analyze a huge codebase in one pass	Gemini CLI (2M context)	Aider + map mode
Tight budget / zero cost	Trae (free) or Gemini CLI (free tier)	Aider + local models; or `codex --oss --local-provider ollama`
Direct network in China (no VPN)	Trae	OpenClaw + local model
Team collaboration, spec-driven	Kiro (Spec)	Claude Code plan mode
Git-native, multi-model	Aider	—
AI agent automation (beyond coding)	OpenClaw	—
Stick with VS Code, nothing new to install	Copilot	Cursor/Windsurf/Trae are VS Code forks

2. Capability Matrix

Dimension	Claude Code	Codex CLI	Cursor	Copilot	Windsurf	Gemini CLI	Kiro	Aider	Trae	OpenClaw
Type	CLI	CLI	IDE	IDE plugin	IDE	CLI	IDE	CLI	IDE	Agent framework
Vendor	Anthropic	OpenAI	Cursor	GitHub	Codeium	Google	AWS	OSS	ByteDance	OSS
Tab completion	—	—	★★★	★★★	★★★	—	★★	—	★★	—
Agent execution	★★★	★★★	★★★	★★★	★★★	★★	★★	★★	★★	★★★
Runs in terminal	★★★	★★★	★	—	★	★★★	—	★★★	—	★★★
Context window	200K	per model	per model	per model	per model	2M	per model	per model	per model	per model
MCP support	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	Extension-based	—	—	—	Native
Hook automation	✅	✅ (beta, reuses Claude schema)	—	—	—	—	✅	✅ (lint/test)	—	✅ (Cron)
Subagent	✅	✅ (TOML)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	✅ (workspaces)
Sandbox	App-layer + hooks	OS-kernel (Seatbelt/Landlock)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Multi-model	★ (Claude only)	★ (OpenAI only)	★★★	★★	★★★	★ (Gemini only)	★★	★★★ (almost any LLM)	★★	★★★
Open source	—	✅ Apache-2.0	—	—	—	—	—	✅ MIT	—	✅ MIT
Direct access in China	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	✅	✅ (with local model)
Pricing model	API / Pro plan	ChatGPT plan / API	Free / $20 Pro	Free / $10 Pro	Free / paid plan	Generous free tier	Free preview	Whatever LLM you pick	Free (with quota)	OSS free

3. Config Files at a Glance

Knowing where each tool keeps its config is half the onboarding battle.

Tool	Main config	Location	Notes
Claude Code	`CLAUDE.md` + `.claude/`	Project root	Keep under 200 lines; split to `.claude/rules/` for big projects
Codex CLI	`AGENTS.md` + `.codex/config.toml`	Project root	`~/.codex/AGENTS.md` for global; nested AGENTS.md overrides parents
Cursor	`.cursor/rules/*.md`	Project root	Supports `globs` for file-type loading
Copilot	`.github/copilot-instructions.md`	Project root	Plus `agents/` and `chatModes/` in same dir
Windsurf	`.windsurfrules`	Project root	Single file, no splitting
Gemini CLI	`GEMINI.md`	Project root	Structure similar to CLAUDE.md
Kiro	`.kiro/steering/*.md`	Project root	Three modes: `always` / `globs` / `manual`
Aider	`.aider.conf.yml`	Project root	YAML with model/lint/test settings
Trae	`.trae/rules/project_rules.md`	Project root	Chinese rules supported
OpenClaw	`~/.openclaw/openclaw.json`	User home	JSON5, hot-reloaded

4. Essential Commands

Claude Code

# Install & run
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
claude                          # Enter interactive
claude --resume                 # Resume last session
claude --model haiku            # Cheap model for simple tasks
claude -p "task" --output-format json   # Headless

# Inside the session
/compact                        # Compress context
/plan                           # Enter plan mode
Esc                             # Interrupt current generation

Codex CLI

# Install & run
npm install -g @openai/codex
codex                              # Enter TUI (first-run guides ChatGPT login)
codex --sandbox workspace-write    # Default combo (`--full-auto` removed in v0.125.0; use this)
codex --sandbox read-only          # Read-only exploration
codex --add-dir ../sibling-repo    # Add writable dirs without opening the whole sandbox
codex --yolo                       # Skip sandbox AND approvals (only when externally sandboxed)
codex exec --json "..." | jq -c .  # JSONL output for downstream scripts
codex --oss --local-provider ollama -m qwen2.5-coder   # Free, fully local
codex mcp-server                   # Expose Codex as MCP server for other agents
codex resume                       # Resume last session

# Inside the TUI
/init                              # Scaffold AGENTS.md
/plan       Shift+Tab              # Plan mode
/model                             # Switch model
/review                            # Review diff / branch / commit
/compact                           # Compress conversation
/agent                             # Switch between subagent threads
/diff                              # Git diff (including untracked)
/debug-config                      # Diagnose config.toml not taking effect

Cursor

Tab             — Accept completion
Cmd+L           — Open Chat (selection auto-attached)
Cmd+I           — Open Composer (agent mode)
Cmd+K           — Inline edit
Cmd+Shift+L     — Add current file to Chat context
Esc             — Reject completion

@file @folder @web @terminal     — References
@notepad:name                    — Reference a Notepad

GitHub Copilot

Tab             — Accept completion
Esc             — Reject completion
Cmd+Shift+I     — Open Chat
Cmd+I           — Inline edit
Alt+] / Alt+[   — Cycle completion suggestions

#file #selection #terminal #problems   — References
@workspace                              — Whole-project context

Windsurf

Write mode      — Direct code changes (like Composer)
Chat mode       — Q&A

@file @folder @web     — References
Cascade tracks your edit flow automatically — no need to paste context

Gemini CLI

npm install -g @google/gemini-cli
gemini                          # Enter interactive
# Use the 2M context for big-codebase analysis (overkill for small tasks)

Kiro

1. Describe need → 2. Kiro writes Spec → 3. You review → 4. Auto-implement + test

Steering load modes:
- always            Loaded every conversation
- globs: ["*.java"] Loaded for matching files
- manual            Invoked on demand

Aider

# Install & run
pip install aider-chat
aider --model claude-sonnet-4-5
aider --model deepseek/deepseek-chat   # Cheap
aider --model ollama/qwen2.5-coder     # Free, local

# Inside the session
/add file1 file2      — Add files to context
/drop file            — Remove file
/code                 — Code mode (edit directly)
/ask                  — Ask mode (no edits)
/architect            — Design first, then implement

Trae

Builder mode    — Agent, multi-file edits
Chat mode       — Q&A

@file @folder @web     — References
Free models: Claude / GPT, pick per task complexity

OpenClaw

openclaw onboard                    # Initial setup
openclaw gateway start              # Start the gateway
openclaw doctor                     # Diagnostics

openclaw skills install <slug>      # Install a Skill
openclaw cron add "0 9 * * *" "..."  # Scheduled task
openclaw models set default <model>  # Switch model
openclaw channels add telegram       # Add messaging channel

5. Decision Flow

┌─ Mostly working in a terminal?
│   ├─ Strongest Agent / big refactors → Claude Code
│   ├─ Already on ChatGPT / kernel-level sandbox → Codex CLI
│   ├─ Huge context / free → Gemini CLI
│   └─ Multi-model / Git-native → Aider
│
├─ Mostly in an IDE?
│   ├─ Don't want a new IDE    → GitHub Copilot (VS Code/JetBrains plugin)
│   ├─ Willing to switch, budget ok → Cursor
│   ├─ Want the AI to be proactive  → Windsurf
│   ├─ Chinese UI / local network / free → Trae
│   └─ Team / spec-driven      → Kiro
│
└─ Non-coding AI automation?
    └─ Multi-platform, cron, skills → OpenClaw

6. Recommended Combos

Combo	When
Claude Code + Cursor	Most popular full-stack combo: CLI for heavy lifting, IDE for daily work
Codex CLI + Cursor	For ChatGPT subscribers: CLI as Agent, IDE for completions
Codex CLI + Claude Code	Two CLIs, complementary: Codex for CI/scripts, Claude Code for big refactors
Claude Code + Copilot	Lightweight for pure VS Code users
Gemini CLI + Cursor	Budget-conscious: 2M free analysis + $20 IDE
Aider + local LLM	Zero API cost: `ollama/qwen2.5-coder` + Aider
Codex CLI --oss + Ollama	Zero API cost but you want Codex's agent experience: kernel-level sandbox + local model
Claude Code + OpenClaw	Coding + automation: CC codes, OpenClaw runs scheduled tasks

See Tool Selection Guide and Real-World Scenarios for details.

7. Further Reading

Per-tool deep dives: each tool's README at the project root
Prompt techniques: common/prompting.en.md
Methodology overview: see the Universal Methodologies section in the main README