"Leading the pack has been the rise in agentic coding tools. These tools, such as Gemini Jules, Claude Code, and OpenAI Codex, are capable of writing entire programs and products. I put both Codex and Claude Code to the test, creating four plug-in add-on security products for WordPress using Codex, as well as a full-featured iPhone app using Claude Code."
"Also: I stopped using ChatGPT for everything: These AI models beat it at research, coding, and more I use other AI tools, too. In fact, I've added a few new ones to the lineup this year. In this article, I'm going to show you the AI tools I entered the year with, the products I kept, the products I added, the products I dumped, and any that are currently on the chopping block."
"Keep in mind two factors as you read over this end-of-year accounting. First, I still use many of the free AI tools I've reviewed here on ZDNET. And second, even though I review their products, I pay for all the pro versions of these tools out of my own pocket. That way, you know the AI companies have no influence over what I'm telling you."
The 2025 emergence of agentic AI elevated development capabilities, with agentic coding tools like Gemini Jules, Claude Code, and OpenAI Codex capable of writing entire programs and products. Codex produced four plug-in add-on security products for WordPress while Claude Code produced a full-featured iPhone app. Total 2025 AI spending reached $1,665, including roughly $300 on agentic coding tools that compressed years of coding into days. The initial toolset included Midjourney, ChatGPT Plus, and Adobe Creative Cloud, with cumulative spend of $500 by May. Many free AI tools remain in use, and pro subscriptions were purchased to maintain vendor independence.
Read at ZDNET
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