Arunangshu Das

Posted on Jun 9

Top 10 VS Code Extensions That Write Code for You

#ai #discuss #vscode #extensions

In 2025, it's not just about linting and formatting code anymore. We’re in the era where your IDE can actually write code for you.

Imagine this:

Auto-completing entire functions
Refactoring legacy code intelligently
Writing tests before you even think about edge cases
Generating docs and comments that sound like you

Sounds futuristic? It’s not.

Here are the Top 10 VS Code Extensions that actually *write code for you* — not just suggest, but autonomously generate useful code to boost productivity.

1. GitHub Copilot – The OG AI Coding Partner

Why It’s Amazing:

GitHub Copilot, powered by OpenAI Codex, is like having an AI pair programmer who’s read every line of code on GitHub. It understands your coding context and completes functions, writes boilerplate, and even suggests entire algorithms.

What It Can Do:

Suggests whole blocks of code as you type
Writes SQL queries from natural language prompts
Converts comments into working code
Works with multiple languages: JS, Python, Go, Rust, etc.

Best Use Cases:

Writing APIs
Generating complex regex patterns
Building UIs in React/Vue quickly

Pro Tip: You can use natural language comments like // create a RESTful GET endpoint — and Copilot will do the rest.

2. CodeWhisperer by AWS – AI-Powered for Cloud Developers

What Makes It Special:

AWS’s answer to GitHub Copilot, CodeWhisperer is designed with cloud development in mind. It provides real-time code suggestions while understanding best practices for cloud-native applications.

What It Can Do:

Writes Lambda functions from comments
Suggests secure coding patterns
Helps write infrastructure-as-code (IaC)

Ideal For:

AWS ecosystem developers
Serverless and Lambda-heavy apps
Writing IAM policies and AWS SDK calls

Pro Tip: Use CodeWhisperer when working inside SAM templates or CDK scripts — it will drastically reduce trial-and-error coding.

3. Tabnine – Context-Aware Autocompletion on Steroids

Why Developers Love It:

Tabnine uses generative AI but keeps it local-first. If you’re concerned about cloud data privacy, this is your guy. It integrates with VS Code and suggests full-line or full-function autocompletions.

What It Can Do:

Learns from your codebase and team conventions
Integrates with JetBrains, VS Code, etc.
Works offline in Pro versions

Best Use Cases:

Enterprise projects with sensitive code
Teams working on proprietary codebases
Speeding up repetitive coding

Pro Tip: Let Tabnine analyze your codebase to get better predictions — it adapts over time.

4. CodeGeeX – Multilingual Coding AI

What Sets It Apart:

CodeGeeX is a powerful AI coder with a unique twist: it supports more than 20 languages, making it great for polyglot projects.

What It Can Do:

Translate code between languages
Write boilerplate from docstrings or prompts
Integrate smoothly with VS Code

Use Cases:

Writing Python, JS, Go, or C++ in the same project
Converting old code to modern stacks
Teaching AI to write in “your style”

Pro Tip: Use it alongside GitHub Copilot for multilingual synergy.

5. Blackbox AI – AI that Reads and Writes Code Snippets

Unique Feature:

Blackbox doesn’t just autocomplete — it helps you search any code on the internet and integrates the output directly into your editor.

What It Can Do:

Find and insert snippets from public repos
Extract logic from your existing code
Turn natural language into code

Use Cases:

Copy-paste from Stack Overflow, but safer and smarter
Writing helper functions on the fly
Speeding up learning new frameworks

Pro Tip: Highlight a bug or chunk of code, right-click, and get suggestions from Blackbox — it works surprisingly well.

6. Codeium – 100% Free Copilot Alternative

Best Part:

If you're looking for something like GitHub Copilot but without the subscription, Codeium might be your perfect pick.

What It Can Do:

Offers multiline suggestions
Supports over 70+ programming languages
Integrates with VS Code, Jupyter, and more

Best Use Cases:

Students and open-source contributors
Freelancers and indie developers
Offline or restricted environments

Pro Tip: It works great with Python notebooks — ideal for data science workflows.

7. AutoRegex – Convert English to Regex Instantly

Regex Frustration? Solved.

Writing regex is hard. AutoRegex converts human language into regex expressions — right inside VS Code.

What It Can Do:

Converts English like “match a 10-digit phone number” to regex
Highlights match groups for testing
Saves tons of time debugging patterns

Use Cases:

Form validations
Scraping data
Configuring log parsers or search patterns

Pro Tip: Combine it with Live Server or Regex Previewer for faster testing.

8. Polarr AI Code Helper – Natural Language to Code Blocks

What Makes It Cool:

Polarr AI is still a bit of a hidden gem, but its ability to write code from rich natural language queries is impressive.

What It Can Do:

Answer “how to” questions with actual runnable code
Insert entire logic blocks
Improve or rewrite selected code

Great For:

Beginners still learning syntax
Non-tech founders writing first prototypes
Speeding up brainstorming

Pro Tip: Use it with markdown code blocks in .md files — perfect for documenting solutions and generating example snippets.

9. QuillBot for Code Comments – Write & Rewrite Documentation

Unique Angle:

QuillBot is known for its writing capabilities, but now it also helps developers write clean comments and documentation with natural tone and structure.

What It Can Do:

Summarize code functionality
Paraphrase comments to sound more professional
Generate inline docstrings

Use Cases:

API documentation
Refactoring old code with messy comments
Open-source contributions

Pro Tip: Highlight a confusing comment and hit “Rephrase” — QuillBot will make it clearer instantly.

10. AI Doc Writer by Mintlify – Write Docs from Code

Why It’s a Game-Changer:

Mintlify helps generate intelligent, clean, and structured documentation directly from your code, using GPT-like intelligence.

What It Can Do:

Generate JSDoc or Python docstrings
Autocomplete documentation sections
Syncs with live code changes

Best For:

SaaS product APIs
Open-source projects
Creating clean READMEs or SDK guides

Pro Tip: Run this after every new feature — you’ll never leave your docs outdated again.

Honorable Mentions

(These didn’t make the top 10, but they’re worth exploring)

Kite – Discontinued in 2022 but worth noting for legacy users
DeepCode – Analyzes code and suggests better implementations
AI Code Reviewer – Does AI-based review and feedback
AskTheCode – Let’s you ask questions about your codebase like a chatbot

Final Thoughts: Let the IDE Work for You

Here’s the truth:
In 2025, coding is no longer just about typing fast or remembering syntax. It’s about how intelligently you can delegate routine tasks to AI and focus on design, architecture, and creativity.

These extensions are not cheating.
They’re your modern coding toolbox.
They don’t replace you — they elevate you.

TL;DR — Extensions at a Glance

Extension	Highlights	Best For
GitHub Copilot	AI pair programmer	Full-stack devs, startups
AWS CodeWhisperer	Cloud-native suggestions	AWS projects, serverless
Tabnine	Local-first autocomplete	Enterprises, privacy-focused teams
CodeGeeX	Polyglot code support	Multi-language projects
Blackbox AI	Snippet-based AI coding	Bug fixes, code search
Codeium	Free Copilot alternative	Beginners, freelancers
AutoRegex	Converts English to Regex	DevOps, validators, scrapers
Polarr AI	Free-style code generator	Prototyping, early-stage dev
QuillBot for Code	Write & clean up comments	Docs, code reviews
Mintlify Doc Writer	Autogenerates project docs	API projects, SaaS, open source