AI has completely transformed how I write code. What used to take hours of Stack Overflow diving and documentation hunting now happens in minutes with the right AI tools. After experimenting with dozens of platforms, these are the seven tools that actually made it into my daily workflow.
I switch between Factory Droids and OpenCode as my daily harnesses depending on the task at hand. When I need to tackle a lot of unrelated changes in parallel, I switch to Conductor - it gives me isolated environments with built-in git utilities that make shipping features incredibly fast.
OpenCode
The open source AI coding agent with 41K+ GitHub stars. Offers free models included or connects to any model from any provider (Claude, GPT, Gemini). Available as terminal interface, desktop app, and IDE extension. Features LSP support, multi-session parallel agents, shareable session links, and Claude Pro integration. Privacy-first - stores no code or context data.
Factory
Agent-native software development platform with “Droids” that work everywhere you do - IDE, web browser, CLI, Slack/Teams, and project managers. Delegate complete tasks like refactors, incident response, and migrations without changing tools or workflow. Enterprise-grade security with industry-leading compliance. Interface and vendor agnostic.
Conductor
Run a team of coding agents on your Mac. Create parallel Codex + Claude Code agents in isolated workspaces using git worktrees. See at a glance what each agent is working on, then review and merge their changes. Beautiful native macOS UI. Trusted by engineers at Stripe, Life360, Notion, and more.
Oh My OpenCode
The #1 OpenCode plugin - “coding on steroids.” Async subagents (like Claude Code), curated agents with proper models (Oracle for debugging with GPT-5.2, Librarian with Claude Sonnet 4.5, Frontend Engineer with Gemini 3 Pro), LSP/AST tools, curated MCPs, and Claude Code compatibility layer. 2.9K+ stars. “If Claude Code does in 7 days what a human does in 3 months, Sisyphus does it in 1 hour.”
VibeProxy
Native macOS menu bar app to use your Claude Code, ChatGPT, Gemini, Qwen, and Antigravity subscriptions with AI coding tools like Factory Droids - no separate API keys needed. One-click OAuth authentication, multi-account support with automatic failover when rate-limited, and real-time status monitoring. Stop paying twice for AI.
CodexBar
Tiny macOS menu bar app that keeps your OpenAI Codex and Claude Code usage limits visible (5-hour/session + weekly windows) and shows when each window resets. No login required. Dynamic bar icons show remaining usage at a glance. Essential for managing AI subscriptions without surprises.
Portal
My own project that I built for those times when I’m away from my computer but still want to code. Portal gives me access to OpenCode from my phone, so I can kick off tasks, review changes, or keep projects moving even when I’m not at my desk.
These tools work together like a well-orchestrated symphony. OpenCode handles the heavy lifting with its powerful agents, Factory manages complex multi-step tasks, Conductor keeps everything organized when I need parallel agents, Oh My OpenCode extends capabilities when I hit edge cases, VibeProxy ensures I never hit rate limits, and CodexBar keeps me informed about usage. The result? I ship code faster and better than ever before.