Group Vibe-Coding Project Brief

Build and present a small, end-to-end application in groups of 2–3 using the vibe-coding tools. The goal is rapid, AI-assisted delivery with clear prompts, minimal hand-coding, and a tight presentation.

What to build

• Pick a simple but end-to-end app (e.g., habit tracker, mini ticket board, event RSVP, micro SaaS landing with signup). This can be a chance to prototype your capstone idea—don’t over-hunt for data.
• Scope for 1–2 core user journeys; keep the rest as stretch goals.
• Favor AI IDE/CLI agents for glue code (VSCode Copilot, Cursor, OpenAI Codex CLI, Antigravity, Windsurf, Claude Code, Cline, OpenCode) and hosted AI builders for UI (v0, Lovable, Bolt.new, Emergent).
• Most tools have free tiers; you can try multiple without paying.

Process

1. Formation & setup: Create a repo, assign roles (Driver, Prompt Engineer, QA/Tester, Presenter). Rotate Driver/Prompt Engineer mid-way.
2. Tooling: Choose at least two tools from the table. Note why you picked them.
3. Prompting: Ask chatbots to draft strong prompts for what you want to do. Use AGENTS.md to store and update project instructions (see https://agents.md).
4. Build loops: Ship in short cycles (plan → prompt → review → adjust). Keep manual edits minimal; prefer refining prompts.
5. Testing: Add quick checks (e.g., smoke test script, manual checklist).
6. Polish: Add basic styling or data fixtures so the demo feels real.
7. Presentation prep: Dry-run the demo; ensure repo instructions work on a clean machine.

Deliverables (due at presentation)

• Running app with clear start instructions in README.md (or link to hosted preview).
• AGENTS.md with instructions for the AI tools.
• A 5-minute live demo covering: problem, user journey, tool choice, key prompts, what worked/failed, and what you’d do next.

Evaluation (keep it lightweight)

• Outcome: Does the core user journey work end-to-end?
• Prompt craft: Did you steer the tools effectively (specific, iterative prompts)?
• Tool fit: Were tool choices justified and used, not just listed?
• Collaboration: Clear roles, handoffs, and shared ownership.
• Presentation: Focus on your experience with the tools—what worked, what didn’t, and what you’d try next time.

Popular Vibe Coding Tools

Vibe coding refers to an intuitive, AI-assisted approach to software development where natural language prompts guide the creation of code, apps, or prototypes, often emphasizing flow, creativity, and minimal manual coding.

Below is a curated list of the most popular tools based on usage, mentions, and reviews from developer communities, articles, and social discussions.

Pricing reflects current standard plans (free tiers where available; enterprise/custom options exist but are not detailed here). It is not guaranteed to be up-to-date; please check vendor sites for latest details.

Tool	Type	Description	Pricing
GitHub Copilot	IDE Extension	AI pair programmer integrated into VS Code, JetBrains, and CLI; suggests code, explains functions, and handles refactoring with strong GitHub ecosystem support. Widely used for productivity boosts (20-30% faster coding).	Free for individuals (limited); Pro: $10/user/month; Business: $19/user/month.
Cursor	IDE	AI-native code editor (fork of VS Code) for generating, refactoring, and debugging full apps via prompts; excels in multi-file edits and Composer mode for end-to-end builds. Top-rated for developers (4.9/5 average).	Free tier (limited prompts); Pro: $20/user/month.
Google Antigravity	IDE	Agent-first IDE from Google with multi-agent orchestration across editor, terminal, and browser; powered by Gemini 3 Pro for autonomous planning, coding, testing, and deployment of complex tasks. Supports model switching (e.g., Claude Sonnet 4.5); public preview with VS Code-like UI. Noted for powerful workflows but recent incidents highlight need for caution in Turbo mode.	Free (public preview, no cost for individuals; generous rate limits).
Windsurf	IDE	Agentic AI-native IDE blending copilots and agents for seamless flow; supports deep project understanding, real-time testing (e.g., pytest integration), and JetBrains plugins. Praised for "insanely fun and fast" workflows.	Free tier; Pro: $15/user/month (token-based).
Replit	IDE/Builder	Cloud-based IDE with AI agent for full-stack apps; includes Design Mode for UI prototyping and one-click deploys. Popular for MVPs and non-coders (70% of new apps via no-code AI by end-2025).	Free tier; Core: $10/user/month; Teams: $25/user/month.
JetBrains AI Assistant	IDE Extension	Integrated into IntelliJ, PyCharm, etc., for code generation, refactoring, and docs; uses in-house LLM (Mellum) for contextual help in enterprise environments.	Free trial; $10/user/month (bundled with IDE subscriptions).
Amazon Q Developer	IDE Extension/CLI	AWS-focused AI agent for code gen, reviews, and optimization; excels in cloud-native apps with security scans. Evolved from CodeWhisperer; 20% proficiency gains reported.	Free tier (limited); Pro: $19/user/month.
Gemini Code Assist	IDE Extension/CLI	Google's AI for code completion, chat, and generation; integrates with VS Code and Google Cloud; strong in adaptive learning and explanations. Free CLI tier boosts terminal workflows.	Free for individuals; Standard: $19/user/month; Enterprise: Custom.
Tabnine	IDE Extension	Privacy-focused assistant with whole-line completions, linting, and refactoring; supports 30+ languages and offline models. Enterprise favorite for zero data retention.	Free tier; Pro: $12/user/month; Enterprise: Custom.
Claude Code (Cline)	CLI	Terminal-based agent for task delegation (e.g., multi-file changes, tests); streams to IDEs like VS Code. Ideal for CLI enthusiasts; high accuracy in complex tasks.	Free tier; Pro: $20/user/month (via Anthropic).
Codex CLI	CLI	OpenAI-powered CLI for code gen and automation; supports MCP for tool integrations. Replaces older tools like Claude Code for many; excels in scripting and deploys.	Free tier (limited); Included in ChatGPT Plus: $20/user/month.
Gemini CLI	CLI	Open-source AI agent from Google for terminal-based coding, debugging, and workflows; uses Gemini 3 Pro for agentic tasks like code explanation, feature creation, and shell command automation. Extensible with MCP servers; integrates with VS Code.	Free for individuals (generous limits with Gemini 3 Pro); Quotas shared with Gemini Code Assist: Standard $19/user/month; Enterprise: Custom.
OpenCode	CLI	Open-source terminal-based AI coding agent with interactive TUI for code generation, debugging, and edits; supports 75+ LLMs (e.g., Claude Opus 4.5, Gemini 2.5 Pro), LSP integration, MCP tools, and privacy-focused local execution. Favored for backend/DevOps workflows and offline use (26K+ GitHub stars).	Free (open-source; costs depend on chosen LLM provider).
v0 (Vercel)	Website/App Builder	Prompt-to-React UI generator for production-ready components; seamless Vercel deploys. Best for front-end prototyping (seconds to code); integrates with Next.js.	Free tier (50 credits/month); Pro: $20/user/month.
Lovable	Website/App Builder	Chat-first full-stack app builder from English specs; includes auth (Supabase) and GitHub sync. "20x faster" for MVPs; top for non-coders (34M web views).	Free tier; Pro: $25/user/month.
Bolt.new	Website/App Builder	AI-driven for web/apps with natural language; strong in automation and previews. Handles backends; rated high for clean, deployable outputs.	Free tier; Pro: $20/user/month.
Emergent	Website/App Builder	Flexible UI generator with brainstorming and layout suggestions; supports non-linear workflows for designers. Great for rapid ideation without rigid steps.	Free tier; Pro: $15/user/month.
Base44	Website/App Builder	Enterprise-focused for internal tools; vibe coding with data schemas and auth. Suited for ops teams building dashboards.	Free trial; Starter: $29/user/month.
Softr	Website/App Builder	No-code AI generator for portals/dashboards from Airtable/Google Sheets; scaffolds layouts and permissions. Ideal for SMBs (secure, functional apps in minutes).	Free tier; Basic: $49/month (billed annually).
Bubble	Website/App Builder	Visual AI builder for scalable apps; drag-and-drop with prompt-based logic. Veteran no-code tool enhanced for vibe workflows.	Free tier; Starter: $29/month.
Hostinger Horizons	Website/App Builder	AI chat for full web apps (front/back-end); beginner-friendly with hosting/domain integration. Cuts dev time by 90% for simple sites.	Free trial; Premium: $2.99/month (intro).