Developers aren’t choosing one AI tool—they’re stacking them
AI-assisted development is no longer about a single tool. 97% of developers use AI assistants, and 61% now use two or more AI tools at work, jumping between chat-based LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, as well as blending them with developer-focused tools like GitHub Copilot and Cursor.
ChatGPT remains a staple of developers’ AI toolkits, with 89% naming it as one of their most-used AI tools for work—up 13 points from last year. But this isn’t an “either-or” decision. 80% of Cursor users also use ChatGPT, as do 84% of Copilot users and 93% of Gemini users.
Why does ChatGPT remain dominant? First-mover advantage, accessibility, and habit all play a role. Unlike IDE-specific tools, it’s free, widely available, and easy to use across any coding environment. Even as developers embrace more specialized AI tools, ChatGPT remains the default AI assistant in an expanding AI stack.