9 Developer productivity tools for working smarter, not harder

9 Developer productivity tools for working smarter, not harder

Your strengths as a software engineer can be found not only in the code you write but also in the developer productivity tools you surround yourself with. 

From code collaboration tools to management platforms, picking the right computer engineer tools for the job is a skill that takes many years to develop — but it can be a determining factor in your productivity and efficiency as a developer.

There are so many useful tools for software developers out there that it can be hard to know where to start. 

In this article, you'll learn about some of the most helpful engineering productivity tools for developers. 

I've talked with a lot of developers while creating this list of developer tools examples, and have also tested some top dev tools recommended in developer forums and product hunt.

I've created this list of popular developer tools based on:

• Use case relevance: Ensured these tools align with the specific needs of developers. 

• Integration capabilities: Checked compatibility with existing workflows, IDEs, CI/CD pipelines, and other essential tools.

• Trends & emerging technologies: Considered tools leveraging AI, automation, or new development paradigms.

While not all of these “best” developer tools will be a perfect fit for you, there are sure to be a few that will take your developer productivity to new heights and help you create more productive software.

Pieces Long-term memory

You've probably created some very valuable code snippets in your career—whether from debugging, reviewing code, or simply experimenting with solutions. Creating these snippets are hard enough, but imagine if you could save them and reuse them across different projects. 

That's the beauty of Pieces as a tool, when I first heard about them on the podcast, and recently saw them featuring product of the day on product hunt. 

Pieces isn't just another snippet tool—it's also a productivity monster that lets you choose multiple LLMs (Large Language Models) to help you work better within your IDE. 

Instead of relying on a single AI engine, Pieces taps into smaller, specialized models that often do a better job for enterprise use — so you get the right suggestions at the right time.

From intelligently surfacing the snippet you wrote last quarter to autocompleting code based on your personal or team-wide style, Pieces simply adapts to how you work, improving your overall time management.

Basically, context switching with Pieces becomes far less painful. It doesn't matter if you're juggling projects, jumping between branches, or investigating a bug, Pieces automatically brings the most relevant code references to you because it understands both the syntax and the purpose behind it. 

Ultimately, this smooth transition has a major impact on productivity because it eliminates manual searching and repetitive setup.

In sum: Pieces for Developers is a fantastic tool that lives right inside your IDE, and it's smart enough to understand your entire codebase, which means it knows exactly where your snippets fit in. On top of that, it can capture 9 months of context, which is a vast huge advantage of their long term memory. 

However, if you're already comfortable with a more minimal snippet tool or manual approach, you may find Pieces as overkill.

CodeGeeX

CodeGeeX is a powerful AI-driven code completion tool that goes well beyond simple keyword suggestions. Trained on open-source code, CodeGeeX provides deeper, more holistic suggestions instead of just fixing syntax or completing single words, making it one of the best tools for programmers focused on code quality.

Regardless of the language you're using, CodeGeeX helps reduce repetitive coding tasks by predicting entire functions and logic structures. Whether you're working in Python, JavaScript, C++, or beyond, CodeGeeX got you covered, making it a versatile addition to your development environment.

For the privacy nerds, CodeGeex also has an offline mode which ensures privacy by running locally instead of sending your code to the cloud. If you work with sensitive data or proprietary technology, this is a dream come true, because you get to use AI-assisted coding without sending code to external servers.

In sum: CodeGeeX is great at predicting everything from small snippets to entire functions in multiple languages. Its offline mode is a godsend for anyone who's concerned about sensitive code or who needs a robust tool without an internet connection. However, it's not immune to the usual AI slip-ups, and you may have to spend a little time training it before it becomes truly helpful for your unique coding style.

Visual Studio Code

In recent years, Visual Studio Code has established itself as one of the most popular IDEs for developers. In addition to a great interface and code tools, Visual Studio Code is an incredible tool for productivity thanks to its endless customization options, making it a top choice among code editors. Speaking of which, Pieces users also integrate it with Visual Studio Code.

Anyway, inside the IDE, you can set up its extensions to facilitate your daily tasks. 

For example, I set up the GitHub extension so I never have to visit GitHub in my browser when fixing pull requests, streamlining my software development lifecycle.

The beauty of VS Code is the endless opportunities for extensions and customizations, from code highlighters to completion tools and live servers. 

VSCode also has live share, built-in Git integrations, advanced debugging, multi-root workspaces, and many other features that make development a lot easier for you, enhancing both developer productivity and team collaboration.

In sum: Visual Studio Code has become the go-to IDE for many because it's user-friendly, highly customizable, and packed with handy tools right out of the box. From debugging to version control, there's an extension for almost anything you can dream of. However, sorting through endless plugins can be a bit overwhelming, and you'll need to watch out for any performance hiccups if you overdo it on extensions.

Cursor

Cursor is basically VS Code on steroids—all the familiar stuff you love, plus some seriously smart AI features baked right in. Forked off VS Code, it offers familiar functionality augmented with AI capabilities such as code generation, intelligent autocompletion, and natural language commands. Basically, Cursor helps you write and modify code more efficiently, reducing manual effort and streamlining the development process.

Cursor also maintains compatibility with existing Visual Studio Code extensions, themes, and keybindings, so switching over is easy. If you're privacy-conscious you will appreciate Cursor's Privacy Mode, which ensures that code is never stored remotely, aligning with industry-standard security practices and enhancing overall code quality.

Cursor's only drawback is its short-term memory, but you can extend that by combining Pieces with Cursor. This combination gives you OS-level long-term memory for your entire project, turning two really good tools into a great workflow for API development and performance monitoring.

Codeanywhere

Codeanywhere is a powerful collaborative development tool, that allows you to manage different situations for your project, from using pair programming with team members to setting up containers and deploying a development environment for your business.

In particular, with Codeanywhere, you can do the following:

• Launch an IDE directly in your favorite browser, supporting every feature you would expect from a great code-writing tool, including syntax highlighting, linting, debugging tools, and support for all of the languages VS Code supports.

• Connect directly to your project servers. With Codeanywhere, you can connect to your servers from any device using all standard protocols (SSH/SFTP, FTP, or FTPS) and start editing your files immediately.

• Set up your containers. Codeanywhere allows you to develop and run your project directly on their containers, making hosting your app an effortless operation.

In sum: Codeanywhere is a super-flexible browser-based IDE that makes pairing sessions, spinning up containers, and directly editing remote servers a breeze. It supports lots of languages and tools, giving distributed teams an easy way to collaborate in real time. However, you'll need a solid internet connection to keep things running smoothly, and hardcore customization junkies might miss the familiarity and power of a native desktop IDE.

Habitica

Habitica gamifies your team's goals, making productivity an enjoyable group challenge. Just like in an RPG, you start by creating a character, but unlike an RPG, the monsters you fight and quests that you're sent on are correlated with the tasks and daily goals that you set. Every day, you log your progress, unlocking awards and in-game add-ons if you complete your tasks — or losing them if you fail to stick to your plans.

The real strength of Habitica comes when you adopt it with other people. You and your colleagues or friends can form a group, challenge each other by completing team goals, and work together to level up your characters, challenge bosses, and win awards. This gamification approach can significantly boost focus and communication within your team.

It's a great tool to increase developer productivity or to add a little fun into your work day, making it one of the more unique apps for developers in the realm of project management and team collaboration.

In sum: Habitica turns your daily tasks into an RPG quest, which can really motivate you to knock out items on your to-do list—especially when you team up with friends or coworkers. However, if you're not into gaming or prefer a more traditional checklist, the gamified approach might feel like an unnecessary extra step.

Vercel

Vercel is a serverless, globally distributed, turbo-charged hosting solution. 

Originally used by most developers as an alternative to Netlify, Vercel gives you automatic deployments, and you also get built-in CI/CD, edge functions for lightning-fast speeds, and instant rollbacks in case something goes wrong.

 It doesn't matter if you're a solo developer or part of a big team, the process stays smooth and painless: push your changes, and Vercel does the rest, making it an essential tool in the software development lifecycle.

Collaboration on Vercel is refreshingly simple. Every pull request spins up its own preview URL so teammates can see updates in real time, leave feedback, and catch potential issues before going live. It also hooks seamlessly into GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket, enhancing team collaboration and streamlining the deployment process.

In sum: Vercel's blazing-fast global deployments, straightforward integrations, and a hassle-free workflow is great for most frontend projects. It's the perfect fit for people who just want to build and release quickly without wrestling with servers. However, if you prefer having total control over infrastructure or need a more customizable back-end environment, Vercel's serverless approach might feel a bit limiting.

Raycast

If you've ever felt slowed down by too many clicks and switching between countless windows, Raycast might be your secret weapon. It helps you launch apps, run commands, find files, and perform all sorts of daily tasks—just by tapping a quick keyboard shortcut, making it one of the top developer apps for improving focus and productivity.

Raycast integrates seamlessly with popular services like GitHub, Jira, and even Slack, so you can handle everything from opening a pull request to searching documentation without touching your mouse. This level of integration makes it an invaluable tool for bug tracking and overall project management. Pieces also didn’t go far, and worked on building a plugin for integration. 

Raycast is super focused on developer-friendly features. Need to quickly check PR statuses, create issues, or run scripts? Raycast can do it all in one swift keystroke. 

It's also easily expandable—new extensions let you hook it up to different tools and tailor its behavior to your workflow. Once you get the hang of it, Raycast becomes the command center that keeps your hands on the keyboard and your brain in the zone.

In sum: Raycast keeps your hands on the keyboard and your mind on the task at hand. It's fantastic for anyone on macOS who wants to reduce window-juggling and supercharge productivity. However, if you're on Windows or Linux, you'll have to look elsewhere, and it may take a bit of practice before you reach full "keyboard ninja" status.

Warp

Tired of your clunky old terminal? 

Warp gives you a fast, visually appealing, and surprisingly intuitive terminal—unlike the typical text-based terminals. It's designed to enhance developer productivity by providing a modern interface for common development tasks, making it a valuable addition to your list of developer tools.

Warp comes with features like AI-powered command suggestions, built-in SSH and Git support, and collaborative sharing options. These features not only streamline your workflow but also improve code quality by suggesting best practices and efficient commands.

For those working on complex projects, Warp's ability to handle multiple workspaces and its integration with popular development environments make it an excellent choice for managing various aspects of the software development lifecycle.

In sum: Warp modernizes the terminal experience, making it more accessible and efficient for developers of all levels. Its AI-powered suggestions and sleek interface can significantly boost your productivity. However, if you're deeply accustomed to traditional terminal setups, there might be a learning curve as you adapt to Warp's more visual approach.

Wrapping it up

In conclusion, these engineering productivity tools represent some of the best tools for programmers available today, and honestly, most common too that shouldn’t cost you all the money in the world.  

From enhancing focus and time management to improving team collaboration and project management, these apps for developers cover a wide range of needs in the software development process. 

By incorporating these popular developer tools into your workflow, you can significantly boost your productivity and streamline your development tasks. 

Remember, the key is to find the right combination of tools that work best for your specific needs and coding style.

 I grabbed this though from Jim’s Bennett article about best llms for coding and still try to incorporate it in my dev process and my writer’s process too. Because ultimately it’s about the knowledge you grasp from different folks and your own tests and driving.