GitHub Copilot Alternative for Full-Stack Development?
Been using GitHub Copilot with VS Code for a while now for full-stack development (mainly MERN stack + some PHP/Svelte work), but lately I feel like it’s not helping as much with larger workflows, architecture decisions, debugging across files, etc.
I keep seeing people talk about Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf, Cline, Supermaven, Codeium, Continue.dev, Gemini Code Assist, Amazon Q, and a bunch of others.
For people who’ve actually switched away from Copilot:
\\\* What are you using now?
\\\* What’s genuinely better than Copilot for full-stack development?
\\\* Which one works best with VS Code?
\\\* How good are they with larger codebases and context?
\\\* Any tools that are especially good for React/Svelte/Node/PHP workflows?
\\\* Are paid tools actually worth it over free options?
I’m mainly looking for:
\\\* Better code understanding across multiple files
\\\* Refactoring help
\\\* Faster debugging
\\\* Good autocomplete + chat balance
\\\* Something reliable for real project work, not just snippets
Would love to hear real experiences, pros/cons, and what setup you all are using right now.