The Vibe Coding Stack for 2026

How Top Developers Supervise AI to Craft Better Software

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Motivation

Coding as we knew it is dead. Two years ago, AI helped me name variables. Today, it writes 90% of my code.

If you’re still against AI at this point, you’re falling behind.

Top developers don’t use AI as fancy autocomplete. They use agents, clear specs, and modern models to solve real problems fast.

That mindset shift is already non-negotiable.

In this issue, I’ll show you the Vibe Coding Stack for 2026. Practical tools. Clear use cases. Pro-level tactics.

And at the end, I’ll show you one bonus tool that cuts deployments and CI effort to almost zero.

Let’s start.

Claude Code

I tried Copilot, Cursor, Windsurf, Tabnine, Codeium, everything. Claude Code is the one that makes me feel like I actually have an engineering partner.

6 Ways to Get the Most Out of Claude

1. Use the VS Code extension

Install the Claude Code extension and open separate windows for different parts of your project. It gives Claude direct context from the actual code you’re editing.

2. Create a Claude.md file

This acts as Claude’s onboarding sheet for AI. Include project goal, tech stack, repo layout, conventions & rules like TDD, naming or commit style.

By using a Claude.md file, you will stop repeating instructions.

💡 Pro tip: Consider using nested Claude.md files so Claude can navigate your codebase and pull in richer context as it works.

3. Use the flow: Explore → Plan → Code

Instead of saying this to AI:

“Implement X”

Say this:

“Explore existing solution → make a plan → implement.”

This leads to fewer mistakes, cleaner code and better architecture decisions. AI starts behaving like a senior engineer thinking before typing.

You should also switch on Plan Mode (Shift+tab) before starting a bigger task.

4. Use /clear often

Context is Claude’s strength, but also its weakness. Over time, conversations drift. Details blur. Costs go up.

The “/clear” command acts as a reset button, refreshes context, reduces hallucinations and saves a big amount of tokens.

5. Build custom slash commands

Store reusable workflows inside .claude/commands/.

Examples:

• “Generate tests for this module”

• “Analyze logs and summarize errors”

• “Rewrite this according to our style guide”

You turn repeated tasks into one-word triggers. That’s how real leverage compounds.

6. Give Claude screenshots

A picture says more than 1000 words. Paste UI bugs, logs, diagrams and console errors. Claude interprets visuals instantly.

Less explaining. Better insight. Faster fixes.

Cursor

I use Claude and Cursor side-by-side, but for different purposes.

Claude Code is perfect when I need a one-shot solution: spinning up multiple terminal sessions, running commands in parallel, or analyzing a full codebase quickly.

Cursor is the opposite, it’s built for working in small, iterative increments. It helps you refine code gradually, one change at a time.

In 2025, developers don’t get paid for writing code anymore. AI writes code. Your real job now is reviewing, improving, and ensuring correctness.

Cursor is the best review-centric AI tool available today.

Tips to Get Maximum Leverage

Configure rules

Rules provide system-level instructions to Cursor agents. They are persistent context, preferences, or workflows for your projects.

You can easily create them by using “New Cursor Rule“ command.

Optionally, you can also nest them. Nested rules automatically attach when files in their directory are referenced.

Example:

---
alwaysApply: true
---

# Function Design Rules
- Prefer pure function with no side effects
- Use intention-revealing names relating to the business domain  
- Limit the number of params in functions
- Reduce nesting with a return early
- Avoid boolean flag parameters
- Use comments sparingly

@productService.ts

Best practices to write great rules:

• Keep rules under 500 lines

• For each rule, configure rule type about when to apply

• Provide concrete examples or referenced files

• Avoid vague guidance. Write rules like clear internal docs

• Reuse rules when repeating prompts in chat

Use .cursorignore + cursorIndexing

What you hide matters more than what you show to AI.

• generated code

• node_modules

• API clients

• build artifacts

Why? Because Cursor reads everything and tries to be consistent with everything.

The smaller the context, the better its judgment.

Terminal AI Is Insanely Good

You don’t need to memorize complex CLI and Git commands anymore. The built-in terminal AI is my favorite.

You can ask AI for CLI commands like

• List my five most recent git branches

• Show me which processes are using port 3000

• Check logs of the most recently started docker container

• Git stash only the staged files

It feels like magic. Try it!

Command-K for surgical edits

This is Cursor’s secret weapon. Use it when you know exactly what needs to change.

How to use:

1. Select the code snippet

2. Press Command + K

3. Tell Cursor what to change

Example:

“Make all fonts smaller except the main paragraph.”

No searching. No grepping. No scrolling through 50 files.

Just one precise modification.

BugBot

Bugbot is an LLM-based review tool, to review pull requests and identify bugs, security issues, and code quality problems. So far it helped me to find missed null checks, detect wrong iteration boundaries or fix wrongly handled async code.

BugBot is powerful, but for real code review, I use something even better.

Let’s jump to that next.

CodeRabbit

Everyone is building the next AI review tool. Most are sloppy. But my absolute favourite is CodeRabbit.

Tips to get the most out of CodeRabbit:

• Talk to CodeRabbit via GitHub PRs

• Install VS Code extension for quick one-click fixes

• Use the CLI version to make it work with Claude Code

• Use MCP servers to connect to Figma, Confluence and internal wikis

• Create custom review instructions

And the cool thing is that the basic review features of CodeRabbit are free to use.

Start using CodeRabbit for FREE

The Ultimate Vibe Coding Flow

AI won’t work. Unless you know how to use it.

This is how we vibe code in 2025 in nine steps:

1. Draft a prompt

2. Let Claude Code refine it with context

3. Feed the new prompt back in

4. Say: “Analyze. Make a plan. Then implement.”

5. Review with CodeRabbit CLI

6. Apply fixes provided by CodeRabbit

7. Review code yourself

8. Test the hell out of it

9. Ship. Iterate.

AI won’t replace software engineers.

But an engineer using AI will.

The Vibe Coding Tech Stack

I use these AI-powered tools across all languages (f.e.: Rust, C#, JS/TS, Bash), but my preferred tech stack is the following:

AI performs best on this stack, because it’s trained on it more than anything else.

One prompt can add a full feature: UI → backend → DB → tests.

Deployment takes under 1 minute with Vercel. Environments are one-click. CI is automatic, no setup, no YAML hell.

And Vercel gives you built-in visual reviews, so every UI change can be reviewed before shipping.

This stack removes 90% of traditional DevOps.

You focus on shipping. AI handles the rest.

Conclusion

In 2025, the work of writing code is automated. The real advantage is knowing how to review, refine, and guide code creation.

Claude, Cursor, and CodeRabbit are bleeding-edge AI tools that turn you from an “AI user” into an “AI supervisor.”

Once you master that shift, you move from writing code to shaping systems, and Craft Better Software.