AI models like Claude and Gemini have completely changed how we write code. But simply chatting with an AI in a browser window is only scratching the surface. To truly 10x your productivity, you need tools that integrate these powerful models directly into your workflow.
At Zechrome Technologies, we build full-stack solutions and explore the cutting edge of industrial tech and automation. Along the way, we’ve tested countless AI utilities to speed up our development cycles. We’ve found that the best tools are the ones that quietly sit in the background and eliminate friction.
If you want to get the most out of Claude and Gemini, here are 7 underrated developer tools you should add to your stack right now.
1. Continue.dev: Your Open-Source Copilot
While GitHub Copilot gets all the hype, Continue.dev is a hidden gem. It is an open-source extension for VS Code and JetBrains that lets you bring your own API keys.
Why it makes AI 10x more powerful:
Instead of being locked into one provider, you can plug in Gemini 1.5 Pro or Claude 3.5 Sonnet. You can highlight your code, ask the AI to explain it, or have it draft entire functions right inside your IDE. Because it understands your entire codebase context, the suggestions are incredibly accurate.
2. Aider: The Terminal-Based Pair Programmer
If you prefer working in the command line, Aider is a game-changer. It is an AI pair programming tool that lives in your terminal and works directly with your Git repository.
Why it makes AI 10x more powerful:
You don’t just copy and paste code from a browser. You tell Aider what you want to build (e.g., “Add a React component for a user dashboard”), and it will use Claude or Gemini to write the code, save the files, and even commit the changes to Git with a descriptive message.
3. LLM CLI (by Simon Willison): AI in Your Scripts
Sometimes you just need AI to process a quick task without leaving your keyboard. LLM CLI is a brilliant command-line utility that lets you interact with AI models directly from your terminal.
Why it makes AI 10x more powerful:
You can pipe data directly into Claude or Gemini. For example, you can take an error log and pipe it into the AI: cat error.log | llm “Explain this error and how to fix it.” It is perfect for automating small tasks, parsing logs, or writing bash scripts on the fly.
4. Pieces for Developers: The Smart Snippet Manager
As you use AI to generate code, you will end up with dozens of useful snippets, Docker configurations, and API calls. Pieces is an AI-powered snippet manager that saves and organizes them.
Why it makes AI 10x more powerful:
When you copy a great piece of code generated by Gemini, Pieces automatically saves it, tags it, and remembers the context of where it came from. When you need that specific Node.js scalable backend setup three weeks later, you can find it instantly instead of prompting the AI all over again.
5. Promptfoo: Stop Guessing, Start Testing
Writing prompts for your full-stack applications is easy; making sure those prompts work consistently is hard. Promptfoo is a tool for testing and evaluating LLM outputs.
Why it makes AI 10x more powerful:
If you are building an app that relies on AI, you need to know if Gemini handles a prompt better than Claude, or if tweaking a word breaks the output. Promptfoo lets you set up test cases (like unit tests for AI) to guarantee your prompts are production-ready.
6. AnythingLLM: Turn Your Docs into AI Context
One of the biggest limitations of AI is that it doesn’t know your company’s private documentation or specific API guidelines. AnythingLLM is an application that lets you easily build a local knowledge base.
Why it makes AI 10x more powerful:
You can upload your PDF manuals, markdown files, or project wikis into AnythingLLM, and then connect it to Claude or Gemini. Now, instead of giving generic answers, the AI can help you write code based strictly on your internal guidelines.
7. Vercel AI SDK: The Ultimate Building Block
If you are a full-stack developer looking to build AI features into your own web apps, the Vercel AI SDK is the absolute best way to do it.
Why it makes AI 10x more powerful:
It standardizes how you talk to different AI models. With just a few lines of code, you can stream text responses, generate structured JSON data, or even build interactive UI components using Claude or Gemini. It handles all the complex streaming logic so you can focus on building a great user experience.
The AI revolution isn’t just about the models themselves; it is about the ecosystem of tools built around them. By integrating extensions like Continue.dev, terminal tools like Aider, and frameworks like the Vercel AI SDK, you can stop copying and pasting and start building faster.
At Zechrome Technologies, we are constantly exploring how these tools can streamline everything from basic web deployments to complex industrial automation interfaces.
What underrated AI tool are you currently using in your stack? Let us know in the comments below!
