Which tools do Claude, Codex and Cursor choose? We measured 17k runs to find out
Article URL: https://armature.tech/blog/which-tools-coding-agents-install Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49557206 Points: 262 # Comments: 123
In a large-scale experiment, researchers analyzed nearly 17,000 runs of prompts given to three coding agents – Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor – to determine which tool each agent chose for various tasks. The experiment, involving 1,163 prompt variations across 75 repositories in 10 languages, aimed to understand how coding agents discover and select tools for specific needs.
The study used a simulated human orchestrator to mimic realistic scenarios where agents analyzed codebases, recommended solutions, and implemented them. By rotating between 3 sandbox providers during execution, researchers ensured that the choice of sandbox did not impact the results. The study also tested the impact of adding specific mentions to prompts, such as costs or usage volume.
The results shed light on how coding agents approach tool selection and may influence vendor success as coding agents become more prevalent in software development.
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