AI VISIBILITY REPORT: Vibe Code
Oct 20, 2025
We Analyzed 10 Top Dev Tools in AI Search. Here’s Who’s Winning the War for Developer Attention
An in-depth look at the AI search visibility of Replit, GitHub, Claude, and more reveals a new playbook for growth, and it’s not what you think.
The ground is shifting fast. For years, the playbook for developer tool discovery was simple: rank on Google, post on Hacker News, write great docs. But the rise of conversational AI like Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity has completely changed that model.
Developers now ask AI for recommendations, debug code, and discover tools through conversation. If your product isn’t part of that dialogue, you’re becoming invisible.
To understand this new landscape, we analyzed 10 leading companies in the “Vibe Coding” space, a category of AI-native, low-code, and developer-focused platforms. We measured their visibility across four key prompts:
General “Vibe Coding Platforms”
“AI Code Writing Assistants”
“eCommerce Vibe Coding Platforms”
“SaaS Vibe Coding Platforms”
The results reveal clear winners, surprising underperformers, and a new blueprint for growth.
The New Leaderboard: Who’s Dominating AI Search?
The competition for developer attention is intense, but four companies have clearly pulled ahead.
1. Replit (40.3% Visibility)
Replit has become the default platform for online collaboration and coding. AI models frequently reference it as an authoritative resource.
2. GitHub (31.6%)
Powered by its massive ecosystem and Copilot’s success, GitHub dominates visibility in the AI assistant category.
3. Cursor (28.4%)
This AI-first code editor shows how focus and developer love can translate into standout visibility.
4. Lovable (26.9%)
Lovable’s success lies in its sharp strategy, owning specific, high-value niches.
5. Bolt (21.3%)
At the other end, Amazon Q (6.6%) and Kino (0.0%) prove that even global brands can miss the mark in this new AI-driven discovery space.
A key insight stands out: productization beats raw technology. Cursor (28.4%) has more than double the visibility of Claude (12.2%), the foundational model it builds on. AI models recommend tangible, polished tools that solve real developer problems, not just powerful technologies.
The Source Code of Influence
How are these leaders building visibility? The data points to two things: community and content.
The most influential sources aren’t corporate blogs or PR posts. They are the places where developers genuinely engage:
reddit.com (32.5%)
youtube.com (19.1%)
AI models trust authentic, user-generated conversations on Reddit and educational videos on YouTube far more than polished marketing copy.
The “No-Code Flywheel”: Your New Funnel
Top Zapier URLs:
While analyzing sources, one discovery stood out. The top referral for “Vibe Coding Platforms” wasn’t a dev community. It was Zapier (37.5%), followed by Bubble.io (27.0%).
Top Bubble.io URLs:
This shows a critical user journey. Builders often start with no-code tools, then graduate to code-centric platforms as their needs grow. If you’re only targeting developers once they are searching for code editors, you’re already too late. Your top-of-funnel now begins in the no-code ecosystem.
The Unlikely Kingmakers of Discovery
For eCommerce tools, one of the top sources, holding 22.9% visibility, was femaleswitch.com, a community for female entrepreneurs.
This highlights a key truth: the decision-maker isn’t always the developer. It’s often the founder. They spend time in business communities, not just dev forums. Winning brands understand this and position around user problems like building a successful store, not just technical roles like writing React components.
Platforms like Zapier have become de facto search engines for builders. When someone asks, “Can I connect it to Zapier?”, that’s often the start of their journey. If your product isn’t there, you’re invisible.
Your Blueprint for Winning in the AI Search Era
To get your dev tool recommended by AI, focus on these five pillars:
Master the No-Code Flywheel
Engage no-code communities like Bubble and Adalo. Create templates and bridges from their world to yours.
Go Where the Problem Is
Find the business or founder communities your audience uses. For eCommerce, join founder hubs. For SaaS, engage indie hacker groups.
Pay the Zapier Tollbooth
A strong, well-documented Zapier integration isn’t optional. It’s essential.
Invest in Community and Video
Prioritize Reddit discussions and YouTube tutorials over traditional SEO. Authentic engagement wins trust.
Productize Your Innovation
Don’t just sell technology. Sell a solution. Make it easy, polished, and specific.
The Future of Discovery Is Here
AI-driven discovery is already reshaping how developers find and choose tools. The winners will be the ones who connect authentically with users where their problems live. Visibility is no longer about ranking. It’s about relevance in the global AI conversation.
Is your company ready for this shift?
Get a personalized AI Search Visibility Report to see how you compare to competitors and uncover your biggest growth opportunities.