# So... You Want Free AI Coders Without Selling Your Soul?

**URL:** <https://onehack.st/t/so-you-want-free-ai-coders-without-selling-your-soul/308540>\
**Category:** Tutorials & Methods\
**Tags:** programming, privacy, freebies, ai\
**Created:** [July 20, 2025, 1:32am UTC](https://onehack.st/t/so-you-want-free-ai-coders-without-selling-your-soul/308540 "2025-07-20T01:32:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SRZ](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/srz/32/146132_2.png) [@SRZ](https://onehack.st/u/SRZ)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2025, 1:32am UTC](https://onehack.st/t/so-you-want-free-ai-coders-without-selling-your-soul/308540/1 "2025-07-20T01:32:38Z")

</div>

### 💬 TL;DR (Too Lazy? Didn’t Read?)

Wanna code like a genius but also broke? These 4 tools are your ride-or-die. No fees, no fake “free trials,” no monthly regret bills. Just plug in and let the robot minions do the hard parts.

 ![image](https://onehack.st/uploads/default/original/3X/e/3/e3436fe78aa56ac2db06b96388b46105c8584619.jpeg)

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### 🧠 Windsurf SWE-1-lite & SWE-1-mini

🚨 Free. Forever. Unlimited. Yes, seriously.

Windsurf is like if VS Code had a smart twin who actually does stuff. Their two free models don’t judge, don’t charge, and don’t quit:

- **SWE‑1‑lite:** Smart, full-function coder. Writes stuff for you. Even tolerates your weird variable names.
- **SWE‑1‑mini:** Speedy sidekick. Whispers code suggestions like a caffeinated autocomplete.

#### 🛠 How to Set This Up (aka “duh, it’s easy”)

1. Go to [https://windsurf.com](https://windsurf.com)
2. Download and install. Yes, click “Next” like 5 times.
3. Open it. Go to **Settings \> Models**.
4. Pick **SWE‑1‑lite** or **mini**.
5. Press `Ctrl + L` or `Cmd + L` to open the chat thingy.
6. Say something like “make a button” and let it flex.

💡 _Extra tip:_ Want a safe zone to mess around? Use **Windows Sandbox**. It’s like jail, but for your code.

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### 🛸 Codeium – Copilot’s Free-Living Evil Twin

Like GitHub Copilot, but without the awkward monthly payment.

- Works in VS Code, JetBrains, even Jupyter
- No token limits. No hidden fees. No “Oops, you hit your quota!”
- Can autocomplete, explain, write functions, fix bugs
- Also responds to passive-aggressive prompts like:  
_“Please fix what you ruined.”_

#### 🧪 How to Use It Without Frying Your Brain

1. Go to [https://codeium.com](https://codeium.com)
2. Make a free account (they won’t steal your cat photos)
3. In VS Code, install “Codeium” from Extensions
4. Start typing like you know what you’re doing

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### 🧠 Continue.dev + Ollama (aka Offline Mode: Hacker Edition)

This combo is for privacy paranoids and control freaks.  
_Runs AI on your own computer like it’s 1999._

- **Continue.dev:** Like ChatGPT but in your VS Code.
- **Ollama:** Runs open-source models like Llama 3 on your PC.
- **Combined:** You get AI help with **no internet**. No spying. No terms of service guilt.

#### 🎮 Setup Cheat Code

1. Install [Ollama](https://ollama.com)
2. Open VS Code
3. Install “Continue” extension
4. Tell Continue to use a local model (like StarCoder2)
5. Boom. Local AI. Feels illegal. Isn’t.

⚠ Requires actual hardware. Don’t try this on your toaster.

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### 🌩 Google Gemini Code Assist – Cloud AI That Tries

Google’s Cloud Shell lets you use **Gemini Code Assist** for free. Up to **180,000 completions/month**. That’s a lot of “uhh fix this.”

But yeah, it only works inside Google’s web editor.  
Think of it like AI that only lives at work and won’t come home with you.

#### 💼 Setup

1. Go to [https://console.cloud.google.com](https://console.cloud.google.com)
2. Use Cloud Shell Editor
3. Turn on Gemini Code Assist
4. Type “hello world” and watch it overachieve

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### ⚠ Warnings (a.k.a. “Don’t Blame Us”)

- **Windsurf:** Crashes on some old Macs. Try updating or give it the silent treatment.
- **Codeium:** Slight lag if your PC is half potato.
- **Ollama:** Needs a GPU. If your machine wheezes when you open Chrome, skip it.
- **Gemini:** No offline mode. Must live in the Google Matrix.

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### 🗺 Summary So Easy It’s Insulting

| Tool | What It Does | Is It Free? | Setup Pain |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Windsurf | Smart IDE + 2 AI models | ✅ Forever | Easy |
| Codeium | Copilot clone for free | ✅ Unlimited | Stupid simple |
| Continue + Ollama | Local AI code tools | ✅ Self-hosted | Medium nerdy |
| Gemini Code Assist | Cloud editor AI | ✅ 180K/month | Web-only |

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### 🧻 Final Dump of Links

- 🏄 Windsurf: [https://windsurf.com](https://windsurf.com)
- 💬 SWE-1 info: [https://swe-1.surf](https://swe-1.surf)
- 🛠 Install help: [https://apidog.com/blog/download-install-windsurf/](https://apidog.com/blog/download-install-windsurf/)
- 🧪 Codeium: [https://codeium.com](https://codeium.com)
- 🔌 Continue.dev: [https://continue.dev](https://continue.dev)
- 🦙 Ollama: [https://ollama.com](https://ollama.com)
- ☁ Google Cloud Console: [https://console.cloud.google.com](https://console.cloud.google.com)

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### 🎤 Mic Drop Moment

Don’t act surprised when robots take your job if you refuse to let them help you _now_ for free.

Seriously. These tools are sitting here doing nothing. Just like your unused gym membership.