Building on the earlier suggestion, I've actually had some pretty annoying issues with Cody lately... it just feels like it's getting dumber with every update. It's frustrating to pay for something that misses obvious type hints in Python 3.10. If you really want to stay under $25 and get clean logic, skip the big names and try this:

• Install Continue VS Code Extension and connect it to DeepSeek Coder V2 Instruct API. It is way cheaper than a flat sub and follows PEP8 much better than Copilot.
• Check out the Phind Pro Plan for their VS Code integration. It is better at architecting logic than just guessing lines.
• Set your temperature lower in the settings; it helps stop the AI from getting too creative with your backend logic. I'm kind of over the standard tools, tbh. They just arent as good as people claim for production code and usually make a mess of migrations.

• Continue VS Code Extension with Anthropic Claude 3.5 Sonnet: Smart logic, slow.
• GitHub Copilot Individual: Fast, messy. Ive tried many over the years; Claude is superior for clean Python.

Finally someone says it. Ive been thinking this for a while but wasnt sure.

Claude is definitely the goat for logic, though I'd suggest looking at Sourcegraph Cody Pro if you're staying in VS Code. I almost trashed a backend migration last month because Copilot missed a circular import. Cody's better at seeing the whole folder. Just be careful with its auto-edits, make sure your tests are solid before hitting save. It handles Python 3.10 match statements surprisingly well tho.

Regarding what #3 said about "Building on the earlier suggestion, I've actually had..." - i have to agree. It is honestly disappointing to see these tools fail on basic architectural patterns when we have client deadlines looming. I have been hitting the same wall with my own backend work lately, and the hallucinated logic is a major reliability risk for production systems. I have had to stop using the generic auto-completers for my logic because the circular dependencies they introduce are a nightmare. Here is what I have found actually works for maintaining clean, modern Python without blowing your budget:

• Refact.ai Pro Plan has been my go-to for actual refactoring tasks. It costs about $10-$15 a month and is much more surgical with its edits than Copilot. It actually seems to respect the surrounding context of the file and handles PEP8 better than most.
• Tabnine Pro Subscription is another one I have been testing for a few months. It does a decent job with Python 3.10+ type hints, though I still find it occasionally ignores complex generics if the file is too long.
• I strongly suggest pairing whatever AI you use with Ruff Linter set to a strict configuration. It is the only reliable way to catch the garbage these AIs spit out before it hits your repo. It is really frustrating that we are paying for these subscriptions and still have to do so much manual cleanup. These specialized tools are a bit more stable than the mainstream ones right now, but you still gotta watch them like a hawk. Hopefully that gets you through your Seattle project... keep an eye on those edge cases tho.

Honestly, most of these VS Code extensions are pretty disappointing when it comes to deep refactoring because they just dont feed enough context into the prompt. Unfortunately, the smart features in most plugins are just fluff that gets in the way of production logic. I've had issues with Copilot making up variables that dont exist simply because its only looking at the open tab... kinda annoying when you have a deadline. Before I give you a full breakdown, how many lines of code are we talking about in this backend? If youre dealing with dozens of interconnected modules, the standard context window is just gonna keep failing you no matter which LLM you use. If youre willing to go the DIY route, you should try Aider AI Coding Tool. It's a CLI tool that works alongside VS Code. I usually pair it with Mistral Large 2 through an OpenRouter API key. Unlike the extensions, Aider actually maps your whole project and creates a concise map for the LLM. It's much better for those massive Python 3.10+ refactors where you need to maintain type safety across different files. Youll probably spend way less than $25 a month just paying for the tokens you actually use tho.

Been using this for years, no complaints