2025 top developer tool trends – mid-year review
Blog|by Leanne Bevan|3 June 2025
Last December (2024), we published a blog highlighting the top developer tools for 2025. As we recover from the shock at how quickly the first six months of the year have gone, it’s a good opportunity to reflect on the 2025 top developer tool trends in a mid-year review.
AI tools
AI is still at the forefront of developer trends. In particular the use of AI coding agents, and AI for testing and analysis [1].
GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot is still proving very popular. It’s an AI-powered coding assistant developed by GitHub in collaboration with OpenAI. It helps you write code faster and more efficiently by suggesting code snippets, entire functions, or even complex algorithms directly within your code editor.
GitHub Copilot’s February 2025 update included:
- Smarter, context-aware code suggestions tailored to your coding style and project needs, reducing repetitive tasks and saving development time.
- New capabilities like multi-file editing and project-wide reasoning ensure consistent, efficient updates across large codebases.
- Image-based input, so you can turn annotated screenshots into functional code, streamlining the transition from design to implementation.
- Customisable AI behaviour and improved Markdown support to enhance accuracy and alignment with project standards.
- Automated test failure detection and schema-driven service generation simplifying debugging, testing, and backend development - boosting productivity and maintainability.
We recently hosted a webinar with Black Marble on GitHub Copilot. You can watch the recording here.
JetBrains AI tools
Earlier this year JetBrains released its AI coding agent, Junie, with powerful pair programming and productivity features JetBrains IDE users love. It acts as a personal assistant, helping you with both routine and complex coding tasks. For instance, you can delegate repetitive or time-consuming tasks to Junie, such as writing boilerplate code, refactoring, or running tests.
JetBrains has also released a new version of their AI Assistant.
It includes smart code completion using powerful cloud models, context-aware code generation with project understanding, and a multi-file edit mode for efficient large-scale changes. You can interact with the assistant via natural language chat to generate or refactor code, write tests, and more. It also provides features like commit message suggestions, automatic unit test creation, and seamless snippet insertion.
JetBrains is expanding the reach of their AI-powered developer tools beyond JetBrains IDEs with the launch of JetBrains AI Assistant for Visual Studio Code in public preview. This extension brings their context-aware coding intelligence to VS Code users, offering natural language chat, intelligent code completions, and AI-powered productivity and development support for Java, Kotlin, JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, C#, C++, and C.
During the public preview, AI Assistant is accessible with your JetBrains AI subscription or a free EAP license if you’re new to JetBrains AI.
JetBrains AI Assistant is bundled with Junie. So, you get both AI tools together for maximum productivity.
You can discover more about JetBrains AI tools here.
Cross platform development
A single codebase for multiple platforms can reduce development costs by nearly 40%, allowing businesses to allocate resources more effectively. This approach eliminates the need to develop separate codebases for different operating systems, significantly reducing development time and costs. The cost-efficiency is particularly beneficial for startups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with limited budgets but must reach a broad audience across various devices and operating systems [2].
RAD Studio 12.3
Embarcadero’s RAD Studio is a comprehensive IDE that enables you to create cross-platform applications from a single codebase – quickly. RAD Studio combines Embarcadero’s products, Delphi and C++Builder. And while you might be thinking “Delphi?! I remember Borland Delphi from the 90s, is it still knocking around? It can’t be modern”. Well 30 years later, yes, it is. And as strong a contender as ever. The team at Embarcadero are constantly innovating and adding new features and enhancements to keep up to date with the progression of the tech world. From enabling IoT to keeping up with the latest mobile updates.
RAD Studio 12.3, released earlier this year, comes with some impressive features. The new 64-bit IDE and enhanced C++ compiler enables you to compile and debug faster, support for Android API Level 35 ensures your apps meet the latest standards, and Smart CodeInsight’s AI integration helps you code smarter, not harder. It’s still a perfect choice for those searching for a native cross-platform IDE.
Low code/no code development
In the December 2024 blog we mentioned how low-code development is becoming popular due to its productivity and ease of use benefits. These platforms are becoming more powerful, enabling faster prototyping and deployment. They're also being used by professional developers to speed up routine tasks. This year, low code and no code platforms are expected to integrate advanced AI capabilities, further automating aspects of app development and expanding their usability across various industries [2]. Visual LANSA was a tool we recommended.
Microsoft Power Platform
Another is the Microsoft Power Platform which combines Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power Virtual Agents to build end-to-end business solutions that will empower your business to solve challenges rapidly and cost-effectively. By connecting them to other Microsoft apps like Office 365, Dynamics 365, and Azure you can create complex solutions with relative ease.
Security
In the last blog post, we referenced JetBrains Qodana, a static code analysis tool perfect for improving code quality. And it’s still definitely up there with tools we’d recommend, as preventing bugs and ensuring app security is integral.
There are numerous cyber-attacks hitting the headlines with hacker organisations on the rampage looking for any sort of vulnerability they can infiltrate. For instance, the recent attacks on M&S, Co-Op and Adidas have been widely publicised and massively affected each of the companies and their customers. So, it’s more important than ever that you do all you can to secure every aspect of the software development lifecycle. Security should no longer be an afterthought. We cover developer cyber security best practices in another blog here.
You also need to be mindful of compliance, as different regions, industries and supply chains are getting stricter with their security requirements. We breakdown some of the top frameworks and regulations here.
Edge and IoT
The growth in IoT and edge computing is pushing developers to build apps that work with distributed, low-latency systems, especially in manufacturing, healthcare, and smart cities. HERE Technologies has some great developer tools for the IoT space.
HERE Location Services include APIs and SDKs that provide real-time location data, which is essential for IoT applications involving asset tracking, fleet management, and smart mobility. Key services include:
- HERE Geofencing – Enables location-based triggers for IoT devices
- HERE Routing and Traffic – Supports dynamic route optimisation based on real-time traffic data
The HERE Platform, is a cloud-based platform that enables you to build, deploy, and scale location-aware IoT applications. It supports:
- Real-time data ingestion from IoT devices
- Visualisation and analytics of spatial data
- Integration with third-party systems and sensors
Modernise and get on trend
Whether it’s implementing AI tools for enhanced productivity or security solutions for extra protection – get in touch if you’d like more information or to try out the dev tools mentioned in this blog.
Sources:
[1] https://www.qodo.ai/blog/top-trends-ai-powered-software-development/
[2] https://www.cogentinfo.com/resources/top-11-application-development-trends-to-watch-in-2025