Saad Ullah
⬤ AI-powered coding assistants are seeing explosive growth, with Claude Code leading the charge. Installation data from Visual Studio Code shows Claude Code usage surged dramatically in January, nearly doubling in a short timeframe. A Bloomberg-sourced chart tracking daily installs with a 30-day moving average reveals Claude Code emerging as the fastest-growing major AI coding assistant.
⬤ The data compares three leading tools: Claude Code, Google Gemini, and OpenAI Codex. Claude Code shows a sharp upward spike starting late 2025 and accelerating through January 2026, hitting nearly 30,000 daily installs. Google Gemini grew steadily but moderately, while OpenAI Codex rose early before flattening and declining as Claude Code gained momentum.
⬤ Developer preferences are clearly shifting. OpenAI Codex initially dominated mid-2025 installs but then stagnated and declined. Google Gemini maintained consistent growth without matching Claude Code's acceleration. The January surge in Claude Code stands out visually, confirming rapidly increasing adoption within the Visual Studio Code ecosystem.
⬤ This matters because Anthropic's expansion in developer tools connects to major tech players. Amazon and Google each hold roughly 10-20% ownership stakes in Anthropic, tying their AI strategies directly to Claude Code's growth. Rising demand for AI-assisted development is fueling competition in productivity tools. As developers pick their favorites, these adoption shifts could reshape investment flows, partnerships, and strategic positioning across the AI sector.
Saad Ullah
