Pragmatic Engineer Survey: Claude Code Hits 71% Usage, Zero to #1 AI Coding Tool in 8 Months
The Pragmatic Engineer·low signal
The Pragmatic Engineer's survey (Jan 27 - Feb 17, 2026) shows Claude Code at 71% usage among respondents, followed by GitHub Copilot at 46% and Cursor at 39%. Claude Code is also the most-loved tool at 46% vs Cursor's 19% and Copilot's 9%. The broader AI coding tools market has exploded to an estimated $12.8B in 2026, up from $5.1B in 2024. Going from zero to the #1 position in 8 months (May 2025 launch) while 84% of developers now use or plan to adopt AI coding tools represents the fastest category capture in developer tools history.