Who is the Cortex blog for?
Developers who want to pick or use an AI coding IDE. The guides cover agentic loops, BYOK pricing, MCP servers, and how keys stay on the machine.
Key takeaway. These AI coding guides come from shipping Cortex AI IDE ourselves: a native Windows, Linux, and macOS app, about 303 MB, currently v3.0.21. We write from that product, not from a roundup of other people's screenshots. Start here for agentic loops, BYOK, MCP, and whether your keys leave the machine.
Who this blog is for
Use these guides when you are comparing AI IDEs, wiring your own API keys, or deciding whether an agent should edit your repo. The audience is working developers (solo and small teams), not procurement decks. Industry context: software engineering on Windows, Linux, and macOS, with bring-your-own-key inference and local credential storage.
When a claim needs a primary source, we link it. For the protocol that most MCP articles rest on, see the Model Context Protocol specification. For how your operating system stores secrets, see your platform's secure credential store documentation.
What we tested ourselves
Every guide on this index is written by the Cortex team after using the app on our own machines. The numbers below are from the current build we ship, not from a third-party review. Product screenshots live on each article, not here, so this index does not repeat the same photo across the blog.
| What we measured | Result from our build | Where it shows up |
|---|---|---|
| Install size | ~303 MB, 64-bit Windows 10/11, Linux, and macOS | Download page |
| Current app version | v3.0.21, Microsoft Store, auto-updates | Changelog |
| Key storage | Your operating system's secure credential store. Keys never written to a plaintext file in our tests. | Docs |
| Providers we wired | 8 BYOK providers. Requests leave the PC over TLS to the provider you pick, not through a Cortex proxy. | BYOK guide |
| Verify loop | Agent runs pytest / the project build and only claims success when the gate passes. | Plan-act-verify |
Template we use before we publish a claim: install the current build, add one real API key, open a local repo, run one agent task that must pass tests, then check your OS credential store for the stored secret. If that path fails, the article does not ship.
Topics we cover
Pick a lane, then open the matching article. Each row is a use case, not a keyword dump.
| If you need | Read | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| A free or BYOK IDE | Free AI coding IDEs in 2026 | You want cost control before you pick a tool. |
| What an agent actually does | The plan-act-verify loop | You are comparing autocomplete with a real agent. |
| Keys and pricing | What BYOK means | You will pay a model provider directly. |
| Tools the agent can call | MCP in 2026 | You want GitHub, docs, or a browser inside the loop. |
| Native app setup | Choosing an AI IDE | You will not run WSL just to get an agent. |
Latest articles
Newest first. Each card shows the published date and reading time. Open a post for the updated date, sources, and FAQ.
Guides
Free AI coding IDEs in 2026
Free in 2026 usually means a limited plan, a short trial, or BYOK. Here is the simple difference, what to look for, and which free AI coding IDEs are worth trying.
Published August 21, 2026 · Updated August 25, 2026 · 6 min read
Explainers
What Full Codebase Context Means for AI Agents
Full codebase context separates real AI coding agents from autocomplete. What it means, why it matters, and 4 simple tests to check any AI IDE.
Published August 21, 2026 · Updated August 25, 2026 · 6 min read
Story
The story behind Cortex, a privacy-first AI IDE
Cortex is a privacy-first cross-platform AI IDE from Pasons Group. Prompts and code go to your provider, never through our servers. Free with your own keys.
Published August 2, 2026 · Updated August 29, 2026 · 7 min read
Guides
25 MCP servers worth connecting in 2026
Developers: pick five MCP servers from this 25, GitHub, Context7, Playwright, Sentry, Postgres. Real URLs, install commands, and security rules.
Published July 20, 2026 · Updated August 29, 2026 · 12 min read
Guides
MCP in 2026: 10,000 Servers Later, What Should You Actually Connect?
The Model Context Protocol went from an Anthropic spec to Linux Foundation-governed industry standard with ~10,000 registered servers and 97M monthly SDK downloads. What MCP actually is, the servers worth connecting, and the security rules to follow.
Published July 19, 2026 · Updated July 19, 2026 · 8 min read
News
Kimi K3 and the open-model wave
Kimi K3 is a 2.8T open-weight model ranked fourth at the frontier. BYOK developers: when to pick it in Cortex vs GLM 5.2 or DeepSeek.
Published July 19, 2026 · Updated August 29, 2026 · 9 min read
Product
Why Cortex never hides your code
Chat-only AI IDEs hide the file tree. Cortex keeps Explorer, search, and Monaco one click away. For developers who still want to read the code.
Published July 19, 2026 · Updated August 29, 2026 · 8 min read
News
SpaceX bought Cursor for $60 billion
SpaceX agreed to buy Cursor for $60 billion. What the deal changes for developers, and how BYOK keeps your models independent of whoever owns the IDE.
Published July 19, 2026 · Updated August 29, 2026 · 9 min read
News
Windsurf is now Devin Desktop
Windsurf became Devin Desktop on June 2, 2026. Cascade died July 1. What developers should do next if a closed AI IDE can disappear overnight.
Published July 19, 2026 · Updated August 29, 2026 · 8 min read
Guides
What is vibe coding? The 2026 guide
Vibe coding is describing what you want and letting AI write the code. For developers: the 2026 definition, risks, and how to verify before you ship.
Published July 19, 2026 · Updated August 29, 2026 · 11 min read
Research
Why only 29% of developers trust AI code
Developers: only about 29% trust AI code, and the 2026 data says they are right. What real verification fixes and how to spot an agent that proves it.
Published July 19, 2026 · Updated August 29, 2026 · 7 min read
Guides
The cheapest coding agent models: real BYOK prices
Developers: real per-token BYOK prices, what one agentic task actually costs, and how to route cheap and frontier models to cut the bill.
Published July 19, 2026 · Updated August 29, 2026 · 8 min read
Guides
How to choose an AI IDE
Native vs Electron, agentic loop vs autocomplete, BYOK vs bundled inference, and where your keys really live. How to pick an AI IDE in 2026.
Published July 18, 2026 · Updated August 29, 2026 · 7 min read
Explainers
What Is BYOK in AI coding?
BYOK (bring your own key) means you plug provider API keys into your AI coding tool and pay the vendor directly. Learn when it saves money and how to keep keys safe.
Published July 18, 2026 · Updated August 29, 2026 · 7 min read
Explainers
What is agentic coding?
Agentic coding lets an agent plan, edit files, run commands, and verify its work against real tests. How a trusted agentic loop works.
Published July 18, 2026 · Updated August 29, 2026 · 9 min read
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Short answers first. Open a guide when you want the longer version with screenshots and dates.
What is BYOK in an AI coding IDE?
BYOK means Bring Your Own Key. You connect your own API key from a provider such as OpenAI, Anthropic, or DeepSeek. The IDE can stay free while you pay the provider only for what you use.
What is agentic coding?
Agentic coding is a plan-act-verify loop: the agent plans a change, edits files, runs tests or the build, and only claims success when those tools pass. It is more than autocomplete.
How often is this blog updated?
The Cortex team updates guides when product or industry facts change. Each article shows a published date and an updated date. This index was last updated August 29, 2026.