Product descriptions blur two ideas that are worth separating. This guide defines them and lists what to check. It makes no claim about any specific product.
What is the difference between a coding assistant and a coding agent?
An assistant responds as you work: it completes lines, answers questions, or edits the file you are in. An agent is given a goal and decides which steps to take, such as searching files, editing several of them, running tests, and trying again. In practice many products combine both modes.
- Assistant: you drive, it suggests.
- Agent: you set a goal, it acts, you review.
- The more autonomy a tool has, the more its permissions and logs matter.
What can a coding agent access and change?
Ask what the agent can read (which files and folders), what it can run (shell commands, tests, network calls), and what it can change (local files, branches, remote repositories). Each answer sets the blast radius of a mistake.
How do I keep an agent's changes reviewable?
- Work on a branch so every change can be reverted.
- Prefer tools that show a diff before applying changes.
- Require approval before commands that delete, deploy, or send data.
- Keep logs of what the agent did, and check them when something looks wrong.
What should I check before giving an agent access to a repository?
- Where the code and prompts are sent, and whether they are retained or used for training.
- Whether administrators can set policy for a team.
- Whether secrets such as keys and tokens can be exposed to the agent.
- How the vendor documents its permission and approval model.
For a method to compare tools on your own code, see choosing a coding assistant. For definitions, see the glossary.
Frequently asked questions
Is a coding agent the same as autocomplete?
No. Autocomplete suggests the next few tokens or lines as you type. An agent takes a task, plans steps, and acts on files or tools, usually returning a set of changes for you to review.
Are coding agents safe to run on a production repository?
Safety depends on the permissions you grant and the review you apply. Start with a branch or sandbox, require approval for commands that change things, and review every change before merging.
Do coding agents need internet or cloud access?
It varies by product. Some run locally and send prompts to a model service; others run in vendor-managed cloud environments. Read each vendor's documentation for how and where it runs.
Sources
This article is editorial analysis. It cites no external sources and contains no product performance claims, benchmark figures, or policy facts.