Phind
What it is: AI search engine for developers. Ask coding questions, get instant answers with code examples and sources.
What It Does Best
Real-time web search. Unlike ChatGPT's cutoff, Phind searches current docs, GitHub, Stack Overflow. Always up-to-date.
Developer-optimized. Understands technical context. Formats code properly. Cites sources so you can verify.
Faster than Stack Overflow. No searching through threads. Ask question, get answer. With working code examples.
Key Features
Web search integration: Pulls from current docs and forums
Code blocks: Syntax-highlighted, copy-paste ready
Source citations: Links to original documentation
Follow-up questions: Iterative problem solving
Multi-language: Answers for any programming language
Pricing
Free: Unlimited searches with GPT-3.5
Pro: $15/month (GPT-4, faster responses)
When to Use It
✅ Need answers about new libraries or frameworks
✅ Debugging specific error messages
✅ Want code examples with explanations
✅ Prefer search over browsing docs
When NOT to Use It
❌ Learning fundamentals (use structured courses)
❌ Need to deeply understand documentation
❌ Working with proprietary/internal code
Common Use Cases
Quick debugging: "Why is this React hook not working?"
Library questions: "How to use pandas merge with multiple keys?"
Error resolution: Paste error, get solution
Best practices: "What's the right way to handle auth in Next.js?"
New framework learning: Get started quickly with examples
Phind vs Alternatives
vs Stack Overflow: Phind instant, SO requires searching threads
vs ChatGPT: Phind has web search, ChatGPT has knowledge cutoff
vs Google: Phind gives answers, Google gives links
Unique Strengths
Developer-first: Built specifically for coding questions
Always current: Real-time web search for latest info
Source transparency: Shows where answers come from
Code-focused formatting: Easy to read and copy code
Bottom line: Google for developers, but actually useful. Replaces 90% of Stack Overflow searches. Keep it bookmarked for quick answers.