Drydock.si
Submit a tool

// guides · 55 articles

Guides

Original, hands on guides from the Drydock editors: comparisons, “best tool for the job” roundups and plain English explainers.

  1. Explainers · 8 min readListen

    What Is Agentic Coding? A Plain English Guide

    What is agentic coding? An AI agent that reads your code, edits files, runs tests and repeats until the task is done. How it works, the tools, and how to start.

  2. Explainers · 10 min readListen

    What Is Agent Memory in Claude Code? Explained

    What is agent memory in Claude Code? Plain Markdown files: CLAUDE.md you write and auto memory Claude writes. Where it lives, its limits and how to edit it.

  3. Explainers · 9 min readListen

    Power BI MCP Server: Which One to Use (2026)

    Which Power BI MCP server to use in 2026: Fabric IQ for questions, the Authoring server (hosted or local) for model edits, with setup for Copilot and Claude.

  4. Best of · 9 min readListen

    GitHub Copilot Alternative for Visual Studio (2026)

    The best GitHub Copilot alternative for Visual Studio in 2026: Antigravity, JetBrains Junie, Claude Code, your own model key, Tabnine and CodeRush, checked Oct 27.

  5. Explainers · 8 min readListen

    Is LangChain Free for Commercial Use?

    Is LangChain free for commercial use? Yes. LangChain and LangGraph are MIT licensed. Here is what that allows, where costs start, and the one server that isn't MIT.

  6. Best of · 9 min readListen

    Best Design Skills for Claude Code (2026)

    Impeccable, Hallmark, Taste Skill and Anthropic's frontend design skill compared: what each one does, how to install it, and which to pick for your agent.

  7. Explainers · 8 min readListen

    What Is MCP? The Model Context Protocol Explained

    What is MCP? The Model Context Protocol explained: hosts, clients, servers, tools, resources, the stateless 2026 spec, security risks and a tested first run.

  8. Comparisons · 9 min readListen

    LangChain vs n8n: Which Should You Use?

    LangChain vs n8n compared: a code library for agents vs a visual workflow platform built on LangChain JS. Licenses, pricing, MCP and how to use both together.

  9. Comparisons · 9 min readListen

    LangChain vs CrewAI: Which Should You Use?

    LangChain vs CrewAI compared with tested code: one agent loop with middleware vs a crew of role based agents. Models, MCP, pricing and using both together.

  10. Explainers · 8 min readListen

    Cloudflare Security Audit Skill: How to Use It

    How the Cloudflare security audit skill works, how to install it for Claude Code or Codex, what its six phases produce, and the sandbox rules it needs.

  11. How to · 8 min readListen

    AI Agents for Trade Businesses: 5 Practical Setups

    How to build an AI agent for a trade business: missed call texts, photo quotes, booking, invoices and reviews, wired to Jobber, Housecall Pro or ServiceTitan.

  12. Explainers · 8 min readListen

    What Is the Most Popular AI Agent Framework?

    What is the most popular AI agent framework in 2026? LangChain leads developer surveys, PyPI downloads and GitHub stars. Here are the numbers and what they hide.

  13. Explainers · 8 min readListen

    NVIDIA OpenShell: What It Is and How to Use It

    NVIDIA OpenShell explained: how the open source agent sandbox enforces file, network and credential policy, how to install it, and how it compares to Docker.

  14. Best of · 10 min readListen

    Best Open Source Vector Database in 2026

    The best open source vector database for agents and RAG in 2026: Qdrant, Milvus, pgvector, Chroma, LanceDB and Weaviate compared by license, setup and scale.

  15. Explainers · 9 min readListen

    Claude Managed Agents: Pricing and How It Works

    Claude Managed Agents explained: what Anthropic hosts, the $0.08 session hour plus token pricing, self hosted sandboxes, budgets, limits and open source options.

    · updated

  16. Comparisons · 8 min readListen

    LanceDB vs Milvus: Which Should You Use?

    LanceDB vs Milvus for AI agents: an embedded library on files, or a vector database that grows from a local file to a cluster. Setup, limits and the pick.

  17. How to · 8 min readListen

    How to Use MCP Server in GitHub Copilot

    How to use an MCP server in GitHub Copilot: the config file for VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, Copilot CLI and the cloud agent, plus the GitHub MCP server.

  18. Explainers · 9 min readListen

    What Is Weaviate? Features, Pricing and Use Cases

    Weaviate is an open source vector database in Go with hybrid search and a built in MCP server. How it works, a tested agent memory example and cloud pricing.

    · updated

  19. Tutorials · 10 min readListen

    Vercel AI SDK Guide: Build an Agent With AI SDK 7

    The Vercel AI SDK is a free, open source TypeScript toolkit for LLM apps and agents. AI SDK 7 changes, a tested ToolLoopAgent, streaming UI, MCP and costs.

    · updated

  20. How to · 10 min readListen

    LiteLLM Compromised: What to Do About 1.107.0

    LiteLLM compromised again: release 1.107.0 on PyPI and Docker carried a credential stealer. How to check every host, what to rotate and how to pin safely.

  21. Comparisons · 7 min readListen

    LangChain vs LangGraph: Which Should You Use?

    LangChain vs LangGraph, compared with tested code. Start with LangChain's create_agent, then use LangGraph when you need explicit steps and durable state.

  22. Comparisons · 8 min readListen

    LanceDB vs Qdrant: Which Should You Use?

    LanceDB vs Qdrant for AI agents: an embedded library on files or a vector search server. Setup, per user filters, hybrid search, scaling and the pick.

  23. Explainers · 6 min readListen

    Is Gemini CLI Free for Pro Users? Explained

    Is Gemini CLI free for Pro users? No. Google AI Pro access ended June 18, 2026. Here's what Pro and Ultra get in Antigravity CLI and what Gemini CLI costs now.

  24. How to · 9 min readListen

    How to Run an MCP Server Locally (2026 Guide)

    How to run an MCP server locally with npx, uvx or Docker, test it with the MCP Inspector, then connect it to Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code or Codex safely.

  25. How to · 10 min readListen

    Claude Code Review: How to Set It Up and Use It

    Claude Code Review is now generally available. How the GitHub service differs from /code-review, what it costs, how to tune it with REVIEW.md, and who can use it.

  26. Tutorials · 9 min readListen

    How to Build an AI Agent from Scratch in Python

    How to build an AI agent from scratch in Python: a tool loop, safe file tools, approvals, a step cap and memory in about 125 lines, on OpenAI or Ollama.

  27. Tutorials · 9 min readListen

    How to Build a RAG Pipeline with LangGraph

    How to build a RAG pipeline with LangGraph: index your docs, wire retrieve and generate nodes, add a grading loop with a retry cap, then turn it into an agent.

  28. Explainers · 9 min readListen

    Claude Code Mods: What They Are, How to Build One

    Claude Code mods are plugins whose JavaScript runs inside Claude Code to add panes, commands and tool call rules. How to install, build and vet one safely.

  29. How to · 10 min readListen

    Qdrant Vector Database: How to Use It (2026 Guide)

    Qdrant is an open source vector database in Rust. How to use it: run it, store text, filter per user and add BM25 hybrid search, tested on Qdrant 1.20.

    · updated

  30. How to · 10 min readListen

    OpenCode 2.0: What's New and How to Upgrade

    OpenCode 2.0 adds a shared background service, Code Mode for MCP and a new plugin API, and 2.1 renames SDK fields. Here's what changed and how to upgrade.

    · updated

  31. How to · 8 min readListen

    How to Use LangChain with Ollama (2026 Guide)

    How to use LangChain with Ollama: install langchain-ollama, pick a tool calling model, raise the context window and build a local agent with tools and RAG.

  32. How to · 9 min readListen

    How to Use Gemini CLI in Terminal (2026 Guide)

    How to use Gemini CLI in terminal: install it, sign in with a key that still works, run your first task, and learn @ files, ! shell, slash commands and MCP.

    · updated

  33. Best of · 9 min readListen

    Best Pi Coding Agent Alternatives in 2026

    Looking for a Pi coding agent alternative? Compare OpenCode, Claude Code, Codex CLI, Copilot CLI, Cline and Aider on plan mode, approvals and local models.

    · updated

  34. Comparisons · 8 min readListen

    LLM Gateway vs OpenRouter: Which to Use?

    What an LLM gateway is, and when to self host one like LiteLLM instead of using OpenRouter: routing, fallbacks, caching, keys, fees and security in 2026.

    · updated

  35. Comparisons · 8 min readListen

    GitHub Copilot vs Claude Code: Key Differences

    GitHub Copilot vs Claude Code: IDE autocomplete and GitHub agents versus a terminal first coding agent (pricing, models, MCP, and who should pick which).

    · updated

  36. How to · 8 min readListen

    How to Start an AI Automation Agency

    How to start an AI automation agency in 2026: pick a niche, build a demo, choose a stack, check n8n and Dify licenses, price the work and run agents safely.

  37. Comparisons · 8 min readListen

    Browser Use vs Stagehand vs Playwright MCP

    Compare Browser Use, Stagehand, and Playwright MCP for AI browser agents: who owns the loop, languages, MCP fit, Browserbase hosting, and when to pick each.

  38. How to · 9 min readListen

    AI Agents for Small Business: 8 Real Setups

    AI agents for small business, made practical: 8 setups for shops, salons, restaurants, trades and freelancers, with the tools, steps and guardrails for each.

  39. Best of · 10 min readListen

    Best AI Coding Assistant in 2026

    Pick the best AI coding assistant for your workflow: Copilot for GitHub teams, Cursor for an AI IDE, Claude Code for agentic refactors, plus free options.

    · updated

  40. Explainers · 7 min readListen

    What Is an Agent Harness? (2026 Guide)

    An agent harness wraps an LLM with tools, memory, sandboxes, and guardrails. How it differs from a framework, plus Claude, LangChain, and Docker examples.

  41. Comparisons · 8 min readListen

    MCP Server vs API: What's the Difference?

    An MCP server is an agent facing interface; a REST API is built for developer code. Learn the differences, when to use each, and how they work together.

  42. Best of · 9 min readListen

    Best AI Agent Framework for Python (2026)

    Find the best AI agent framework for Python in 2026. LangGraph, CrewAI, Agno, smolagents, and Pydantic AI compared, with clear picks by use case and tradeoffs.

    · updated

  43. Explainers · 10 min readListen

    What Is Docker Agent (cagent)? A Practical Guide

    Docker Agent, formerly cagent, runs AI agent teams from a YAML file. What it is, how to install and configure it, its MCP and sandbox options, and who it suits.

    · updated

  44. Explainers · 9 min readListen

    Code Mode MCP Explained: Tool Calls as Code

    Code Mode lets an AI agent write a short program that calls its MCP tools instead of calling them one by one. How it works, who supports it, and when to use it.

  45. Tutorials · 10 min readListen

    Agent Skills Guide: How to Write a SKILL.md

    Agent skills explained: how SKILL.md works, where Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Copilot and Gemini CLI load skills, how they differ from MCP, plus a template.

    · updated

  46. Explainers · 8 min readListen

    MCP vs A2A: Which Agent Protocol Do You Need?

    MCP connects an agent to tools and data; A2A connects agents to other agents. Learn when to use each, how they fit together, and what changed in 2026.

    · updated

  47. Comparisons · 10 min readListen

    Best TypeScript AI Agent Frameworks (2026)

    The best TypeScript agent framework for your project: Mastra, Vercel AI SDK, LangGraph.js, OpenAI Agents SDK and Google ADK compared, with code and tradeoffs.

    · updated

  48. Best of · 8 min readListen

    Best Open Source Coding Agents in 2026

    The best open source coding agents in 2026, compared on license, interface, model choice and upkeep: OpenCode, Cline, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, goose and Aider.

    · updated

  49. Comparisons · 10 min readListen

    Claude Code vs Codex vs Gemini CLI (2026)

    Claude Code vs Codex vs Gemini CLI compared on pricing, open source, setup, MCP, instruction files and workflow, so you can pick the right terminal agent.

    · updated

  50. Comparisons · 8 min readListen

    Tavily vs Exa vs Firecrawl: Web Search for Agents

    Tavily vs Exa vs Firecrawl for giving AI agents web access: search quality approach, page extraction, crawling, MCP servers, pricing models and code examples.

  51. Comparisons · 8 min readListen

    LangGraph vs CrewAI vs OpenAI Agents SDK (2026)

    LangGraph vs CrewAI vs OpenAI Agents SDK compared on control flow, state, human in the loop, model support and learning curve, plus what replaced AutoGen.

  52. Tutorials · 9 min readListen

    How to Build an MCP Server in Python (2026 Guide)

    Build a working MCP server in Python with the official SDK 2.x and the stateless 2026-07-28 spec, then connect it to Claude Code, Cursor, and VS Code hosts.

  53. Comparisons · 9 min readListen

    E2B vs Daytona vs Modal: Agent Sandboxes Compared

    E2B vs Daytona vs Modal for running AI agent code safely: isolation, startup, persistence, time limits, GPUs and SDKs compared, with code for each sandbox.

  54. Comparisons · 8 min readListen

    AI Agent Memory: Mem0 vs Letta vs Zep (2026)

    AI agent memory explained: how Mem0, Letta and Zep store and recall long term context, how they differ from LangGraph's built in memory, and which to choose.

  55. How to · 8 min readListen

    AGENTS.md Guide: How to Write One (vs CLAUDE.md)

    What AGENTS.md is, how Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot and Gemini CLI load it, how it compares with CLAUDE.md, plus a copy and paste template that works.