You’re watching a YouTube tutorial about Python and see perfectly working code on the screen. Normally you’d have to pause, zoom in, and type everything over. Blackbox solves that problem. This AI-coding assistant can extract code from videos and screenshots, works as autocomplete in your editor, and answers questions about your code.
Who is behind Blackbox?
Blackbox AI Inc. was founded in 2021 by three brothers: Robert, Richard, and Roger Rizk. They started from San Francisco with a clear problem in mind. Developers couldn’t copy code from videos and images. You were stuck manually typing it over, with all the typos that come with it.
The first version was mainly an OCR tool for code. That browser extension became a hit. Developers shared it enthusiastically with each other. No big VC investments, no millions in marketing. Just organic growth because it solved a real problem.
Today, more than 12 million developers use the tool. It has grown from a simple extension to a full-fledged AI-coding assistant that supports more than 20 programming languages. The company remained bootstrapped, which is rare in the AI world where everyone raises money.
Who is Blackbox for?
Blackbox targets people who write code. Software developers who want to work faster. Computer science students who want to copy code from tutorials. Data scientists who build quick prototypes.
It’s not for everyone. Non-technical users have little use for it. If you don’t write code, you have no use for autocomplete in VS Code. Marketers who occasionally need a simple script are better off using ChatGPT. Blackbox is built for daily use by people who have programming as their main task.
What can Blackbox do?
The free version offers basic functionality such as chat and limited autocomplete. For unlimited access to advanced AI models and all features, you need a paid plan.
- Code Chat: Ask questions about your code in a chat interface. You can have bugs explained, ask how to optimize something or ask for examples. It works similar to ChatGPT but is trained on code-specific tasks.
- Code Autocomplete: While you type, Blackbox suggests entire lines or blocks of code. It reads the context of your file and tries to predict what you want to write. Works in the VS Code extension.
- Image to Code: Upload a screenshot of code or a UI-design and Blackbox converts it to working code. This is the feature it started with. Useful for designs from Figma or screenshots from Stack Overflow.
- Video to Code extraction: The browser extension lets you select code in YouTube videos and copy it directly. You don’t have to pause and type it over. It recognizes code syntax automatically.
- Repository Search: Search your entire codebase with natural language. Instead of grep or regex, you use regular questions. “Where is user authentication handled?” returns relevant files.
- VS Code Extension: All functionality directly in your editor. Chat in a side panel, autocomplete while typing, and keyboard shortcuts for frequently used actions. Also works in other editors but VS Code has the best integration.
- Multiple AI models: You can choose between different large language models. GPT-4, Claude, and Blackbox’s own models. Each model has strengths and weaknesses for different programming languages.
The tool supports more than 20 programming languages. From popular languages like Python, JavaScript, and Java to niche languages like Rust and Go. Markup and query languages like SQL and HTML work too.
What does Blackbox cost?
There is a free version with basic functionality. You get access to chat and limited autocomplete, but advanced models are limited.
The Pro plan costs $ 9.99 per month or $ 4.99 per month with annual payment ($ 59.88 total). Pro Plus costs $ 19.99 per month or $ 9.99 per month per year ($ 119.88 total). The Unlimited plan costs $ 39.99 per month and only has monthly payment.
Each plan gives access to more AI models and higher usage limits. The Unlimited variant does what the name promises: no limits on number of queries or autocomplete suggestions. There is no free trial period, you have to pay immediately to test the paid features.
Credits you don’t use in a month expire. You can’t save them or transfer them to the next month. That’s a disadvantage if your usage fluctuates heavily.
What should you watch out for?
Customer service receives many complaints. People report that they don’t get responses to refund requests. Canceling subscriptions proves difficult. Some users say they kept paying for months because they didn’t receive confirmation of their cancellation.
The generated code is not always that good. For simple boilerplate it works fine, but with complex logic Blackbox makes mistakes. The code compiles, but is sometimes inefficient or doesn’t follow best practices. You have to check everything before using it.
The subscription terms are unclear. What exactly is included in each plan sometimes differs from what’s on the website. Users report that features that seemed free are suddenly behind a paywall. And as mentioned earlier: unused credits expire, which is annoying if you code less in some months.
The marketing can feel aggressive. Pop-ups to upgrade appear regularly. Emails about new features and offers come in frequently. Some users find that disruptive during work.
Privacy is a concern. Your code is sent to servers in the United States for processing. For companies with strict data requirements or those working on sensitive projects, that can be a problem. There is no option for local processing like some competitors offer.
Blackbox alternatives
There are multiple AI-coding assistants on the market. Each has its own strengths.
- GitHub Copilot: Choose this if you already work in the Microsoft or GitHub ecosystem. The integration with GitHub repositories is deeper than with Blackbox. However, it costs more, with prices starting at $ 10 per month for individual users and $ 19 for businesses.
- ChatGPT: Better if you need AI for more than just code. It can also write texts, answer questions about other topics, and has a broader knowledge base. But the IDE integration is not as good as specialized code tools.
- Tabnine: The best choice when privacy is crucial. Tabnine offers local models that run on your own machine. Your code never leaves your computer. That makes it slower and less capable, but safer for sensitive projects.
Frequently asked questions
Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions about Blackbox.
Can Blackbox read code from videos?
Yes, this is one of the core functions it started with. With the browser extension you can select text in YouTube videos and copy it directly as code. It automatically recognizes the syntax and formats it correctly.
Does Blackbox work in VS Code?
Yes, there is a popular VS Code extension available. It integrates autocomplete and chat directly into your editor. You can install it via the VS Code marketplace and it works on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Is Blackbox free to use?
There is a free version with basic functionality. You get access to chat and limited autocomplete. For unlimited access to advanced AI models and all features you need a paid subscription starting at $ 4.99 per month with annual payment.
Conclusion
Blackbox is a useful tool for developers that saves a lot of time on repetitive code. The image-to-code and video-extraction features are unique and work well. The VS Code integration makes it easy to get help while working.
But there are caveats. Customer service is problematic. You always have to check the generated code for quality. And for companies with strict privacy requirements, the American data storage may be a problem.
Blackbox is suitable if you’re quickly building prototypes, writing a lot of boilerplate or regularly taking code from tutorials. It’s less suitable if you’re working on critical systems where every line of code must be perfect, or if you need local data processing. Test the free version first before paying, and watch out for the subscription terms.