# Claude Code vs CurieTech AI: Which Writes Better DataWeave? > Kicking off AI Showdown: MuleSoft Edition (2026) by pitting Claude Code against CurieTech AI on Advent of Code 2025 — same inputs, benchmarked in the DataWeave Playground. Who writes cleaner, faster MuleSoft transformations? - **Author:** Alex Martinez - **Published:** May 28, 2026 - **Category:** Opinion - **Tags:** MuleSoft, DataWeave, Visual Studio Code, AI, CurieTech AI, Claude Code - **Source:** https://prostdev.com/post/claude-code-vs-curietech-dataweave --- Two AIs. Four DataWeave puzzles. One question: **Which one writes better MuleSoft code?** I put [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) (running in MAX effort mode) head-to-head against [CurieTech AI](https://platform.curietech.ai) to solve [Advent of Code 2025](https://adventofcode.com/2025) — Days 1 and 2, both parts. Same input. Same expected output. Side-by-side execution times in the [DataWeave Playground](https://dataweave.mulesoft.com/learn/playground). This is also the first video in a new series I'm starting: **AI Showdown: MuleSoft Edition (2026) 🥊** ## TL;DR Both AIs got the **correct answer on all 4 puzzles**. Execution times in the Playground were within milliseconds of each other. The real differences showed up in how they got there — code readability, type usage, error handling, and whether the AI actually runs the code before handing it back. ## The setup - **Claude Code** — VS Code extension, MAX effort mode, Sonnet 4.5 - **CurieTech AI** — tested two ways: - Day 1: via the CurieTech MCP server inside Claude Code - Day 2: directly through the chat at [platform.curietech.ai](https://platform.curietech.ai/) - **Challenges**: Advent of Code 2025, Days 1 and 2 (both parts) - **Benchmarking**: dw::util::Timer::time() in the DataWeave Playground ## What surprised me ### ✅ Execution times were ridiculously close We're talking millisecond-level differences — even running in the browser-based Playground. Sometimes Claude edged out, sometimes CurieTech did. Honestly? Coin-flip territory. ### ✅ CurieTech actually runs the code This is the big one. CurieTech executes the DataWeave it generates before returning the answer. Claude doesn't — it just produces code and hopes for the best. The result: I caught a runtime error in Claude's Day 2 solution that only surfaced when I ran it locally. Had to feed the error back into Claude for a second pass. CurieTech never had that problem. ### ✅ CurieTech writes typed function signatures Look at the difference: Claude (untyped): ``` fun claude(input) = ... ``` CurieTech (typed): ``` fun curietech(input: Array): Number = ... ``` When you're reading code cold (or coming back to it months later), those types make a huge difference. ### ✅ CurieTech adds performance notes On Day 2 Part 1, CurieTech proactively warned me: > "Ranges like this are tiny (~7 IDs), so brute forcing works here. If you ever face huge ranges, you'd want to generate candidates, loop over half-lengths, and concatenate instead of scanning every number." That kind of contextual insight is genuinely useful — especially for folks newer to DataWeave. ### ✅ Claude Code wins on workflow If you live in VS Code or your terminal, Claude Code's integration is hard to beat. File context, multi-step tasks, the whole ecosystem. CurieTech's MCP server brings some of that into Claude Code, but the native experience is still tighter. ### ❌ Claude can ship broken code As mentioned — Day 2 had a runtime error that wasted time. Not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing. ### ❌ CurieTech needed a nudge on Day 1 Part 2 The first attempt got the wrong answer. After I gave it more context about the input format, it produced a verified solution. Slight friction, but the recovery was clean. ## So who wins? Honestly? There's no clear winner. Each has real strengths: - **Pick Claude Code** if you value workflow integration, live in VS Code, and don't mind catching the occasional runtime error. - **Pick CurieTech AI** if you value verified-running code, typed function signatures, and inline performance notes. For someone newer to DataWeave or AI coding tools, **CurieTech is probably the gentler entry point** — the chat UI is approachable and the verified-solution guarantee is reassuring. For experienced devs already deep in the Claude Code ecosystem, Claude Code with the CurieTech MCP server is a great hybrid — you get the workflow you want plus the verification when you need it. ## All the code Every solution, every benchmark script, every Playground link is in the GitHub repo: 🔗 [github.com/alexandramartinez/adventofcode-2025](http://github.com/alexandramartinez/adventofcode-2025) ## What's next? This is the first video in **AI Showdown: MuleSoft Edition (2026)** — an ongoing series comparing AI coding tools on the same MuleSoft and DataWeave challenges. As I work through more Advent of Code days (and test more AIs), I'll keep posting the results here. 🎯 What AI tool should I compare next? Drop a comment on the YouTube video or reply to this post. 🔔 Subscribe so you don't miss the next round: [youtube.com/prostdev](https://www.youtube.com/prostdev) *Looking for the previous series? Check out "Adventures in MuleSoft + AI" on the channel for last year's explorations.* --- ## FAQs ### Which AI wrote better DataWeave, Claude Code or CurieTech AI? There was no clear winner. Both got the correct answer on all 4 puzzles and their Playground execution times were within milliseconds of each other, so the real differences showed up in code readability, type usage, error handling, and whether the AI runs the code before handing it back. Pick Claude Code if you value workflow integration and live in VS Code; pick CurieTech AI if you value verified-running code, typed function signatures, and inline performance notes. ### What's the difference between how Claude Code and CurieTech AI handle the generated code? CurieTech executes the DataWeave it generates before returning the answer, while Claude doesn't and just produces code and hopes for the best. That difference surfaced a runtime error in Claude's Day 2 solution that only appeared when run locally, requiring a second pass; CurieTech never had that problem. ### Why does CurieTech AI write typed function signatures and does it matter? CurieTech writes typed signatures like `fun curietech(input: Array): Number = ...` whereas Claude produced an untyped `fun claude(input) = ...`. When you're reading code cold or coming back to it months later, those types make a huge difference. ### How was the benchmark set up? Claude Code ran as a VS Code extension in MAX effort mode on Sonnet 4.5, and CurieTech AI was tested two ways: Day 1 via the CurieTech MCP server inside Claude Code, and Day 2 directly through the chat at https://platform.curietech.ai. The challenges were Advent of Code 2025 Days 1 and 2, both parts, benchmarked with `dw::util::Timer::time()` in the DataWeave Playground. ### Which tool is the better entry point for someone newer to DataWeave? CurieTech is probably the gentler entry point for someone newer to DataWeave or AI coding tools, because the chat UI is approachable and the verified-solution guarantee is reassuring. Experienced devs already deep in the Claude Code ecosystem may prefer Claude Code with the CurieTech MCP server as a hybrid that adds verification to the workflow.