Axe vs FusionUpdated 2026-03-18

SUMMARY

Axe (CLI) uses toml configuration while Fusion (IDE) uses mdc. They differ on 4 of 11 compared features. Both tools provide AI-assisted development but take different approaches to project configuration.

FEATURE COMPARISON

FeatureAxeFusion
Config formattomlmdc
Hierarchy support
Global config
Project config
Subdirectory scoping
File inclusion / imports
Ignore file
IDE integrationCLI
Schema / structureunknownHybrid (MDC frontmatter + Markdown)
Git committed
EncodingUTF-8UTF-8

KEY DIFFERENCES

1. Config format

Axe: toml. Fusion: mdc.

2. Global config

Axe: Supported. Fusion: Not supported.

3. IDE integration

Axe: CLI. Fusion: Supported.

4. Schema / structure

Axe: unknown. Fusion: Hybrid (MDC frontmatter + Markdown).

WHICH SHOULD I USE?

Recommendation

Choose based on your IDE/CLI preference. If you use Axe, configure config.toml. If you use Fusion, configure .builder/rules/*.mdc. Many projects include config files for multiple tools so each team member can use their preferred editor.

PORTABILITY TIP

sync-instructions.sh
bash
# Maintain a single source of truth:
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md CLAUDE.md
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md .cursorrules
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md AGENTS.md

SEE ALSO

Tool pages:
File references:
agentconfig.ing2026-03-18COMPARE(1)