AI tools › Comparisons › Cursor vs GitHub Copilot
Cursor vs GitHub Copilot
Cursor is a separate AI code editor; GitHub Copilot works inside VS Code, on GitHub and in the terminal. Both have free plans.
Based on the official pricing and product pages, checked on 2026-09-30. This is a comparison of plans and features, not a hands-on quality test.
| Cursor | GitHub Copilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Anysphere | GitHub (Microsoft) |
| Free plan | Free plan | Free plan |
| Plans | Free Hobby plan with limited agent requests. Pro is $20/month. | Free plan with limited chat and agent use. Pro is $10/month. |
| Good for | Building apps faster; Refactoring code; Understanding a new codebase | Code completion; Chat about your code; Code review |
Key differences
- Cursor is its own editor; Copilot runs in VS Code, on GitHub and in the Copilot CLI.
- Paid plans: Cursor Pro is $20/month; Copilot Pro is $10/month, with Pro+ at $39 and Max at $100.
- Both free plans limit agent use.
- Copilot includes code review on GitHub; Cursor offers Bugbot code reviews on usage-based billing.
Which should you choose?
Choose Cursor if
- You're happy to switch editors for deeper AI features
- You work across a whole project with agents
Choose GitHub Copilot if
- You want to stay in VS Code or on GitHub
- You want the cheaper paid plan ($10/month)
Start with both free plans if you can, and pay only for the one whose limits you hit first.