AgentPlays
Cursor vs GitHub Copilot
Both are AI coding tools with free plans. Cursor is its own code editor; GitHub Copilot plugs into editors you already use and into GitHub.
Quick verdict by use case
- You want to keep your current editor: GitHub Copilot.
- You want an AI-first editor with agents built in: Cursor.
- Lowest paid price: GitHub Copilot Pro $10/month; Cursor Plus $8/month but limited to Grok models.
Pricing and free tier, side by side
| Cursor | GitHub Copilot | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | An AI code editor with agents that write and edit code. | GitHub's AI coding assistant in editors, the CLI and on GitHub. |
| Is it actually free? | Free tier with limits | Free tier with limits |
| Free plan limits | Free ($0/month): limited agent and chat requests. | Free ($0): limited chat and agent usage; supports CLI and agent mode. |
| Pricing | Free; Plus $8/month (Grok models only); Premium $30/month; Super $100/month; Teams plans available. | Free; Pro $10/month; Pro+ $39/month; Max $100/month. |
| Best for | Developers who want AI built into their editor. | Developers who work in VS Code and GitHub. |
| Not great for | Non-developers: some coding knowledge helps. | Non-coders building whole apps from a prompt. |
| Last checked | 2026-10-13 | 2026-10-13 |
Official site: cursor.com ↗ Official site: github.com ↗
Strengths and weaknesses
Cursor
Good for: Developers who want AI built into their editor.
Not great for: Non-developers: some coding knowledge helps.
GitHub Copilot
Good for: Developers who work in VS Code and GitHub.
Not great for: Non-coders building whole apps from a prompt.
Other options
Claude Code
Anthropic's coding agent for the terminal, IDE and desktop.
OpenAI Codex
OpenAI's coding agent, included in ChatGPT plans.
More comparisons
Sources
- Cursor: cursor.com pricing ↗ (checked 2026-10-13)
- GitHub Copilot: github.com pricing ↗ (checked 2026-10-13)