Cursor
A VS Code fork built around an agent that edits across your whole repository.
Pricing Free tier with limited requests, then per-seat subscriptions; heavy agent use meters beyond the allowance. source ↗
Cursor ↗Head to head
Cursor vs GitHub Copilot
Copilot helps you write code; Cursor writes chunks of it for you. Copilot is completion and chat inside the editor you already use, sold per seat and free for students and popular open-source maintainers. Cursor is a VS Code fork built around an agent that edits across the repository. Pick Copilot to stay in flow in your current editor; pick Cursor to delegate multi-file work.
Checked 2026-07-29 · we re-check quarterly · how we compare
GitHub Copilot
Completion and chat inside the editor you already use, sold per seat through GitHub.
Pricing Free tier with monthly limits, per-seat plans, and free access for verified students and popular open-source maintainers. source ↗
GitHub Copilot ↗Side by side
| Cursor | GitHub Copilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Editor | A VS Code fork — you switch to it. | Works in VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, Neovim. |
| Main mode | Agent making repository-wide edits. | Inline completion plus chat. |
| Model choice | Several frontier models, per request. | Several models, depending on plan. |
| Free access | Limited free tier. | Free tier, plus free full access for students and popular OSS maintainers. |
| Cost at a team | Per seat, plus metering on heavy agent use. | Flat per seat through GitHub. |
| Enterprise fit | Growing, but a newer vendor. | Mature, with GitHub's compliance behind it. |
Pick Cursor if…
- You want an agent that plans and applies changes across many files.
- You are happy to move editors — it imports your VS Code setup.
- You want to pick a different model per request.
- Large refactors are a regular part of your work.
Pick GitHub Copilot if…
- You do not want to leave JetBrains, Visual Studio or Neovim.
- You are a student or maintain a popular open-source project and qualify for free access.
- Your organisation already buys GitHub seats and wants one vendor and one invoice.
- You prefer reviewing one suggestion at a time to reviewing a finished diff.
Pick neither if…
- You cannot send source to a third party — Cline or Continue with a local model keeps it in-house.
- You work mostly in a terminal, where a terminal-native agent fits better than either.
- You are learning to program and would be accepting code you cannot yet review.
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Questions people actually ask
Is Cursor better than GitHub Copilot?
Better at agentic, multi-file work. Copilot is better if you want to stay in your current editor, or if you qualify for its free tier. They are increasingly similar, and the choice is mostly workflow.
Is GitHub Copilot free?
There is a free tier with monthly limits, and full access is free for verified students and for maintainers of popular open-source projects. Otherwise it is per seat.
Can I use both?
Yes. Some developers keep Copilot in their main editor and open Cursor for larger changes. You are paying twice, so it is worth deciding which one you actually reach for.
Does Cursor use my code for training?
Both offer privacy modes that exclude your code from training, and both offer enterprise terms. Check the current setting yourself — this is the kind of policy that changes.
Related
Browse the full catalog, or the open-source roundups if you would rather self-host than choose between two subscriptions.