Compare · Prices checked October 21, 2026
Cursor vs GitHub Copilot (2026)
Published starting prices: Cursor, Free; Plus $8/mo. GitHub Copilot, Free; Pro $10/mo. Side-by-side public pricing, what each does, real use cases and who each suits, all from our listings with sources. We haven't tested either hands-on.
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CodingFree tier
Cursor
An AI code editor with agents that plan and make multi-file changes, plus cloud agents and code review.
Subscription · 2 use casesFree; Plus $8/mo
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CodingFree tier
GitHub Copilot
GitHub's coding assistant with an agent mode in VS Code and other editors, a CLI and cloud agents that work on GitHub issues.
Subscription · 1 use caseFree; Pro $10/mo
Quick answer
- Cheaper: Comparing the lowest listed monthly plans: Cursor Plus: $8/mo (Grok models only), and GitHub Copilot Pro: $10/mo. Cursor lists the lower one. Cursor and GitHub Copilot also have a free plan. Plans differ in what they include, and some are per seat or billed yearly, so compare the plan details. Checked October 21, 2026.
- Free plans: Cursor: yes. Its Free plan is $0 (limited AI use), checked October 21, 2026. GitHub Copilot: yes. Its Free plan is $0 (limited chat and agent use), checked October 21, 2026.
Pricing side by side
| Item |  Cursor |  GitHub Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free; Plus $8/mo | Free; Pro $10/mo |
| Pricing model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Plans |
|
|
| Pricing note | Cursor's plans are now bundled with X/Grok features. Third-party models (Claude, GPT and others) are billed separately by usage. | Usage is metered in GitHub AI Credits (1 credit = $0.01); you can set a budget for extra usage. |
| Checked | October 21, 2026 | October 21, 2026 |
| Source | Vendor pricing page | Vendor pricing page |
Copied from each vendor's public pricing page on the date shown. "not published" means the vendor doesn't publish it; we don't guess. Prices change; confirm with the vendor.
Features and details from our listings
| Item | Cursor | GitHub Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An AI code editor with agents that plan and make multi-file changes, plus cloud agents and code review. | GitHub's coding assistant with an agent mode in VS Code and other editors, a CLI and cloud agents that work on GitHub issues. |
| Made by | Cursor | GitHub |
| Listed under | Coding agents | Coding agents |
| Jobs it fits |
|
|
| Verified public use cases | 2 | 1 |
Use cases
Cursor
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Use caseCoding
A beginner poker player went from small Python scripts that export his hand histories to a full Laravel web app for reviewing hands, built with help from Cursor.
Oct 2025Reilly Chase
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Use caseCoding
A developer wrote a Cursor rule whose job is to write other Cursor rules, so project conventions get saved as reusable instructions for the agent.
Apr 2025Adithyan (blog), via Hacker News
GitHub Copilot
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Use caseCoding
A developer shares the VS Code setup he uses to run GitHub Copilot's agent mode with MCP servers, custom instructions and reusable prompts so it can work through tasks with little intervention.
Use cases are summarised in our own words from the linked public post; vendor case studies are labelled. All use cases.
Who each is best for
- SubscriptionFree plan
Cursor is best for
- Teams that need to: Build or change an app with an agent in the editor; Refactor and fix bugs across files.
- Budget: starts at Free; Plus $8/mo (subscription, free plan available).
- SubscriptionFree plan
GitHub Copilot is best for
- Teams that need to: Fix bugs and make changes in an existing codebase; Review pull requests; Hand an issue to a cloud agent.
- Budget: starts at Free; Pro $10/mo (subscription, free plan available).
From our listing data (jobs, public pricing); not a hands-on test. Full details: Cursor · GitHub Copilot.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Cursor or GitHub Copilot?
Comparing the lowest listed monthly plans: Cursor Plus: $8/mo (Grok models only), and GitHub Copilot Pro: $10/mo. Cursor lists the lower one. Cursor and GitHub Copilot also have a free plan. Plans differ in what they include, and some are per seat or billed yearly, so compare the plan details. Checked October 21, 2026.
Is Cursor free? Is GitHub Copilot free?
Cursor: yes. Its Free plan is $0 (limited AI use), checked October 21, 2026. GitHub Copilot: yes. Its Free plan is $0 (limited chat and agent use), checked October 21, 2026.
How much does Cursor cost?
Cursor lists Free: $0 (limited AI use); Plus: $8/mo (Grok models only); Premium: $30/mo (latest models, cloud agents); Super: $100/mo (15x Plus usage); Ultra: $200/mo (50x Plus usage); Teams: from $30/user/mo. Its lowest listed monthly plan is Plus: $8/mo (Grok models only). Cursor's plans are now bundled with X/Grok features. Third-party models (Claude, GPT and others) are billed separately by usage. Checked October 21, 2026 on the vendor's pricing page.
How much does GitHub Copilot cost?
GitHub Copilot lists Free: $0 (limited chat and agent use); Pro: $10/mo; Pro+: $39/mo; Max: $100/mo (includes $100/mo in GitHub AI Credits). Its lowest listed monthly plan is Pro: $10/mo. Usage is metered in GitHub AI Credits (1 credit = $0.01); you can set a budget for extra usage. Checked October 21, 2026 on the vendor's pricing page.
Did AITeamGuide test them?
Not hands-on. This comparison is built from each vendor's public pricing page (with the date we checked it), published product information and credited public use cases.
Can a vendor pay to win this comparison?
No. Nothing here is paid. Paid placements on AITeamGuide are always labelled "Sponsored" or "Featured" and never change a comparison or ranking.
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Work at Cursor or GitHub Copilot? Vendors can claim their listing for free or feature it with a label that says "Sponsored"; paid status never changes the order on this page. Building a different agent? List it here.
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