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GitHub CopilotAI code completion, chat and agents inside your editor and on GitHub. CursorA code editor with AI built in, for developers writing and changing code in an existing project.

GitHub Copilot vs Cursor

A plain comparison: who each tool is for, where each one breaks, and when neither is the answer. No affiliate links.

Who this is for

Developers choosing an AI coding assistant for daily work in a real codebase.

Side by side

GitHub Copilot and Cursor, compared
Compared onGitHub CopilotCursor
What it is forAI completion, chat and agents in your editor and on GitHub.A code editor with AI built in for working in an existing project.
Starting price (checked 2026-10-09)$10/month (Pro); free plan with 2000 completions and 50 chat requests a month.$20/month (Individual); free plan.
Pricing modelSubscription with AI credits.Subscription with included usage, then pay as you go at API rates.
Where you use itEditors, the CLI and GitHub itself.Cursor's own editor; agents run locally and in the cloud.
Where it breaksCloud agent capped at 59 minutes, one repo and branch, GitHub-hosted only; credits can drain fast.Extra use billed at API rates; Cursor refunded surprise charges after its 2025 pricing change.
SetupNeeds a developer.Needs a developer.
A custom build beats it whenThere is no developer to steer it and review its pull requests; hire one.Nobody can review what the AI changes; it speeds a developer up, it does not replace one.

The verdict

Both help a developer write and change code, both have a free plan, and both meter use beyond what the plan includes. GitHub Copilot starts lower at $10 a month on Pro, works in editors, the CLI and on GitHub itself, and its cloud agent opens pull requests, but an agent session stops at 59 minutes and works only on GitHub-hosted repos, and a community thread reports a month of premium requests gone in a day. Cursor is its own editor at $20 a month with unlimited tab completions, local and cloud agents, MCPs, skills and hooks, plus Bugbot review for teams; extra use is billed at API rates, and Cursor apologized for unclear pricing in 2025.

Pick Copilot if your code lives on GitHub and you want to keep your current editor at a low price; pick Cursor if you want an AI-first editor with local and cloud agents.

Read the full take on each

GitHub CopilotGood at, breaks when, priceCursorGood at, breaks when, price

Sources

  1. github.com/features/copilot/plans
  2. docs.github.com/en/copilot/get-started/plans
  3. docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/coding-agent/about-coding-agent
  4. github.com/orgs/community/discussions/197702
  5. cursor.com/pricing
  6. cursor.com/docs/account/pricing
  7. cursor.com/blog/june-2025-pricing

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Who runs this shop

Kratuva makes AI-first software. Our first product is Ruam, for teams that work apart. It shows how the working day went without screenshots or keystroke logging. Join the Ruam waitlist.

Occasionally we build with teams we like. Say hi: indra@kratuva.com.

Checked 9 Oct 2026

Every price and claim links to its source. Prices change often, so check the vendor's page before you buy. No affiliate links: nobody paid to be here. Logos belong to their owners and are shown only to name each tool, not as an endorsement.