GitHub Copilot vs Cursor
Plans, free access, limits and intended use side by side, taken from each vendor’s own pages. No score and no winner: the facts show where the two differ.
Change tools
Coding assistance inside your editor, with a separate cloud agent for GitHub repositories.
Repository edits with a reviewable change boundary
- Free access
- GitHub Copilot: Free access
- Cursor: Free access
- Paid from
- GitHub Copilot: USD 10 per person per month
- Cursor: USD 20 per month
- Plans listed
- GitHub Copilot: 4
- Cursor: 7
- Public API
- GitHub Copilot: Yes
- Cursor: Yes
Where GitHub Copilot and Cursor differ
- PlansGitHub Copilot lists 4 plans and Cursor lists 7.
Head to head
Each value from the tool’s profile and the vendor’s own pages
| GitHub Copilot | Fact | Cursor |
|---|---|---|
| Access and price | ||
| Free access availableFree · USD 0 | Free accessSame | Free access availableHobby |
| USD 10 per person per monthPro · monthly subscription | Lowest listed paid plan | USD 20 per monthPro · billed monthly |
| Free access; individual Pro USD 10 per month | Pricing model | From USD 20 per month, billed monthly |
| 4 | Plans listedDiffers | 7 |
| Yes | Public APISame | Yes |
| Not required | Card to startSame | Not required |
| No | Open sourceSame | No |
| What it is for | ||
| Reviewing small code changes in an existing editor | Built for | Developers evaluating controlled repository edits with their own test suite |
| Coding | CategorySame | Coding |
| Platforms |
|
| Works with |
|
| How current | ||
| Profile sources checked | ||
| Prices confirmed · Oct 2, 2026 | Pricing checkSame | Prices confirmed · Oct 17, 2026 |
Official source check for both tools. No hands-on testing and no score: “Differs” marks a documented difference, not a better tool.
Plans and prices
GitHub Copilot
Prices confirmed · Oct 2, 2026- FreeUSD 0
- ProUSD 10 per person per monthmonthly subscription
- Pro+USD 39 per person per monthmonthly subscription
- MaxUSD 100 per person per monthmonthly subscription
Cursor
Prices confirmed · Oct 17, 2026- HobbyFree
- ProUSD 20 per monthbilled monthly
- Pro PlusUSD 60 per monthbilled monthly
- UltraUSD 200 per monthbilled monthly
- Teams StandardUSD 40 per user per monthbilled monthly
Show 2 more plans
- Teams PremiumUSD 120 per user per monthbilled monthly
- EnterpriseCustom quote
Strengths and limits
GitHub Copilot
Strengths
- Keep the current editor: Supported IDE integrations let a developer evaluate assistance without replacing the entire coding environment.
- Separate local and delegated work: Chat, local agent mode and the cloud agent address different levels of repository work.
- Visible billing units: The individual billing documentation explains credit conversion, base allowance and variable flex allotment.
Limits to plan around
- Free is not unlimited agent work: Free has limited chat and agent usage; cloud agent and code review require paid access.
- Variable interaction cost: Long context, model choice and repeated edits change credit consumption.
- Exclusion gaps: Content exclusion is not supported in Edit or Agent modes; do not treat a file policy as a universal boundary.
Cursor
Strengths
- Integrated change loop: Inspection, editing and command execution can stay in one workspace.
- Explicit project context: Repository rules make conventions easier to repeat across tasks.
- Reviewable output: A file diff gives the developer a concrete artifact to accept or reject.
Limits to plan around
- Variable consumption: The model and task affect how far an allowance lasts.
- Review remains necessary: A plausible patch can change behavior or weaken tests.
- Workspace permissions: Command execution requires deliberate limits around data and external systems.
See both products
Start from your task, not from a winner.
Run both tools on the same real task, then compare the result, how much editing it needs and how fast it uses your plan’s allowance.
How we reviewChange this pair
Choose tools
Choose two tools below. You can replace either selection at any time.
Audio & voice
Automation
Coding
Data & spreadsheets
Images & design
Presentations
Research & sources
Video & editing
Website builders
Writing & content
Comparing tools from different categories is fine, and often useful — a writing assistant and a research tool solve different halves of the same job. The table will show you exactly where they diverge.
Questions about comparing tools
How does the comparison work?
Add two tools to the comparison tray from any tool card, then open this page. The table pulls each tool's verified plan details, platforms, strengths and limits from its profile, so both columns carry the same kind of evidence, with a separate source-check date for each tool.
Do you declare a winner?
No. The table sets two tools against each other on documented facts, not on a score. Which one wins depends on your task, your budget and your usage volume — three things we cannot see from here.
Why are some cells empty or marked unverified?
Because we could not confirm that detail on the vendor's own pages. Rather than filling the gap with a figure from elsewhere, we mark it and say why on the tool's profile.
Can I compare more than two tools?
Not at once. Two columns keep the differences readable and force a real decision. Remove either selected tool to replace it, or clear both to start a new pair.
Every figure in the table above comes from the linked profile, where the source and the verification date are listed. Browse all tools or read the editorial policy.