| Feature | Claude Code | GitHub Copilot | Cursor |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it does | AI coding agent for your terminal and IDE. | AI pair programmer. | AI code editor. |
| Made by | Anthropic | GitHub (Microsoft) | Anysphere |
| Free plan | no | yes | yes |
| Price | Paid; paid from $17/month billed annually or $20 monthly (Claude Pro) | Free plan available; paid from $10/month (Pro) | Free plan available; paid from $8/month (Plus) |
| Pricing checked | Last verified Oct 28, 2026 | Last verified Oct 15, 2026 | Last verified Oct 15, 2026 |
| Skill level | advanced | intermediate | advanced |
| Platforms | mac, linux, windows, web | web, ios, android, windows, mac, linux | windows, mac, linux, web, ios |
| Privacy | See the tool page | See the tool page | See the tool page |
Who Claude Code is for
Software developers.
Good points
- Works across a whole codebase, not just one file
- Runs in the terminal, VS Code, JetBrains or the web
- Included with paid Claude plans
- Pay-as-you-go API option for heavy use
Watch out for
- No free plan
- Usage is shared with your Claude chat limits
- Built for people comfortable with code and the command line
Who GitHub Copilot is for
Software developers, students learning to code and technical teams.
Good points
- Free plan available
- Works in VS Code and other popular editors
- Chat, code review and agent features
- Strong integration with GitHub
Watch out for
- Usage-based AI credits can be confusing
- Suggestions can contain bugs or security issues
- Best for people who can already read code
Who Cursor is for
Software developers and technical builders who want deep AI help while coding.
Good points
- Understands and edits whole projects
- Familiar editor experience
- Free plan to start
- Paid plan bundles Grok and X features
Watch out for
- Third-party AI models are billed separately
- Pricing changed recently with the X Subscription bundle
- Generated code still needs careful review
All three can help you
Head-to-head
See more coding tools: Best AI for coding.
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