Cursor vs GitHub Copilot: Side-by-Side Comparison 2026
Cursor vs GitHub Copilot comparison 2026. Side-by-side features, pricing & capabilities.
Cursor is an AI IDE from Cursor (Anysphere) — the ai-first code editor. GitHub Copilot is an editor extension from GitHub (Microsoft) — your ai pair programmer.
Cursor
AI-powered code editor built on VS Code with deep AI integration for code generation, editing, and chat.
- ✓ AI autocomplete
- ✓ Chat with codebase
- ✓ Multi-file editing
- ✓ Terminal commands
- ✓ Code explanation
Free / $20/mo · 6 plans
GitHub Copilot
GitHub's AI coding assistant that suggests code completions, whole functions, and chat-based help directly in your editor.
- ✓ Code completions
- ✓ Chat
- ✓ CLI integration
- ✓ Pull request summaries
- ✓ Code review
Free / $10/mo · 5 plans
| Feature | Cursor | GitHub Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI IDE | Extension |
| Starting Price | Free | Free |
| Model Family | Multi-model | Multi-model |
| Voice Input | — | ✓ |
| Open Source | No | No |
Pricing verified Mar 20, 2026. Cursor pricing | GitHub Copilot pricing
Key Differences
- Category: Cursor is an AI IDE; GitHub Copilot is an editor extension.
- Starting price: Cursor starts at $20/mo; GitHub Copilot starts at $10/mo.
- Bring your own key: Cursor supports BYOK; GitHub Copilot does not.
- Platforms: Cursor runs on Linux, Windows, macOS; GitHub Copilot runs on Desktop, Web.
- Provider: Cursor is built by Cursor (Anysphere); GitHub Copilot is built by GitHub (Microsoft).
- Capabilities: GitHub Copilot has voice input.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Cursor if you want a full-featured AI IDE for professional development. Choose GitHub Copilot if you want deep integration with GitHub workflows. Read our full reviews to see which fits your workflow.