Coding & App Builders
The best GitHub Copilot alternatives
GitHub Copilot is one of the best-known tools in Coding & App Builders, but it is not the right fit for everyone. Prices, features and supported languages differ, so here are 8 alternatives worth comparing, with what each one does best.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Cursor | Freemium | Full-time coders · Refactoring |
| Windsurf | Freemium | Developers wanting an AI editor · Multi-file changes |
| Claude Code | Paid | Large codebases · Multi-step coding tasks |
| Gemini Code Assist | Freemium | Individual developers · Google Cloud users |
| OpenAI Codex | Paid | Delegating coding tasks · Bug fixes and refactors |
| Tabnine | Paid | Enterprises with strict security · Regulated industries |
| JetBrains AI Assistant | Freemium | JetBrains IDE users · Java, Kotlin and Python developers |
| Cline | Free | Developers who want control · Using your own model keys |
1Cursor
CursorAI-first code editor.FreemiumA VS Code-based editor built around AI chat, multi-file edits and codebase awareness.
Best for
- Full-time coders
- Refactoring
Why choose it
- Understands the whole codebase
- Fast multi-file edits
Our take: The most capable AI-first editor for people who code every day.
2Windsurf
WindsurfAI-native code editor with an agent built in.FreemiumA code editor built around an AI agent that understands your project, edits multiple files and runs commands.
Best for
- Developers wanting an AI editor
- Multi-file changes
- Prototyping
Why choose it
- Capable built-in agent
- Free tier available
Our take: A strong alternative to Cursor for AI-first coding.
3Claude Code
Claude CodeAgentic coding assistant in your terminal, IDE and browser.PaidAnthropic's coding agent that understands your codebase, edits files, runs commands and works through multi-step tasks from the terminal, IDE or web.
Best for
- Large codebases
- Multi-step coding tasks
- Developers who live in the terminal
Why choose it
- Understands whole projects
- Can run tests and fix failures
Our take: One of the most capable coding agents for real-world projects.
4Gemini Code Assist
Gemini Code AssistGoogle's AI coding assistant, free for individuals.FreemiumGoogle's coding assistant for VS Code, JetBrains and GitHub, offering completions, chat, code review and agent mode, with a free tier for individuals.
Best for
- Individual developers
- Google Cloud users
- Code reviews on GitHub
Why choose it
- Generous free tier
- Large context window
Our take: A very capable free option for individual developers.
5OpenAI Codex
OpenAI CodexOpenAI's coding agent in the cloud, terminal and IDE.PaidOpenAI's software engineering agent that writes features, fixes bugs and proposes pull requests, available in ChatGPT, a CLI and IDE extensions.
Best for
- Delegating coding tasks
- Bug fixes and refactors
- Teams using ChatGPT
Why choose it
- Runs tasks in parallel in the cloud
- Included in ChatGPT paid plans
Our take: A strong agent for delegating coding work, especially for ChatGPT users.
6Tabnine
TabninePrivate AI coding assistant for enterprises.PaidAn AI code assistant focused on privacy and control, with options to run in your own environment and models that don't train on your code.
Best for
- Enterprises with strict security
- Regulated industries
- Teams needing self-hosting
Why choose it
- Strong privacy and deployment options
- Works in many IDEs
Our take: The pick for companies where privacy requirements come first.
7JetBrains AI Assistant
JetBrains AI AssistantAI built into IntelliJ, PyCharm and other JetBrains IDEs.FreemiumAI completion, chat and the Junie coding agent inside JetBrains IDEs, using the IDE's deep understanding of your project.
Best for
- JetBrains IDE users
- Java, Kotlin and Python developers
- Refactoring
Why choose it
- Deep IDE integration
- Works with project structure
Our take: The natural choice if you already work in JetBrains IDEs.
8Cline
ClineOpen-source coding agent for your editor.FreeA free, open-source AI coding agent that runs in VS Code and other editors, plans tasks, edits files and runs commands with your approval.
Best for
- Developers who want control
- Using your own model keys
- Open-source fans
Why choose it
- Open source and free
- Works with many model providers
Our take: The leading open-source agent for developers who want full control.
How to choose
Start with the job you need done most often, then test two or three options on the same real task. Check the free plan limits, the languages each tool supports and whether it works with the apps you already use.
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