Best GitHub Copilot Alternatives of 2026
Eight coding assistants and agents to consider instead of GitHub Copilot, ranked on price, usage model, IDE support and privacy.
By , research by the BestBots team ยท Updated Oct 19, 2026
Fact checked against each company's published pricing, documentation and verified user ratings. How we score
Claude Code is the best GitHub Copilot alternative for developers whose agent work outgrows Copilot's metered AI credits: it meters by a 5 hour window and offers flat Max plans at $100 or $200. If you already pay for ChatGPT, Codex comes with Plus at $20, and Cline is the best free, open source option.
Our top picks
Why look beyond Copilot
Copilot is still the best value for most developers, so the reasons to switch are specific:
Metered agents. Chat, agent mode, code review, the cloud agent and the CLI draw down AI credits: 1,500 a month on Pro, 7,000 on Pro+, 20,000 on Max. A long agent session on a frontier model can use many, and extra usage is $0.01 a credit. Only the base share of each allotment is firm; GitHub says flex allotments may change.
Upsell to Pro+. Delegating tasks to third party agents such as Claude and Codex inside GitHub needs Pro+ at $39.
Training on individual plans. Since April 24, GitHub may use interactions from Free, Pro and Pro+ users to train models unless they opt out in settings. Business and Enterprise data is not used.
Not an editor. Copilot is an extension and CLI. Some people want a dedicated AI IDE.
Cloud only. There is no on premises Copilot for code that cannot leave the network.
How to choose an alternative
Credits or time windows? Copilot, Kiro and JetBrains AI meter by credits; Claude Code and Codex by 5 hour windows with weekly caps; Windsurf by daily and weekly quotas; Cline by tokens.
Keep your IDE? Claude Code, Codex and Cline work in VS Code; Claude Code and JetBrains AI in JetBrains; Tabnine covers VS Code, JetBrains, Eclipse and Visual Studio. Windsurf, Kiro and Cursor are their own editors.
Privacy needs? Tabnine runs air gapped. Claude Team and Enterprise, ChatGPT Business and Copilot Business all exclude your data from training by default.
Our picks, in detail
- Starting price
- $20 per month
- Models
- Claude Opus, Sonnet and Haiku; Fable via usage credits
- IDE support
- VS Code, Cursor (extension), JetBrains, desktop app, web
- Free plan
- No
If Copilot's metered credits run out on long agent runs, Claude Code meters by a 5 hour window instead, with flat Max plans at $100 or $200 for all day use. It runs in the terminal, VS Code, JetBrains, a desktop app and the web, and Claude Pro at $20 also covers the Claude chat apps.
Pros
- Included with every paid Claude plan, so the $20 Pro seat also covers the Claude chat apps
- Runs in the terminal, VS Code, JetBrains, a desktop app and the web from one subscription
- Max plans at $100 and $200 add 5x or 20x Pro usage plus monthly API credits
- CLI, VS Code and JetBrains can also run on third party providers or an API key
Cons
- Not available on the free Claude plan
- Subscription use is limited to Claude models; no GPT or Gemini option
- Usage is metered per 5 hour session with no published message count
- VS Code Marketplace rating is 3.7 from 829 reviews, below GitHub Copilot's 4.1
Skip it if you want GPT or Gemini on the same plan or need a free tier.
- Starting price
- $20 per month
- Models
- GPT 6.1 Sol, GPT 6 Sol, GPT 6 Astra, GPT 6 Luna
- IDE support
- IDE extension, desktop app, web, iOS
- Free plan
- Yes
Codex is included with ChatGPT Plus at $20, so many developers already own it. It covers the CLI, IDE extension, desktop, web and iOS, adds cloud tasks and automatic GitHub code review, and Pro from $100 currently has no 5 hour limit.
Pros
- Bundled with ChatGPT Plus, so one $20 seat covers chat and coding
- Runs in the CLI, IDE, desktop app, web and iOS
- Pro plans currently have no 5 hour limit
- API key mode for CI and automation at API rates
Cons
- Usage per 5 hours varies widely by model and task, and weekly limits may apply
- Free and Go access is desktop only and subject to rollout
- Subscription use is limited to OpenAI models
- VS Code Marketplace rating 2.9 from 722 reviews
Skip it if you want several labs' models; Codex runs OpenAI models only.
- Starting price
- $20 per month
- Models
- OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and SpaceXAI frontier models, SWE-2, open source models such as Kimi
- IDE support
- Devin Desktop editor (formerly Windsurf, macOS download), Windsurf for JetBrains, Windsurf Plugin for VS Code
- Free plan
- Yes
Windsurf, now Devin Desktop, gives you a full AI IDE with unlimited Tab completions even on Free, and its $20 Pro plan includes frontier models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and SpaceXAI plus Devin Cloud agents. Windsurf plugins also exist for JetBrains and VS Code.
Pros
- $20 Pro includes quota on frontier models from four labs, not just in house models
- Unlimited Tab completions and inline edits, even on Free
- Same subscription covers Devin Cloud agents
- Agent Client Protocol support to work across models and agents
Cons
- Quotas are described as generous but not published as numbers
- Windsurf URLs now redirect to Devin, so docs and plan names have moved
- Trustpilot 1.4 from 59 reviews, with pricing and quota complaints
- Teams pricing adds an $80 base fee on top of $40 per seat
Skip it if you want published usage numbers like Copilot's credit counts.
- Starting price
- $0 per month plus model usage
- Models
- Any provider: Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, OpenRouter, Bedrock, Vertex, Groq, DeepSeek and more
- IDE support
- VS Code, CLI, desktop app (beta), Cline Cloud in the browser; JetBrains on Enterprise
- Free plan
- Yes
Cline is free and open source with no seat fee; you pay only your model provider, so light users can spend a few dollars a month on small models. It runs in VS Code, the CLI, a desktop beta and Cline Cloud, and its VS Code rating of 4.0 from 323 reviews is close to Copilot's 4.1.
Pros
- Free and open source, with about 71k GitHub stars shown on its site
- Bring your own keys from almost any model provider, so no vendor lock in
- Inference bought through Cline is sold at cost
- VS Code Marketplace rating 4.0 from 323 reviews
- Cline Cloud runs up to 10 parallel sessions in cloud sandboxes and pushes to a cline/ branch
Cons
- No plan cap: costs track tokens, so heavy agent use on frontier models can get expensive
- JetBrains extension, SSO and team management are Enterprise features
- Desktop app is still a beta (version 0.0.48 in October 2026)
Skip it if you want one fixed monthly price.
- Starting price
- $20 per user per month
- Models
- Auto, Claude Opus 5 and Sonnet 5, GPT 5.6 Sol, Terra and Luna, DeepSeek, MiniMax, GLM, Qwen
- IDE support
- Kiro IDE (Code OSS based, Open VSX plugins), web, mobile, ACP compatible IDEs
- Free plan
- Yes
Kiro publishes credits per plan just like Copilot (1,000 on the $20 Pro, extra at $0.04), and adds spec mode, which writes requirements, design and tasks before code, plus hooks that run linters or tests automatically. Claude, GPT 5.6 and open weight models are included.
Pros
- Every plan lists its monthly credits, and add-on credits cost a flat $0.04
- Spec mode writes requirements, design and tasks before code, and hooks automate repeat work
- IDE, CLI, Kiro Web cloud sandboxes and mobile share one subscription
- Model menu spans Claude, GPT 5.6 and low cost open weight models
- Enterprise content is not used for service improvement and can be encrypted with customer managed keys
Cons
- Credits per task vary by model and task size, so monthly capacity is hard to predict
- Free and individual plan content may be used for service improvement unless you opt out
- Unused plan credits expire at month end
- Trustpilot shows only 7 reviews, too few to rate
Skip it if you want to stay in VS Code or JetBrains; Kiro is its own Code OSS editor.
- Starting price
- $8 per month
- Models
- Grok 4.7, 4.6, 4.5 and Composer 2.5 included; Claude, GPT, Gemini at API list price on Premium and up
- IDE support
- Cursor editor (desktop), Cloud Agents, mobile
- Free plan
- Yes
Cursor bundles an agent, CLI, Cloud Agents, Automations, Bugbot code review and Origin hosting in one app, with a weekly pool that refreshes so one heavy day does not burn the month.
Pros
- Full editor, CLI, Cloud Agents and Automations under one plan
- Bugbot code review and Origin code hosting included from Premium
- Weekly usage refresh, so one heavy day does not burn the month
- Very wide third party model menu at API list price, including Claude Opus 5.5 and GPT 5.6
Cons
- Included usage covers Cursor's own models only; Claude, GPT and Gemini are billed extra from prepaid credit
- The $8 Plus plan has no third party models, Cloud Agents or Bugbot
- Pricing is bundled with Grok and X features most developers do not need
- Trustpilot 1.5 from 348 reviews, with billing and support complaints
Skip it if you want Claude or GPT in the flat fee; Cursor bills them at API list price.
- Starting price
- $10 per month
- Models
- Claude Opus, Sonnet and Fable, Gemini 3.1 Pro and 3.8 Flash, GPT 6 Astra and 6.1 Sol, Grok 4.7, BYOK and local
- IDE support
- JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm and others), Air
- Free plan
- Yes
JetBrains AI and the Junie agent are built into IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm and the rest, with transparent $1 credits, a free Junie Lite model and bring your own key at zero markup. AI Pro is already bundled with the All Products Pack.
Pros
- Credits are priced at a flat $1 each, so spend is easy to forecast
- Junie Lite is free in every JetBrains account, and BYOK runs at provider rates with zero markup
- Junie runs in the IDE, a CLI, GitHub Actions and GitLab CI
- Detailed code data is never collected from commercial users without explicit consent; SOC 2 certified
Cons
- Included usage is small: 10 credits on $10 AI Pro, 35 on $30 Ultimate
- Tied to JetBrains IDEs; no VS Code extension
- JetBrains Marketplace votes average about 2.1 from 1,439 for AI Assistant and 2.9 from 509 for Junie
- Enterprise credit counts are not disclosed yet
Skip it if you use VS Code or need large included usage; AI Pro has 10 credits a month.
- Starting price
- Quote only
- Models
- Tabnine models plus Claude, GPT, Gemini, Devstral, Qwen, GLM and MiniMax options
- IDE support
- VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Eclipse, Visual Studio 2022 and 2026
- Free plan
- No
Tabnine runs SaaS, in a VPC, on premises or fully air gapped, with a no train, no retain policy for its models and support for VS Code, JetBrains, Eclipse and Visual Studio. It suits companies whose code cannot reach a public cloud model.
Pros
- Runs SaaS, in a VPC, on premises or fully air gapped
- No train, no retain policy for Tabnine models; SOC 2 and GDPR compliant
- Broad IDE coverage including Eclipse and Visual Studio 2026
- Admins choose which models are available, including permissively trained Tabnine Protected
Cons
- No public price; tabnine.com now redirects to Tricentis
- No individual or free plan listed in the docs
- Product direction may shift toward Tricentis testing after the July 2026 acquisition
- Trustpilot 2.1 from 10 reviews, with complaints about support after the enterprise shift
Skip it if you want a public price; sales now go through Tricentis.
Price comparison
| Tool | Entry paid | Heavy | Team seat | Free plan | Usage model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Copilot | $10 | $39 or $100 | $19 | Yes | AI credits |
| Claude Code | $20 (Claude Pro) | $100 or $200 | $25, or $20 annually | No | 5 hour window plus weekly |
| Codex | $20 (ChatGPT Plus) | $100, $200 or $500 | $25, or $20 annually | Desktop only, rollout | 5 hour window plus weekly |
| Windsurf (Devin Desktop) | $20 | $200 | $80 plus $40 per seat | Yes | Daily and weekly quota |
| Cline | $0 plus tokens | Your token bill | Enterprise | Yes | Tokens |
| Kiro | $20 (1,000 credits) | $100 or $200 | Same tiers per user | Yes | Credits, $0.04 extra |
| Cursor | $30 (Premium) | $100 or $200 | From $30 | Limited | Weekly pool plus API list price |
| JetBrains AI | $10 (10 credits) | $30 (35 credits) | $20 or $60 | Yes | Credits, $1 each |
| Tabnine | Quote only | Quote only | Quote only | No | Not published |
Prices as listed on each vendor's pricing page or docs in October 2026.
Ten developer team, per month. Copilot Business $190. Claude Team Standard $250 ($200 annually). Codex Business $250 ($200 annually). Kiro Pro $200. Windsurf Teams $480. Cursor Teams from $300 plus third party usage. JetBrains AI Pro for organizations $200.
What you give up
Copilot's strengths are hard to match in one tool: the lowest paid entry at $10, unlimited completions on every paid plan, a usable free tier, models from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and xAI on one plan, agent mode in VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Eclipse and Xcode, and native GitHub integration with a cloud agent that turns issues into pull requests. Many teams keep Copilot for completions and add a second agent for long tasks rather than replacing it.
How we picked
We compared tools that cover Copilot's jobs (completions, chat, IDE agent, CLI, cloud agent and review) using published facts: pricing pages and docs opened in October 2026, plus public review listings with at least 10 reviews. We did not run benchmarks. Order is editorial, based on why someone leaving Copilot would choose each tool, price, models, IDE coverage and trust signals. No vendor paid for placement. See how we score and the best AI coding agents ranking.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to GitHub Copilot?
For developers who hit Copilot's credit limits on agent work, Claude Code is the strongest alternative, with flat Max plans and a 5 hour window instead of per credit billing. If you already pay for ChatGPT, Codex is included with Plus at $20. If you want a dedicated AI editor, Windsurf (Devin Desktop) at $20.
Is there a free alternative to GitHub Copilot?
Cline is free and open source; you pay only for model tokens. Windsurf (Devin Desktop) Free includes unlimited Tab completions and a light agent quota, Kiro Free includes 50 credits a month, and JetBrains AI Free includes Junie Lite and 3 credits.
Why are developers looking for Copilot alternatives?
Copilot now meters chat and agent work in AI credits, and long agent sessions on frontier models can use them fast, with extra usage at $0.01 a credit. GitHub also says it may use interactions from Free, Pro and Pro+ users for training unless they opt out. Others want a dedicated editor or a self hosted option.
What is the best self hosted Copilot alternative?
Tabnine, which offers VPC, on premises and fully air gapped deployment and a no train, no retain policy. Cline Enterprise also offers VPC deployment, and Cline's open source extension can point at self hosted or local models.
What is the best Copilot alternative for JetBrains?
JetBrains AI with the Junie agent is built into JetBrains IDEs. Claude Code also has a JetBrains integration, and Windsurf for JetBrains is still available. Tabnine supports JetBrains IDEs from 2023.3 to 2026.2.
Is Cursor better than Copilot?
Cursor is a stronger all in one editor with Bugbot and Cloud Agents. Copilot is cheaper ($10 against $30 for Cursor Premium), works in your existing IDE, and includes Claude and GPT in its credits, which Cursor bills at API list price. See our Cursor vs GitHub Copilot comparison.
Is Claude Code cheaper than Copilot?
At entry, no: Copilot Pro is $10 and Claude Pro is $20. For heavy agent users, it can be: once Copilot extra credits push past $100 a month, Claude Max 5x at $100 or Max 20x at $200 may give more agent time for a flat fee.