Cursor vs GitHub Copilot: Side-by-Side Comparison 2026
Cursor vs GitHub Copilot comparison 2026. Side-by-side features, pricing & capabilities.
| Feature | Cursor | GitHub Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI IDE | Extension |
| Starting Price | Free | Free |
| Model Family | Multi-model | Multi-model |
| Code Completion | ✓ | ✓ |
| Chat | ✓ | ✓ |
| Agentic Mode | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-File Editing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Terminal Commands | ✓ | ✓ |
| Browser Use | — | — |
| App Generation | — | — |
| Git Integration | ✓ | ✓ |
| Supported IDEs | Cursor (standalone VS Code fork) | VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, Neovim, GitHub.com, GitHub Mobile |
| Open Source | No | No |
Pricing verified 2026-02-06. Cursor pricing | GitHub Copilot pricing
Overview
Cursor is an AI IDE from Cursor (Anysphere). GitHub Copilot is an editor extension from GitHub (Microsoft). Both tools are actively maintained as of 2026.
Cursor: What You Get
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
- Bug detection
Pricing: Free / $20/mo. 6 plans available.
GitHub Copilot: What You Get
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
- Multi-model support
Pricing: Free / $10/mo. 5 plans available.
Key Differences
- Category: Cursor is an AI IDE, GitHub Copilot is an editor extension.
- Model family: Cursor uses Multi-model; GitHub Copilot uses Multi-model.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Cursor if you want Full-featured AI IDE for professional development. Choose GitHub Copilot if you want Deep integration with GitHub workflows. Both tools are strong options — the right choice depends on your workflow and priorities.