GitHub Copilot vs Cursor vs Codeium: Coding AI Price War

Byaitoolvs

TL;DR Verdict

Codeium/Windsurf is the budget king with a generous free tier and $10/mo Pro. GitHub Copilot ($10/mo) is the safe mainstream choice. Cursor ($20/mo) is the most powerful but priciest. For maximum value, start with Codeium Free, upgrade to Copilot for reliability, or go Cursor for the best AI coding experience.

GitHub Copilot Pricing Plans

Plan Price Key Features
Free $0 2,000 completions/mo, 50 chat messages, VS Code & JetBrains
Individual $10/mo Unlimited completions, unlimited chat, CLI access, multi-IDE
Business $19/user/mo Organization management, policy controls, IP indemnity
Enterprise $39/user/mo SAML SSO, audit logs, fine-tuned models, advanced security

Cursor Pricing Plans

Plan Price Key Features
Hobby $0 2,000 completions, 50 slow premium requests
Pro $20/mo Unlimited completions, 500 fast premium, 10 Composer agents/day
Business $40/user/mo Admin controls, enforced privacy, SAML SSO, centralized billing

Codeium (Windsurf) Pricing Plans

Plan Price Key Features
Free $0 Unlimited autocomplete, limited chat, limited commands
Pro $10/mo Unlimited everything, priority access, advanced features
Team $19/user/mo Admin dashboard, usage analytics, shared settings
Enterprise Custom SSO, self-hosted, custom models, SLA

Quick Price Comparison

Tier GitHub Copilot Cursor Codeium (Windsurf)
Free $0 $0 $0
Individual $10/mo $20/mo $10/mo
Business $19/user/mo $40/user/mo $19/user/mo
Enterprise $39/user/mo Custom

Which Should You Choose?

If You… Choose
You want the best free AI coding tool Codeium Free – most generous free tier
You want reliable, mainstream AI completions GitHub Copilot Individual ($10/mo)
You want the most powerful AI coding experience Cursor Pro ($20/mo) – Composer is unmatched
You’re a student GitHub Copilot Free (Pro free for verified students)
Your team needs admin controls on a budget Copilot Business ($19/user) or Codeium Team ($19/user)
You use JetBrains IDEs GitHub Copilot or Codeium – Cursor is VS Code only

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Codeium with VS Code?

Yes. Codeium works with VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Neovim, and 40+ other editors. Alternatively, Windsurf is Codeium’s dedicated AI IDE (VS Code-based, like Cursor).

Is Cursor just VS Code with AI?

Cursor is a fork of VS Code with deep AI integration. All VS Code extensions work. The key differentiator is Composer mode for multi-file AI editing and superior codebase context.

Which is best for large codebases?

Cursor Pro. Its codebase indexing and Composer mode understand your entire project. Copilot and Codeium have more limited context windows for project-wide understanding.

Can I switch between these tools easily?

Yes. Copilot and Codeium are extensions you can install/remove. Cursor is a separate editor but imports VS Code settings. You can try all three with minimal friction.

Key Takeaways

  • Both GitHub Copilot and Cursor offer competitive pricing in 2026
  • Free tiers let you test before committing
  • Annual billing saves 15-20% on most plans
  • Choose based on your specific use case, not just price

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