Two AI code editors, side by side. Facts below link to their sources; last checked 2026-10-17.
| Cursor | GitHub Copilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | AI code editor | AI code editor |
| Pricing | From $20/month | From $10/month |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | No |
| Latest release | Cursor 3 (Apr 2026) | — |

AI-first code editor forked from VS Code. Cursor 3 introduced a unified workspace for building with agents: multi-repo layout and handoff between local and cloud agents. source

GitHub's AI pair programmer. Agent mode in VS Code analyzes code, edits multiple files, runs permitted terminal commands, detects errors and iterates until the task is done. source
Cursor: AI code editor; Cursor 3 adds an agents window to run parallel agents. GitHub Copilot: Copilot agent mode in VS Code: edits files, runs commands, fixes its own errors.
Cursor: From $20/month (free tier available). GitHub Copilot: From $10/month (free tier available). Prices change often; confirm on the official pricing pages.