GitHub Copilot Alternatives: 10 Tools Worth Trying (2026)

If you are considering alternatives to GitHub Copilot, this guide compares the top options for 2026 by form factor, pricing, and use case.

Quick Answer

See our Cursor vs Copilot for a direct comparison.

Extension Alternatives (Stay in VS Code)

Continue

• What it does: Chat, completions, slash commands. Use any model (Ollama, OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.).
• Pricing: Free (open-source); you pay for API or use Ollama for $0.
• Pros: Full control, privacy, local models.
• Cons: Manual setup; quality depends on model choice.
• Continue

Tabnine

• What it does: Inline completions; optional chat. On-prem and cloud options.
• Pricing: Free basic; Pro and Enterprise for teams.
• Pros: Privacy, enterprise deployment, training on your code (optional).
• Cons: Less agent-style workflow than Cursor.
• Tabnine

Amazon Q (CodeWhisperer)

• What it does: Inline completions, security scanning, Q&A.
• Pricing: Free individual; Pro for organizations.
• Pros: AWS integration, security scanning.
• Cons: Less model flexibility than Copilot.
• Amazon Q

Gemini Code Assist

• What it does: Agent mode, large context, MCP support.
• Pricing: Free individual (6,000 requests/day); Enterprise $19/user.
• Pros: Deep Google integration, large context.
• Cons: Gemini-centric.
• Gemini Code Assist

Supermaven

• What it does: Fast completions; large context on Pro/Team.
• Pricing: Free tier; Pro $10/month.
• Pros: Large context, fast latency.
• Cons: Less chat/agent than full IDEs.
• Supermaven

AI IDE Alternatives (Replace Your Editor)

Cursor

• What it does: AI IDE with Composer (multi-file), Agent mode, 25+ models.
• Pricing: Hobby free (limited); Pro $20; Pro+ $60; Ultra $200; Teams $40/user.
• Pros: Deepest AI integration, model choice.
• Cons: Separate app; higher cost than Copilot.
• Cursor

Windsurf

• What it does: AI IDE with Cascade agents; unlimited inline on free tier.
• Pricing: Free (25 credits + unlimited inline); Pro $15/user.
• Pros: Generous free tier; Cascade agents.
• Cons: Separate app.
• Windsurf

CLI and Terminal Alternatives

Claude Code

• What it does: Terminal-first agent; multi-file edits, tests, git.
• Pricing: Included with Claude Pro ($20/month).
• Pros: Strong reasoning; Agent Teams.
• Cons: Terminal-focused; not an IDE.
• Claude Code

Aider

• What it does: Open-source CLI; git-native, multi-provider.
• Pricing: Free; you pay for API usage.
• Pros: No vendor lock-in; works with many models.
• Cons: Terminal-only; no GUI.
• Aider

Comparison at a Glance

How to Choose

• Stay in VS Code, low cost? → Continue + Ollama or Copilot Free
• Composer-style multi-file editing? → Cursor or Windsurf
• Enterprise / compliance? → Tabnine or Amazon Q
• Already on Claude Pro? → Claude Code for terminal workflows
• Open source and BYOK? → Continue or Aider

Final Takeaways

1. Extensions: Continue, Tabnine, Amazon Q — stay in VS Code.
2. AI IDEs: Cursor, Windsurf — switch for deeper integration.
3. CLI: Claude Code, Aider — terminal-first workflows.

Related guides: Cursor vs Copilot | Cursor alternatives | Best AI tools for VS Code | Compare | Directory