2 Best GitHub Copilot Alternatives in 2025
Last updated: February 2026 • 7 min read
GitHub Copilot is a popular tool for developers wanting ai code assistance. While it offers a free tier (Free for OSS/students), its paid plans start at $10/mo. Whether you're looking for a cheaper option, better features, or an open-source solution, we've compiled the 2 best GitHub Copilot alternatives to help you find the right fit.
📋 Quick Summary
- Total alternatives: 2
- Free alternatives: 2 (Cursor, Codeium)
- Best overall: Cursor
- Best free: Cursor
Why Look for GitHub Copilot Alternatives?
People commonly look for GitHub Copilot alternatives for several reasons:
- Cost: While GitHub Copilot has a free tier, its paid plans starting at $10/mo can add up quickly for growing teams.
- Feature gaps: Subscription required and can suggest wrong code are common complaints.
- Simplicity: Some users find GitHub Copilot overly complex for their needs and prefer simpler solutions.
- Data ownership: Organizations wanting data sovereignty prefer open-source, self-hosted alternatives.
- Better fit: Different tools excel at different use cases — you may find a tool that's specifically built for your workflow.
📊 Quick Comparison Table
| Tool | Free Tier | Starting Price | Rating | Open Source | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Copilot | ✓ Free for OSS/students | $10/mo | ⭐ 4.4 | No | Developers wanting AI code assistance |
| Cursor | ✓ 2,000 completions/mo | $20/mo | ⭐ 4.5 | No | Developers wanting AI-native coding |
| Codeium | ✓ Free for individuals | Free | ⭐ 4.2 | No | Developers wanting free AI code completion |
Detailed Reviews of Each Alternative
Cursor
AI-first code editor built for pair programming with AI.
Cursor is an AI-powered code editor built as a fork of VS Code. It integrates AI deeply into the coding experience with features like AI-powered autocomplete, chat, code generation, and refactoring. Cursor has quickly become popular among developers looking for more intelligent coding tools.
Pros
- ✓ Powerful AI features
- ✓ VS Code familiar
- ✓ Codebase-aware
- ✓ Fast iterations
Cons
- ✗ Subscription model
- ✗ Resource heavy
- ✗ Newer product
- ✗ VS Code fork concerns
Codeium
Free AI code completion and chat for developers.
Codeium offers free AI-powered code completion, chat, and search for developers. It supports 70+ languages and works with most popular IDEs. Codeium's free tier is very generous, making it a popular alternative to GitHub Copilot for developers who don't want to pay for AI coding assistance.
Pros
- ✓ Free for individuals
- ✓ Wide language support
- ✓ Good IDE support
- ✓ Fast
Cons
- ✗ Less accurate than Copilot
- ✗ Newer product
- ✗ Enterprise features limited
- ✗ Smaller community
🏆 Our Recommendations
❓ FAQ
What is the best free alternative to GitHub Copilot?
The best free alternative to GitHub Copilot is Cursor, which offers 2,000 completions/mo.
Is there an open-source alternative to GitHub Copilot?
There are no widely-used open-source alternatives to GitHub Copilot at this time, but several affordable options exist.
What is the cheapest alternative to GitHub Copilot?
The cheapest alternatives are the free options: Cursor, Codeium. For paid alternatives, prices start from as low as $20/mo.
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