Pick GitHub Copilot if…
- You're a student: free (Copilot Student plan, free while you're a student).
- You're buying seats: Business is $19/seat/mo on monthly billing (vs Cursor $30).
GitHub Copilot vs Cursor
Monthly cost for you or your team (GitHub Copilot, Cursor) → AI coding cost calculator
Usage limits compared (GitHub Copilot, Cursor): message caps, reset windows and which plan you need → AI usage limits: which plan do you need?
See alternatives: GitHub Copilot alternatives · Cursor alternatives
Coding plans checked 2026-10-21: Cursor alternatives · Cursor vs Claude Code · Cheapest AI coding assistant
GitHub Copilot vs Cursor compared with prices from official pricing pages (per-tool checked dates): plans, free tiers and which is better value.
Which should you pick?
Pick Cursor if price matters: $2/mo ($24/yr) less than GitHub Copilot on monthly billing.
Free plan, refunds, privacy and more: see what else differs ↓
- Price on monthly billing
- Cursor $8/mo · GitHub Copilot $10/mo (+$2/mo, +$24/yr)
- Real free plan
- GitHub Copilot: yes · Cursor: yes
- ToolPick Best Value pick
- GitHub Copilot (for coding)
Start free with GitHub CopilotStart free with CursorPaying for GitHub Copilot? See your savingOpen in compare builder
Rule: we only compare prices when the tools do the same main job (from what each official site says it does), and only on the same billing (monthly with monthly, billed-yearly with billed-yearly). A real free plan on only one tool comes first. Prices from official pricing pages, each with its own checked date below. No ratings or reviews. The cheaper pick comes from price alone; the Best Value label is shown separately and never replaces it — the same rule as on each tool page.
| GitHub Copilot | Cursor | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | AI pair programmer in VS Code, JetBrains and GitHub. | AI-first code editor with agents. |
| All plans | Pro $10/mo; Pro+ $39/mo; Max $100/mo | Plus $8/mo; Premium $30/mo; Super $100; Ultra $200; Teams $30/user |
| Free tier | Free plan: $0 | Free: $0 with limited agent requests |
| Checked | 2026-10-27 · pricing page | 2026-10-19 · pricing page |
Beyond the price: GitHub Copilot vs Cursor
Free plan limits, yearly savings, student and team deals, refunds and whether your data trains their AI, side by side. Every fact is from the tool's official page, with its source and the date we read it.
What matters to you?
Tap what matters to you. We tally which tool is ahead using only the facts in the table below.
| What you get | GitHub Copilot | Cursor |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan Free plan limits → | Yes: 2,000 completions per monthsource for GitHub Copilot (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-22 | Yes: “Limited agent requests” (no number stated)source for Cursor (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-22 |
| Student deal Student discounts → | Ahead Free: Copilot Student plan, free while you're a studentsource for GitHub Copilot (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-24 | None on its official pagesource for Cursor (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-24 |
| Team plan Team plan costs → | Ahead Business: $19/seat/mo monthlysource for GitHub Copilot (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-26 | Teams: $30+/seat/mo monthlysource for Cursor (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-26 |
| Refunds and cancelling Refund rules → | No refunds: GitHub Copilot doesn't give refunds. Cancelling only stops the next charge. Cancel: GitHub Settings → Billing & licensing → Licensing → Manage subscription → Cancel subscriptionsource for GitHub Copilot (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-27 | Ahead Refund window: Possible within 14 days of the charge, if you haven't used it that billing period. Cancel: cursor.com/dashboard → Billing → Manage (Stripe) → Cancel subscriptionsource for Cursor (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Trains on your data? Data privacy → | Yes, by default (you can switch it off) Copilot Free, Pro, Pro+ and Max: since April 24, 2026 GitHub may use your prompts, suggestions and the code Copilot sees to train AI models unless you opt out. Opt out: Profile picture → Copilot settings → “Allow GitHub to use my data for AI model training” → Disabled. Team plans: not used for training by defaultsource for GitHub Copilot (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-29 | Unclear (the default isn't stated) With Privacy Mode off, Cursor may store and use your code, prompts and editor actions to train its models. Cursor's pages don't say whether Privacy Mode starts on or off for individual plans. Opt out: Turn on Privacy Mode in Cursor's settings (free and paid plans). With it on, your code isn't trained on and isn't kept.source for Cursor (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-29 |
“Ahead” means better on that row only, by a fixed rule: a free plan beats none; the bigger yearly saving; free student plan, then discount; the lower per-seat price on the same billing; a stated refund window, then case by case, then none; not training on your data, then opt-in, then opt-out, then no opt-out. No row is called when a tool hasn't been checked. See how we pick.
Who should pick which
Pick Cursor if…
- You want a clearer way to get your money back: possible within 14 days of the charge, if you haven't used it that billing period.
More: best AI coding tools · all coding tools · cost calculator
Comparisons
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FAQ
How much does GitHub Copilot cost?
Per its official pricing page (checked 2026-10-27): Pro $10/mo; Pro+ $39/mo; Max $100/mo.
Does GitHub Copilot have a free plan?
Free plan: $0 (checked 2026-10-27).
How much does Cursor cost?
Per its official pricing page (checked 2026-10-19): Plus $8/mo; Premium $30/mo; Super $100; Ultra $200; Teams $30/user.
Does Cursor have a free plan?
Free: $0 with limited agent requests (checked 2026-10-19).
What is ToolPick's best-value pick for coding?
GitHub Copilot: Paid plan from $10/mo and a real free tier, and it works in the editor you already use.
Which should I pick, GitHub Copilot or Cursor?
Pick Cursor if price matters: $2/mo ($24/yr) less than GitHub Copilot on monthly billing (ToolPick rule using prices checked on official pricing pages).
Writing about this? Embed this price card — it updates when we re-check prices.