Cursor vs GitHub Copilot
Both are AI coding agents with free plans. Cursor is a standalone AI editor with desktop, CLI and cloud agents; GitHub Copilot works inside existing editors (VS Code, JetBrains), the terminal and on GitHub itself, from issue to merged PR.
Editorial, not sponsored. Built from vendor-published facts only; neither product has been hands-on tested yet.
Cursor
○ Unverified🇪🇺 Unknown
Consider Cursor if: You want a dedicated AI-first editor and cloud agents in one product.
Visit Cursor ↗GitHub Copilot
○ Unverified🇪🇺 Partial
Consider GitHub Copilot if: Your team lives in GitHub and wants an agent inside its existing editors and PR workflow.
Visit GitHub Copilot ↗| Criterion | Cursor | GitHub Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | Cursor | GitHub |
| What it does | A coding agent for building ambitious software. | An AI coding agent from issue to merged pull request. |
| Pricing model | Free plan + paid | Free plan + paid |
| Starting price | Free; paid from $8/mo | Free; Pro $10/mo |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Deployment | SaaS | SaaS |
| Integrations (vendor-stated) | GitHub, Slack, MCP | GitHub, VS Code, JetBrains, MCP |
| EU / GDPR | Unknown | GDPR / partial infoFAQ: customers can enter a Data Protection Agreement supporting GDPR compliance |
| Hands-on test | ○ Unverified | ○ Unverified |
| Last checked | 2026-10-19 | 2026-10-19 |
Sources: cursor.com · cursor.com · github.com · github.com