Best GitHub Copilot Alternatives 2025 (Free & Paid)

GitHub Copilot revolutionized AI-assisted coding, but it’s not the only player in the game. Whether you’re looking for better pricing, more features, enhanced privacy, or free alternatives, there are excellent options available in 2025.

Why Look for Copilot Alternatives?

While GitHub Copilot is powerful, you might want alternatives for several reasons:

• Cost concerns - $10-19/month adds up for individuals and teams
• Privacy requirements - Some tools offer self-hosted or air-gapped options
• Editor preferences - Not everyone uses VS Code
• Feature needs - Some alternatives offer multi-file editing or autonomous agents
• Free tiers - Several competitors offer generous free plans

Let’s dive into the best alternatives available in 2025.

Top GitHub Copilot Alternatives

1. Cursor - Best Overall Alternative

Pricing: $20/month (Pro plan)

Cursor has emerged as the most popular Copilot alternative, offering a complete AI-first code editor experience.

Key Features:

• Built-in chat interface for code discussions
• Multi-file editing with @mentions
• Composer mode for autonomous code generation
• Context-aware suggestions using your entire codebase
• Terminal integration with AI assistance
• 500 fast premium requests/month (Pro plan)
• Unlimited slow requests

What Makes It Special: Cursor isn’t just an extension—it’s a complete editor built around AI. The Composer feature can make changes across multiple files, understanding your entire project context. It’s like having a pair programmer who knows your codebase intimately.

Best For: Developers who want the most advanced AI coding experience and don’t mind paying a premium price.

Drawbacks: More expensive than Copilot at $20/month, and you need to switch from your current editor.

2. Codeium - Best Free Alternative

Pricing: Free for individuals, $12/user/month (Teams), Custom (Enterprise)

Codeium offers one of the most generous free tiers in the AI coding space, making it the top choice for budget-conscious developers.

Key Features:

• Unlimited autocomplete suggestions (free tier)
• AI-powered chat interface
• Support for 70+ programming languages
• Works with VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Vim, Neovim
• Context-aware completions
• Search functionality across your codebase
• Command palette for natural language requests

What Makes It Special: The completely free tier for individuals includes features that competitors charge for. No credit card required, no hidden limits on basic functionality.

Best For: Individual developers, students, and anyone who wants premium AI coding assistance without the monthly subscription.

Drawbacks: Advanced features like fine-tuning on your codebase require paid plans.

3. Tabnine - Best for Privacy & Security

Pricing: $12/user/month (Pro), $39/user/month (Enterprise)

Tabnine stands out for enterprise-grade security with self-hosted and air-gapped deployment options.

Key Features:

• Self-hosted deployment options
• Air-gapped mode (no internet connection required)
• SOC 2 Type 2 certified
• Train on your own codebase (Enterprise)
• Context Engine for organizational knowledge
• Support for 80+ languages
• Works with all major IDEs

What Makes It Special: Tabnine never stores or shares your code. The Enterprise plan allows completely offline operation, perfect for organizations with strict security requirements or sensitive codebases.

Best For: Enterprise teams, security-conscious developers, and organizations in regulated industries.

Drawbacks: More expensive than alternatives, especially at the Enterprise level ($39-59/month).

4. Amazon CodeWhisperer - Best for AWS Developers

Pricing: Free (Professional tier), $19/user/month (Enterprise)

Amazon’s AI coding assistant is optimized for developers working with AWS services.

Key Features:

• Free unlimited suggestions for individuals
• Built-in security scanning
• Optimized for AWS SDK and services
• Reference tracking (shows when code matches training data)
• Support for 15+ languages
• Works with VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, AWS Cloud9

What Makes It Special: Deep integration with AWS services and SDKs. If you’re building on AWS, CodeWhisperer understands AWS best practices and can suggest AWS-optimized code patterns.

Best For: Developers working heavily with AWS infrastructure and services.

Drawbacks: Less effective for non-AWS development. Limited IDE support compared to competitors.

5. Windsurf - Best for Autonomous Coding

Pricing: $15/month

Windsurf (formerly Codeium’s enterprise offering) focuses on autonomous coding capabilities.

Key Features:

• Cascade mode for autonomous code generation
• Multi-file awareness and editing
• Agentic workflows
• Deep codebase understanding
• Terminal and workflow integration
• Built on top of VS Code

What Makes It Special: Windsurf can work more autonomously than traditional coding assistants. Tell it what you want to build, and it can make changes across multiple files with minimal hand-holding.

Best For: Developers who want AI to handle more of the implementation details while they focus on architecture and business logic.

Drawbacks: Newer tool with smaller community. Pricing sits between Copilot and Cursor.

6. Continue - Best Open-Source Alternative

Pricing: Free (open-source), custom (enterprise support)

Continue is the leading open-source AI coding assistant that works with your choice of LLM.

Key Features:

• Completely open-source
• Bring your own LLM (OpenAI, Anthropic, local models)
• Tab autocomplete
• Chat interface
• Slash commands for quick actions
• Codebase indexing
• Works with VS Code and JetBrains

What Makes It Special: Full control and customization. Use any LLM provider, including local models like Ollama. Modify the code to fit your exact needs.

Best For: Developers who want full control, privacy-conscious teams, and those who prefer open-source tools.

Drawbacks: Requires more setup. You need to provide your own LLM API keys or run models locally.

7. Sourcegraph Cody - Best for Enterprise Search

Pricing: Free (individual), $9/month (Pro), Custom (Enterprise)

Cody combines AI coding assistance with powerful code search capabilities.

Key Features:

• AI chat and autocomplete
• Deep code search across repositories
• Context-aware suggestions using your org’s code
• Supports GPT-4, Claude, and other models
• Fix and explain commands
• Works with VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim

What Makes It Special: Cody’s code search integration means it can reference your organization’s entire codebase, not just the current repository. It understands patterns across all your projects.

Best For: Organizations with large codebases who need both AI assistance and powerful search capabilities.

Drawbacks: Some advanced features require the Enterprise plan with custom pricing.

8. Replit AI - Best for Learning & Prototyping

Pricing: $10/month (Replit Core), $20/month (Hacker)

Replit’s AI is built into their online IDE and prototyping environment.

Key Features:

• Built-in chat assistant
• Generate entire projects from descriptions
• Instant deployment
• Collaborative coding
• No local setup required
• Access to powerful compute

What Makes It Special: Zero setup required. Generate a working app, get it deployed, and share it—all from your browser. Perfect for rapid prototyping and learning.

Best For: Students, learners, quick prototypes, and developers who prefer browser-based development.

Drawbacks: Less suitable for complex production applications. Requires using Replit’s environment.

Comparison Table

Feature Comparison

Code Completion Quality

Winner: Cursor, GitHub Copilot Both excel at context-aware completions with access to latest models.

Chat & Multi-file Editing

Winner: Cursor, Windsurf Cursor’s Composer and Windsurf’s Cascade lead in autonomous multi-file changes.

Privacy & Security

Winner: Tabnine, Continue Tabnine’s self-hosted deployment and Continue’s local model support offer maximum control.

Free Tier Value

Winner: Codeium, CodeWhisperer Both offer genuinely useful free tiers for individual developers.

Learning Curve

Winner: GitHub Copilot, Codeium Simplest to get started with minimal configuration.

How to Choose the Right Alternative

If you’re a student or hobbyist:

→ Codeium (free tier) or Replit AI (browser-based prototyping)

If you work at a large enterprise:

→ Tabnine (security) or Cody (codebase search)

If you build on AWS:

→ Amazon CodeWhisperer (free with AWS optimization)

If you want cutting-edge features:

→ Cursor (most advanced) or Windsurf (autonomous coding)

If you’re privacy-conscious:

→ Continue (open-source) or Tabnine (self-hosted)

If you have a tight budget:

→ Codeium (best free tier) or GitHub Copilot ($10/mo, still good value)

Switching from GitHub Copilot

Making the switch is easier than you might think:

1. Keep using VS Code? → Try Codeium, Continue, or Cody as extensions
2. Open to new editor? → Try Cursor (most similar experience)
3. Want to save money? → CodeWhisperer or Codeium free tiers
4. Need better privacy? → Tabnine Enterprise or Continue with local models

Most alternatives offer trial periods, so you can test before committing.

Real-World Performance Insights

Based on developer feedback and benchmarks:

Speed: Cursor and Copilot lead with the fastest completions. Codeium and Cody close behind.

Accuracy: Claude-based tools (Cursor, Cody with Claude) show fewer hallucinations for complex logic.

Context Understanding: Cursor’s multi-file awareness is unmatched. Cody’s codebase search is valuable for large organizations.

Language Support: Tabnine and Codeium support the most languages (70-80+). Copilot and Cursor focus on most popular languages with excellent support.

The Bottom Line

GitHub Copilot remains excellent, but alternatives have caught up and even surpassed it in specific areas:

• For most developers: Cursor offers the best overall experience if you can afford $20/month
• For free access: Codeium provides the best free tier with unlimited completions
• For enterprises: Tabnine delivers unmatched security with self-hosted deployment
• For AWS work: CodeWhisperer is free and optimized for AWS development
• For experimenters: Continue gives you complete control with any LLM

The AI coding assistant market is competitive in 2025, which means you have genuine choices. Try a few alternatives—most offer free trials—and find what works best for your workflow and budget.

Last updated: February 2025