Cursor is a full IDE built on VS Code with integrated AI features, while GitHub Copilot is an AI code completion plugin that works across multiple editors. Cursor offers a more unified experience with its own AI models, whereas Copilot focuses purely on code suggestions through an extension.
Cursor vs GitHub Copilot — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose Cursor if you want a cohesive AI-first development environment with superior codebase awareness and faster inference, especially if you're starting a new project. Choose GitHub Copilot if you're already invested in a preferred editor (JetBrains, Vim, etc.), prefer lower cost, or need cross-platform editor flexibility without switching your entire setup.
AI-first code editor built on VS Code with integrated Claude AI assistance and superior context awareness.
AI code completion extension available across VS Code, JetBrains, Vim, and other major editors
Cursor vs GitHub Copilot — Comparison Data
Structured comparison data for Cursor vs GitHub Copilot with 260 attributes.
Primary AI Model Quality (MMBENCH score)
Average Response Time for Code Suggestion
Cursor vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Cursor vs GitHub Copilot.
Can I use GitHub Copilot with my existing editor like PyCharm or Neovim?
Yes, GitHub Copilot is available as a plugin/extension for 15+ editors including VS Code, JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, PyCharm, etc.), Vim, Neovim, Visual Studio, and others. Cursor is only available as its own IDE, so you cannot install it as a plugin in your existing editor.
Which AI models does each tool support, and can I choose between them?
Cursor lets you switch between GPT-4, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, o1-preview, and other models directly in the UI. GitHub Copilot primarily uses GPT-4o and Claude models, but model switching is less flexible and often handled server-side. Cursor gives you more direct control over which model to use for each request.
How much codebase context does each tool understand?
Cursor can index and reference your entire codebase (100k+ tokens) using its @-mention system to pull in files, functions, and symbols anywhere in the project. GitHub Copilot primarily works within a single file plus imports, giving it 8k-32k tokens of context, making it better for isolated functions but weaker for understanding large architectural patterns.
What's the total cost difference over a year?
Cursor costs $240/year ($20/month), while GitHub Copilot costs $120/year ($10/month for individuals) or $100/year on annual billing. GitHub Copilot is 50% cheaper. Enterprise plans vary by vendor—GitHub Copilot offers corporate discounts while Cursor's team pricing is less established (as of 2026).
Which tool is faster at completing code?
Cursor's tab completion latency averages 150-200ms compared to GitHub Copilot's 200-300ms, making Cursor approximately 25-50% faster. This difference is noticeable when writing code continuously but both feel responsive for typical development workflows.