Side-by-side comparison · Coding & Dev Tools
Cursor vs GitHub Copilot vs Kiro
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
Pick it if: Developers and curious beginners who want AI help but still want a visual editor.
Pick it if: Teams and developers whose code lives on GitHub and who want AI in the tools they already use.
Pick it if: Developers and technical founders who want a written plan before the AI builds anything, especially teams already on AWS.
Overview
| Attribute | Cursor | GitHub Copilot | Kiro |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | A code editor with AI built in, for people who want to watch every change happen. | GitHub's AI helper: it finishes your code, reviews pull requests and takes on whole tasks. | Amazon's AI code editor that writes a plan and requirements before it writes any code. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $8/mo | $10/mo | $20/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | No | No | Yes |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Cursor | GitHub Copilot | Kiro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3.9 | 4.0Winner | 3.6 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers the job it's built for, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.0 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 3.0 | 4.5 | 3.0 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Cursor | GitHub Copilot | Kiro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | No | – | No |
| API access | – | – | No |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Makes images | No | No | No |
| Makes video | No | No | No |
| Writes code | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Runs agents or automations | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Learns your brand or style | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 12/ 17 | 12/ 17 | 12/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Cursor | GitHub Copilot | Kiro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free Free Trying the editor and a few agent runs. | Free Free Trying autocomplete and light chat. | Free Free Trying spec mode on a small project. |
Plus $8/mo Light users who are happy with Grok models only. | ProOur pick $10/mo Individual developers on GitHub. | ProOur pick $20/mo Most individuals using it a few days a week. | |
PremiumOur pick $30/mo Most developers, especially if you want Claude alongside Grok. | Pro+ $39/mo Developers who run agent tasks every day. | Pro+ $40/mo Regular daily users. | |
Super or Ultra $100/mo or $200/mo Heavy daily agent users. | Max $100/mo Heavy agent-driven work. | Pro Max $100/mo Professionals in Kiro for hours each day. | |
Legacy Pro $20/mo Existing subscribers only. New customers can't buy it. | Business and Enterprise See website Companies that need admin controls and policy management. | Power $200/mo The heaviest users. | |
Teams From $30/user/mo Companies that need admin controls and SSO. | Enterprise Custom Companies that need SSO and central billing. | ||
| Which plan to pick | If you are on the old $20 Pro plan and it covers what you use, stay put; switching is permanent. New customers should skip Plus unless they are happy with Grok. Premium is the realistic starting point if you want Claude, and budget for the extra usage billing on top of the $30. Large companies can ask about a custom Enterprise plan. | Pro is the sweet spot for an individual: cheap, unlimited autocomplete and enough credits for a few agent tasks a week. Only move to Pro+ if you find yourself buying extra credits every month. | Pro at $20 is the place to start, and you get $20 off your first paid month when you upgrade. Use the Auto model to make credits last, and only move up a tier once you know your monthly usage. |
Key features
| Attribute | Cursor | GitHub Copilot | Kiro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standout features |
|
|
|
Pros and cons
| Attribute | Cursor | GitHub Copilot | Kiro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pros |
|
|
|
| Cons |
|
|
|
Who each one is for
| Attribute | Cursor | GitHub Copilot | Kiro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for |
|
|
|
| You'll find it used by |
|
|
|
Questions people ask
Which is better, Cursor, GitHub Copilot or Kiro?
GitHub Copilot scores highest overall in our ratings (Cursor 3.9/5, GitHub Copilot 4.0/5 and Kiro 3.6/5). Cursor is best for editing with AI autocomplete and learning by watching changes happen. GitHub Copilot is best for autocomplete as you type and Handing GitHub issues to an agent. Kiro is best for turning a rough idea into requirements and a plan and bigger features you want planned before building.
Which is cheaper, Cursor, GitHub Copilot or Kiro?
Cursor: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo. GitHub Copilot: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $10/mo. Kiro: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $20/mo.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
Swap in another tool
More tools from Coding & Dev Tools in the library.
