Side-by-side comparison · Coding & Dev Tools
Cursor vs GitHub Copilot vs OpenAI Codex
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: ChatGPT subscribers who want a coding agent without paying for a second subscription.
Overview
| Attribute | Cursor | GitHub Copilot | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | OpenAI's coding agent. Hand it a task and it works away while you do other things. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $8/mo | $10/mo | $8/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | No | No | No |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Cursor | GitHub Copilot | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4.2Winner |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| 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 | 4.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 3.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Cursor | GitHub Copilot | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | No | – | No |
| API access | – | – | Yes |
| 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 | Yes |
| 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 | 14/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Cursor | GitHub Copilot | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free Free Trying the editor and a few agent runs. | Free Free Trying autocomplete and light chat. | Free Free A quick look at what it can do. |
Plus $8/mo Light users who are happy with Grok models only. | ProOur pick $10/mo Individual developers on GitHub. | Go $8/mo Occasional light tasks. | |
PremiumOur pick $30/mo Most developers who want Claude or OpenAI models. | Pro+ $39/mo Developers who run agent tasks every day. | PlusOur pick $20/mo Anyone who already pays for ChatGPT. | |
Super $100/mo Heavy daily agent users. | Max $100/mo Heavy agent-driven work. | Pro From $100/mo Developers who hit the Plus limits. | |
Teams From $30/user/mo Companies that need admin controls and SSO. | Business and Enterprise See website Companies that need admin controls and policy management. | Business $20/user/mo billed yearly, or $25 monthly Teams of 2 or more. | |
Enterprise Custom Large organisations. | Enterprise Custom Large organisations. | ||
| Which plan to pick | Skip Plus unless you are happy with Grok. Premium is the realistic starting point if you want Claude or OpenAI models, and budget for the extra usage billing on top of the $30. There is also a $200 Ultra plan with 50x the Plus usage for people who live in it. | 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. | If you already have ChatGPT Plus, you have Codex: just try it. If you are choosing between this and Claude Code with no existing subscription, Plus at $20 and Claude Pro at $20 cost the same, so pick whichever chat assistant you prefer. |
Key features
| Attribute | Cursor | GitHub Copilot | OpenAI Codex |
|---|---|---|---|
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | Cursor | GitHub Copilot | OpenAI Codex |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Cursor | GitHub Copilot | OpenAI Codex |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Cursor, GitHub Copilot or OpenAI Codex?
OpenAI Codex scores highest overall in our ratings (Cursor 3.9/5, GitHub Copilot 4.0/5 and OpenAI Codex 4.2/5). 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. OpenAI Codex is best for background tasks in the cloud and starting a task from your phone.
Which is cheaper, Cursor, GitHub Copilot or OpenAI Codex?
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. OpenAI Codex: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
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