GitHub Copilot alternatives: where to go after AI Credits, and how to switch
Nine destinations compared, a router by reason for leaving, and a seven-step migration.
The short answer: Claude Code if you want an agent that does the work from your terminal, Cursor if you want to stay in a VS Code-style editor, Codex if you already pay for ChatGPT, Zed if you want to bring your own API keys. And if completions are most of what you use, keep Copilot Free (2,000 suggestions a month) and add an agent on the side. It's often the cheapest setup.
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
Why developers are leaving GitHub Copilot, and what still holds
Copilot is still a solid completion engine, wired into everything GitHub touches. Nobody leaves because the suggestions got worse. People leave because the bill got hard to predict, and because the rollout burned a lot of goodwill.
Token-based credits replaced requests
Prices stayed put: Pro at $10, Pro+ at $39, Max at $100 a month. The unit changed. Each plan now comes with a budget of AI Credits (1 credit = $0.01), drawn down at each model's API rate for input, output and cached tokens. Pro gets 1,500 credits, Pro+ 7,000, Max 20,000.
Spend you can't see coming
An agent that reads a whole repo eats credits fast. On GitHub's forum and Reddit, subscribers reported losing 16% of a month of Pro+ in a single session, or a third of their credits in the first week of light use. Background agents get blamed most often.
No more fallback model
Running out used to drop you to a base model. That safety net is gone: you buy more credits or you're blocked until next month. Completions and Next Edit suggestions stay included, but chat and agent mode stop.
Code review that bills twice
Automatic pull request review uses credits and GitHub Actions minutes on private repos. A team that turned it on everywhere now pays in two places for one feature.
Annual plans retired
GitHub no longer sells annual plans. Annual Pro and Pro+ subscribers stay on the old system until renewal, with higher model multipliers, then drop to Free. If you prepaid a year for peace of mind, that stung.
Paused sign-ups and slow support
New Pro, Pro+ and Student sign-ups were paused for about two months in the spring, with support tickets left unanswered. One open source maintainer needed 89 days and several follow-ups to cancel a complimentary Copilot that no setting could switch off.
You're leaving because… go to…
Usually one line fits. Each card jumps to the full entry below.
Reads the repo, edits files, runs commands.
You want to stay in a VS Code-style editorCursorA VS Code fork: extensions and settings import.
You already pay for ChatGPTCodexIncluded in every ChatGPT plan, Free too.
You want to pay for AI at costZed or ClineBring your own keys, no markup on the free tier.
Your team runs on AWSKiroAmazon's successor to Q Developer.
You mostly use completionsCopilot Free + an agent2,000 free suggestions, agent elsewhere.
GitHub Copilot alternatives, tool by tool
Each entry covers why to move there, who it fits, its catch, how to bring your setup over, and its price as shown on the vendor's official page (USD, before tax). For tools with a full review in our Labs, the score is the one from that review.
Claude Code: the agent that codes from your terminal
Most autonomousWhy move to it. Copilot finishes your line. Claude Code takes a whole task: it reads the repo, edits several files and runs your commands. It's where many people land if agent mode was their main Copilot use. Our full Claude Code review scores it 4.4 out of 5.
Who it's for. Developers comfortable in a terminal who hand off long tasks: refactors, migrations, bug sweeps.
Who should skip it. Anyone who only wants inline completions. You'd be paying for an agent to finish your lines.
The catch. There's no free plan for Claude Code. You need at least Pro at $20 a month ($17 a month billed yearly). Heavy users move to Max 5x ($100) or Max 20x ($200), and usage is still capped in time windows.
How to switch. Copy your .github/copilot-instructions.md into a CLAUDE.md at the repo root. Copilot reads CLAUDE.md too, so both tools share the same rules while you compare.
- Our score
- 4.4/5
- Starting price
- Pro $20/mo
- Best for
- long agent tasks
- Catch
- no free plan
Cursor: the AI editor for people who won't leave VS Code
EditorWhy move to it. Cursor is a VS Code fork, so your extensions, themes and keybindings import in one click. Completions, chat and agent live in one editor. On Slashdot, one former Copilot subscriber who moved to Cursor rated it clearly better across the board. Our full Cursor review scores it 4.0 out of 5.
Who it's for. Developers who live in VS Code and want a built-in agent without new habits.
Who should skip it. Anyone expecting an all-in entry price. The $8 plan is narrow.
The catch. Plus at $8 a month only covers Grok models, no Claude or GPT. Premium at $30 gives four times Plus usage, but third-party models bill on top at API rates. Super is $100, Ultra $200, Teams $30 a seat.
How to switch. Import your VS Code profile on first launch, then move your rules to an AGENTS.md, which Cursor and Copilot both read. Turn off the Copilot extension inside Cursor so two completion engines don't fight.
- Our score
- 4.0/5
- Free
- yes, limited
- Paid
- Plus $8, Premium $30
- Catch
- third-party models extra
Codex: OpenAI's agent, bundled with ChatGPT
With ChatGPTWhy move to it. If you pay for ChatGPT, you already have Codex. It comes up again and again in the Hacker News thread on Copilot's billing change, where one developer said he moved "reluctantly", for a bill he could predict.
Who it's for. ChatGPT subscribers who want a command-line or browser agent without another subscription.
Who should skip it. Anyone who liked Copilot's multi-vendor model picker. Codex keeps you on OpenAI models.
The catch. Codex rides on ChatGPT plans: Free $0, Go $8, Plus $20, Pro from $100 a month. Business is $20 per user billed yearly, $25 monthly.
How to switch. Codex reads AGENTS.md. Rename your Copilot instructions file, keep it at the root, and both tools use it.
- Free
- yes, via ChatGPT Free
- Paid
- Go $8, Plus $20
- Best for
- ChatGPT subscribers
- Catch
- OpenAI models only
Zed: the fast editor where you bring your own keys
Open sourceWhy move to it. Zed is a fast open source editor. The Personal plan is free and unlimited when you bring your own API keys or an external agent (Claude Agent, Codex CLI), and you can switch AI off entirely.
Who it's for. Developers who want a lightweight editor and pay for AI at cost, with the provider they choose.
Who should skip it. Anyone tied to specific VS Code extensions. Zed doesn't run them, so expect a learning curve.
The catch. Pro is $10 a month with unlimited edit predictions and $5 of tokens included, then API price plus 10%, with an optional spend cap. 14-day trial. Business is $30 a seat.
How to switch. Zed reads AGENTS.md. Give yourself a week to rebuild your keybindings.
- Free
- Personal, your keys
- Paid
- Pro $10/mo
- Best for
- AI at cost
- Catch
- no VS Code extensions
Kiro: Amazon's successor to Q Developer
AWSWhy move to it. Amazon closed Q Developer to new customers and points people to Kiro, its credit-based editor. For a team already on AWS, it's the natural next step.
Who it's for. AWS teams and former Q Developer users.
Who should skip it. Anyone leaving Copilot because of credits. Kiro runs on credits too.
The catch. Free includes 50 credits, Pro 1,000 credits for $20, Pro+ 2,000 for $40, Pro Max 5,000 for $100, Power 10,000 for $200. Extra credits cost $0.04 and unused ones don't roll over.
How to switch. Start on Free to measure real usage before picking a tier.
- Free
- 50 credits
- Paid
- Pro $20/mo
- Best for
- AWS teams
- Catch
- credits don't roll over
Devin Desktop: Windsurf's new name
Ex-WindsurfWhy move to it. Windsurf is now Devin Desktop, and Codeium no longer exists as a product. It's still a VS Code fork with unlimited Tab completions even on the free plan, a soft landing if completions were your main use. Our full Windsurf review scores it 3.8 out of 5.
Who it's for. Developers who want free unlimited completions plus an agent on demand.
Who should skip it. Anyone who wants to know up front how much agent time a plan buys.
The catch. Quotas are set per day and per week with no public numbers, and overage bills at API rates. Pro is $20, Max $200, Teams $80 a month plus $40 a seat, up to 200 users.
How to switch. Same path as Cursor: import your VS Code profile, then add your rules file. Any comparison still quoting Windsurf Pro at $15 is out of date.
- Our score
- 3.8/5
- Free
- unlimited Tab, light quota
- Paid
- Pro $20/mo
- Catch
- unpublished quotas
Cline: the open source extension where you only pay for inference
Your keysWhy move to it. Cline is an open source VS Code extension and CLI. It's free for individuals: plug in your OpenAI, Anthropic or Google keys and pay only for what you use, without leaving your current editor.
Who it's for. Developers who want to control spend model by model.
Who should skip it. Anyone who wants a flat fee. Without a cap at your provider, one agent session can get expensive.
The catch. You manage keys, spend caps and model choice yourself. Enterprise is quote-based.
How to switch. Install the extension, add a key with a monthly spend cap at the provider, then disable Copilot's agent.
- Free
- free extension
- Paid
- inference only
- Best for
- cost control
- Catch
- you set the caps
Antigravity: Google's free tier that replaced Code Assist
FreeWhy move to it. Google shut down Gemini Code Assist for individuals this year and replaced it with Antigravity. The individual plan is $0 with unlimited Tab completions and several agent models, the most generous free tier on this list.
Who it's for. Students, freelancers and anyone who wants an agent without paying.
Who should skip it. Teams that need known limits. The free plan has basic weekly caps.
The catch. Higher limits come with a Google AI Pro subscription ($19.99 a month) or Ultra. For companies, the Google Cloud plan starts at $30 per seat per month. Our Gemini review covers those subscriptions.
How to switch. Keep your instructions file at the root and paste it into Antigravity's settings. Since it's free, run it next to Copilot on a real project before canceling anything.
- Free
- $0, unlimited Tab
- Paid
- via Google AI Pro
- Best for
- zero budget
- Catch
- weekly caps
Mistral Vibe: the European option, up to private deployment
EuropeanWhy move to it. Mistral Vibe bundles a CLI (running the Devstral model), a VS Code and JetBrains plugin for completion, edits and chat, and a web app. If your code has to stay with a European vendor, it's the serious pick here.
Who it's for. European teams and companies that require private deployment.
Who should skip it. Anyone who wants frontier models from Anthropic or OpenAI. Vibe runs on Mistral models.
The catch. The free tier is limited. Pro is $14.99 a month before tax with $15 of API credits; Team $24.99 per user. Private deployment means Enterprise, on quote.
How to switch. Install the plugin in your current editor next to Copilot and compare for a week. No editor switch needed.
- Free
- yes, limited
- Paid
- Pro $14.99/mo
- Best for
- EU data residency
- Catch
- Mistral models only
GitHub Copilot and 9 alternatives compared
Left: what you get for free. Right: the first paid plan worth having. Copilot sits on top as the starting point.
| Free | First paid plan | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub CopilotStarting point | 2,000 suggestions/mo, limited chat and agent | Pro $10/mo, 1,500 credits |
| Claude CodeScore 4.4/5 | No free plan | Pro $20/mo ($17 yearly) |
| CursorScore 4.0/5 | Free, limited | Plus $8 (Grok), Premium $30 |
| CodexWith ChatGPT | Via ChatGPT Free | Go $8, Plus $20/mo |
| ZedOpen source | Unlimited with your keys | Pro $10/mo |
| KiroAWS | 50 credits | Pro $20/mo, 1,000 credits |
| Devin DesktopScore 3.8/5 | Unlimited Tab, light quota | Pro $20/mo |
| ClineOpen source | Free extension | Inference at cost |
| AntigravityGoogle | $0, unlimited Tab | Google AI Pro $19.99/mo |
| Mistral VibeEuropean | Limited | Pro $14.99/mo |
Entry prices before tax, as shown by each vendor in 2026. Subject to change.
Leave GitHub Copilot in seven steps
Your code doesn't move. It stays on GitHub. What you migrate is your habits, your instructions and your team settings. Plan on one to two weeks.
Measure what you actually use
Day 1Open Copilot's billing dashboard and check where usage goes: completions, chat, agent, code review. If it's mostly completions, a paid agent elsewhere won't help. If agent mode dominates, size your next plan from that number, not from a pricing page.
- Time
- 15 minutes
- Tip
- check agent usage first
Bring your instruction files
Day 1Copilot reads .github/copilot-instructions.md and .github/instructions/*.instructions.md, plus AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md and GEMINI.md. Copy your rules into an AGENTS.md at the root: Copilot, Codex, Cursor and Zed all read it. Add a CLAUDE.md for Claude Code. Nothing gets lost, and both tools follow the same rules during the trial.
- Time
- 20 minutes
- Key file
- AGENTS.md
Rebuild MCP servers and prompts
Day 2MCP servers (the connectors that give an agent access to your database, tickets or docs) and reusable prompts don't carry over. List the ones you actually use and recreate them. Good moment to drop the ones nobody calls.
- Time
- 1 hour
- Tip
- keep only what's used
Install the new tool without breaking things
Day 2Cursor and Devin Desktop are VS Code forks: import your profile and extensions on first launch. Zed means learning a new editor. Claude Code, Codex and Cline plug into the editor you have. Either way, turn off Copilot's agent where the new tool takes over, so you don't pay two agents for one task.
- Time
- 30 minutes to a week
- Smoothest
- VS Code forks
Run both for one to two weeks
Weeks 1 and 2Keep Copilot for a week or two on real work. Meanwhile, turn off Copilot's automatic code review if you don't need it: it burns credits and Actions minutes. Turn off background agents too, the top cost driver subscribers mention.
- Time
- 1 to 2 weeks
- Turn off
- auto review, background agents
For teams: budgets before seats
Before cutoverBefore moving an org's seats, set budgets and model policies in the new tool. Copilot Business is $19 per user and Enterprise $39: compare at equal usage, and count the code review you'll need to replace.
- Copilot Business
- $19/user
- Tip
- per-member caps
Cancel, or keep Copilot Free
DoneYou don't have to cut everything. Copilot Free keeps 2,000 suggestions a month, and plenty of developers keep that free completion while running their agent elsewhere. If your Copilot is complimentary (teacher, open source maintainer), canceling may require support: reach out early.
- Free tier kept
- 2,000 suggestions/mo
- Complimentary accounts
- go through support
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
What makes a Copilot exit go wrong
A coding assistant migration rarely fails on day one. It fails in month one, when the new bill lands. Four traps come up again and again.
Acting on stale information
Plenty of lists still recommend tools that changed. Amazon Q Developer takes no new customers, Gemini Code Assist for individuals is shut down, Windsurf is now Devin Desktop, and Tabnine, bought by Tricentis, no longer lists prices. Check status before you move.
Trading credits for more credits
Kiro, Cursor Premium and Zed Pro also bill by usage past an included budget. If unpredictability is why you're leaving, look at flat plans (Claude Code Pro, Codex through ChatGPT) or cap your keys at the provider.
Paying two agents at once
During the trial, Copilot's agent and the new tool sometimes run on the same task. Disable one in each editor or you pay twice for one result.
Leaving your instructions behind
An agent without your project rules writes off-style code and makes the tool look worse than it is. Copy your instructions into AGENTS.md or CLAUDE.md before you judge.
- Copilot usage measured by feature
- Instructions copied to AGENTS.md or CLAUDE.md
- Useful MCP servers rebuilt
- Copilot agent disabled where the new tool takes over
- Auto code review and background agents off
- Team budgets set before moving seats
- Subscription canceled or dropped to Copilot Free
GitHub Copilot alternatives: FAQ
How much does GitHub Copilot cost with AI Credits?
Prices didn't change: Free $0, Pro $10, Pro+ $39, Max $100 a month. Each plan includes a credit budget (1,500, 7,000 or 20,000), and one credit is worth $0.01. Completions stay included without credits on paid plans.
What's the best free alternative to GitHub Copilot?
Google's Antigravity, for a free agent with unlimited completions. To stay in VS Code, Cline is free and you only pay for the models. And Copilot Free is still a fair option for completions alone.
Cursor or Claude Code?
Cursor if you want a full editor close to VS Code. Claude Code if you want to hand whole tasks to an agent in the terminal. You can also combine them: Anthropic's docs list a Claude Code extension install for Cursor. More in our guide to the best AI coding assistants.
Is there a self-hosted or private GitHub Copilot alternative?
Mistral Vibe's Enterprise plan offers private deployment, on quote. For individuals, Zed and Cline let you point at any provider you choose with your own keys.
What happens to my Copilot instructions if I switch?
They copy over. Put them in an
AGENTS.mdat the root: Copilot, Codex, Cursor and Zed read it. For Claude Code useCLAUDE.md, which Copilot also reads.Is Copilot still free for students?
Yes. Copilot Student stays free for verified students, and Pro is free for verified teachers and maintainers of popular open source projects. Check eligibility before you leave.
What happens when my Copilot credits run out?
Chat and agent mode stop until next month unless you buy more credits. There's no automatic fallback to a cheaper model anymore. Set a budget in billing settings to avoid surprises.
Can I keep Copilot just for completions?
Yes. Copilot Free gives 2,000 suggestions a month. On paid plans, completions and Next Edit suggestions use no credits: agent and chat are what cost money.
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One tool to leave, the right places to go, the plan to get there. Nothing else.