// head_to_head
Cursor vs GitHub Copilot
Plans, included models and benchmark scores for Cursor and GitHub Copilot, side by side — and which to pick for what.
All coding toolsPlans checked 2026-10-27
Cursor: SpaceXAI completed its acquisition of Cursor on August 14, 2026. The $8 Plus plan offers Grok models only.
Which to choose
- You want the strongest model for coding work: GitHub Copilot. Its best included model, Claude Fable 5.1, scores 97.7 on LiveBench coding against 84.5 for SpaceXAI: Grok 4.7 on Cursor.
- You want the strongest model for long-horizon agentic work: GitHub Copilot. Its best included model, Claude Fable 5.1, scores 77.9 on LiveBench long-horizon agentic against 46.1 for SpaceXAI: Grok 4.7 on Cursor.
- You want the lowest paid entry price: Cursor. Cursor Plus is $8/mo against $10/mo for GitHub Copilot Pro.
- You want to switch between labs’ models: GitHub Copilot. GitHub Copilot’s plans include models from 5 providers.
Side by side
| Cursor | GitHub Copilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | SpaceXAI | GitHub (Microsoft) |
| Where you use it | AI code editor (VS Code fork) with cloud agents | IDE extensions, github.com, CLI and a cloud coding agent |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Paid from | $8/mo · Plus | $10/mo · Pro |
| Best coding model | 84.5SpaceXAI: Grok 4.7 | 97.7Claude Fable 5.1 |
| Best agentic model | 46.1SpaceXAI: Grok 4.7 | 77.9Claude Fable 5.1 |
| Own API key | No | No |
| Open source | No | No |
Cursor plans and models
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Limited chat and agent requestsModels not named by the vendor |
| Plus | $8/mo | Shared usage pool; Grok models only |
| Premium | $30/mo | 4× Plus usage; cloud agents and automations+ Third-party models at API list price |
| Super | $100/mo | 15× Plus usage; priority access at peak+ Third-party models at API list price |
| Ultra | $200/mo | 50× Plus usage; earliest access to new models+ Third-party models at API list price |
| Teamsteam | $30/moper user · from | Pooled usage, 4–50× Plus+ Third-party models at API list price |
| Model | Coding | Long-horizon agentic | Same work via API |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpaceXAI: Grok 4.7 | 84.5 | 46.1 | $1,240/mo |
Grok models are included; third-party models are billed separately at API list price.
GitHub Copilot plans and models
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Limited chat and agent usage; no cloud coding agent |
| Pro | $10/mo | $15 of AI credits a month ($10 base + $5 flex); cloud coding agent |
| Pro+ | $39/mo | $70 of AI credits a month; can delegate to Claude and Codex agents |
| Max | $100/mo | $200 of AI credits a month; can delegate to Claude and Codex agents |
| Model | Coding | Long-horizon agentic | Same work via API |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Fable 5.1 | 97.7 | 77.9 | $6,540/mo |
| Claude Opus 5.5 | 96.3 | 72.8 | $2,672/mo |
| GPT-6.1 Sol | 96.0 | 68.7 | $1,336/mo |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 | 94.7 | 63.4 | $1,336/mo |
| GPT-6.1 Terra | 94.3 | 48.6 | $668.00/mo |
Cursor vs GitHub Copilot FAQ
Is Cursor or GitHub Copilot cheaper?
Cursor has the lower entry price: Cursor Plus is $8/mo and GitHub Copilot Pro is $10/mo.
Which is better if you want the strongest model for coding work?
GitHub Copilot. Its best included model, Claude Fable 5.1, scores 97.7 on LiveBench coding against 84.5 for SpaceXAI: Grok 4.7 on Cursor.
Which is better if you want the strongest model for long-horizon agentic work?
GitHub Copilot. Its best included model, Claude Fable 5.1, scores 77.9 on LiveBench long-horizon agentic against 46.1 for SpaceXAI: Grok 4.7 on Cursor.
Do Cursor and GitHub Copilot have free plans?
Cursor: yes. GitHub Copilot: yes.
Where these numbers come from
- Plans and prices — each vendor's own pricing page, checked 2026-10-27: Cursor, GitHub Copilot. Usage allowances change often; check before you buy.
- Model scores — LiveBench coding and long-horizon agentic categories for the models each plan includes, live from the same data as the leaderboard. A tool's own agent loop matters too; these scores rate the model, not the tool.
- “Same work via API” — a heavy coding-agent month (40K tokens in, 4K out, 20K requests, 70% cached input) at OpenRouter list price, for comparing a subscription against paying per token.