Best GitHub Copilot Alternatives in 2026
The top GitHub Copilot alternatives are Claude Code, Devin and Gemini CLI: 15 AI coding assistants our editors would look at instead of GitHub Copilot, in our ranking order.
GitHub Copilot: A broad coding assistant with a free entry point and agent workflows. Where it falls short: free usage includes 2,000 completions and limited chat and agent access.
Switching from GitHub Copilot? For most ai coding assistants buyers the best GitHub Copilot alternative is Claude Code, built for agentic coding and codebase work. On a budget, Amazon Q starts at $3/user/mo, against $10/user/mo for GitHub Copilot. Devin has a free plan.
Why People Look for a GitHub Copilot Alternative
- Free usage includes 2,000 completions and limited chat and agent access
- Paid plans use monthly AI-credit allowances, with additional usage billed separately
- The broad feature set may exceed the needs of developers seeking completion only
- Paid from $10/user/mo — Amazon Q is $3/user/mo
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallClaude Code9.2
Agentic coding and codebase work
Visit Claude Code - Lowest priceAmazon Q8.0
Paid plans from $3/user/mo
Visit Amazon Q - Best free optionDevin9.1
Has a free plan
Visit Devin
All 15 GitHub Copilot Alternatives, Ranked
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
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Best forAgentic coding and codebase work
A strong fit for multi-step coding work across codebases, tools, and pull requests.
- Codebase indexing
- Terminal access
- Chat assistance
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Claude Code -
Best forAutonomous software engineering workflows
A broad autonomous coding workspace with usage-based plan differences.
- Code completion
- Codebase indexing
- Terminal access
9.1/10★★★★★Visit Devin -
Best forFree terminal-first coding assistance
Free, open-source terminal coding assistance with agents, testing, and IDE connections.
- Codebase indexing
- Terminal access
- Chat assistance
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Gemini CLI -
Best forTeams delegating complete engineering tasks
A task-oriented coding agent for teams handling features, refactors, and migrations.
- Codebase indexing
- Terminal access
- Chat assistance
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit OpenAI Codex -
Best forJetBrains users needing autonomous coding
- Better than GitHub Copilot:
- Paid from: $8.33/user/mo vs $10/user/mo
A capable autonomous coding agent for developers already working in the JetBrains ecosystem.
- Codebase indexing
- Terminal access
- Chat assistance
8.8/10★★★★☆Try JetBrains Junie -
Best forTerminal-first open-source pair programming
A terminal-first pair programmer with broad model connectivity and Git-aware workflows.
- Codebase indexing
- Terminal access
- Chat assistance
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Aider -
Best forOpen-source terminal and CI/CD automation
A terminal-first coding agent with autonomous tasks, CI/CD automation, and IDE integrations.
- Code completion
- Codebase indexing
- Terminal access
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Qwen Code -
Best forDevelopers wanting broad IDE support at no stated cost
A broad AI coding toolkit with free access and support for major development environments.
- Code completion
- Codebase indexing
- Terminal access
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Baidu Comate -
Best forDevelopers wanting broad code assistance with a free tier
A broad coding assistant with strong codebase context, agents, and a free tier.
- Code completion
- Codebase indexing
- Terminal access
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit site -
Best forDevelopers using Lingma-supported IDEs
A broad AI coding assistant with agents, project context, and a free plan.
- Code completion
- Codebase indexing
- Terminal access
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Tongyi Lingma -
Best forAtlassian and GitHub development teams
A developer-focused AI agent with deep Jira, Bitbucket, GitHub, and terminal workflows.
- Codebase indexing
- Terminal access
- Chat assistance
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Atlassian -
Best forSnowflake-focused engineering organizations
A Snowflake-aware coding agent for engineering teams working across SQL, Python, and data platforms.
- Code completion
- Codebase indexing
- Terminal access
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Snowflake CoCo -
Best forAWS-centric teams and enterprise developers
- Better than GitHub Copilot:
- Paid from: $3/user/mo vs $10/user/mo
A broad AWS-focused assistant spanning coding, enterprise data, and operational workflows.
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Amazon Q -
Best forEnterprise teams using IBM development tooling
A capable standalone AI development tool for IBM-focused teams, with limited IDE coverage.
- Code completion
- Codebase indexing
- Terminal access
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit IBM Bob -
Best forEnterprise teams seeking controlled deployment
A controlled, enterprise-focused coding assistant with broad deployment and agent workflows.
- Code completion
- Codebase indexing
- Terminal access
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Mistral AI
GitHub Copilot Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to GitHub Copilot?
Claude Code: #2 in our AI Coding Assistants ranking, with an editor score of 9.2 out of 10. A strong fit for multi-step coding work across codebases, tools, and pull requests.
Is there a free alternative to GitHub Copilot?
Yes. Devin, Gemini CLI, JetBrains Junie, Aider and Qwen Code have a free plan or a free tier (10 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
What is the cheapest paid alternative to GitHub Copilot?
Of the alternatives here that publish a price, Amazon Q starts lowest, at $3/user/mo.
Why do people look for GitHub Copilot alternatives?
Free usage includes 2,000 completions and limited chat and agent access; Paid plans use monthly AI-credit allowances, with additional usage billed separately; The broad feature set may exceed the needs of developers seeking completion only.
How do I switch from GitHub Copilot?
Export your data from GitHub Copilot (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel GitHub Copilot.
How to Switch from GitHub Copilot
- Export your data from GitHub Copilot (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel GitHub Copilot.
GitHub Copilot vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Code completion | Chat assistance | Coding agent | Supported IDEs | Codebase indexing | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GitHub Copilot | Yes | $10/user/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs, Eclipse, Xcode | Yes | 9.3 |
| 1 | Claude Code | No | $17/user/mo | Yes | Yes | VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Cursor, Devin Desktop | Yes | 9.2 | |
| 2 | Devin | Yes | $20/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Devin Desktop IDE; Zed; JetBrains; Xcode | Yes | 9.1 |
| 3 | Gemini CLI | Yes | Yes | Yes | Antigravity, Visual Studio Code, JetBrains, Zed | Yes | 9.0 | ||
| 4 | OpenAI Codex | No | Yes | Yes | Visual Studio Code; Cursor; Windsurf; Visual Studio Code Insiders; Xcode; JetBrains IDEs | Yes | 8.9 | ||
| 5 | JetBrains Junie | Yes | $8.33/user/mo | Yes | Yes | IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate, PyCharm Pro, WebStorm, GoLand, IntelliJ IDEA Community, PhpStorm, RubyMine, RustRover, CLion, Rider, Android Studio | Yes | 8.8 | |
| 6 | Aider | Free | Yes | Yes | VS Code | Yes | 8.7 | ||
| 7 | Qwen Code | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | VS Code, Zed, JetBrains | Yes | 8.6 | |
| 8 | Baidu Comate | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Visual Studio Code, JetBrains IDEs, Visual Studio, Xcode, Eclipse, Android Studio | Yes | 8.5 | |
| 9 | Tencent CodeBuddy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, GoLand, CLion, PhpStorm, Android Studio, WeChat Developer Tools, Xcode, Visual Studio | Yes | 8.4 | |
| 10 | Tongyi Lingma | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs, Lingma IDE | Yes | 8.3 | |
| 11 | Atlassian Rovo Dev | Yes | $20/user/mo | Yes | Yes | VS Code, Cursor | Yes | 8.2 | |
| 12 | Snowflake CoCo | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Zed, JetBrains, VS Code, Neovim | Yes | 8.1 | |
| 13 | Amazon Q | Yes | $3/user/mo | 8.0 | |||||
| 14 | IBM Bob | No | $20/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | IBM Bob IDE | Yes | 7.9 |
| 15 | Mistral Code | Yes | Yes | Yes | JetBrains IDEs, Visual Studio Code | Yes | 7.8 |
Head-to-Head
- GitHub Copilot vs Claude Code
- GitHub Copilot vs Devin
- GitHub Copilot vs Gemini CLI
- GitHub Copilot vs OpenAI Codex
- GitHub Copilot vs JetBrains Junie
- GitHub Copilot vs Aider
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update