Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving Cursor.
Want the closest match?
AideMost similar to Cursor in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens Aide in a new tab)Need a free plan?
GitHub CopilotHas a free plan, rated 4.6 out of 5.
Visit (opens GitHub Copilot in a new tab)Want to pay less than Cursor?
CodeGPTFrom $7/mo, against from $20/mo for Cursor.
Visit (opens CodeGPT in a new tab)Want the best rated?
ZedRated 4.5 out of 5 in our review, against 4.7 for Cursor.
Visit (opens Zed in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than Cursor, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 CursorBaseline | 4.7 | $20/mo | Yes | The AI-native editor most competitors now get compared against | |
| Aide | 4.1−0.6 | Free | Yes | A fully open-source VS Code fork, not just an extension | vs Cursor |
| GitHub Copilot | 4.6−0.1 | $10/mo$10 less | Yes | The 2021 launch that started this entire category | vs Cursor |
 Windsurf | 4.4−0.3 | $15/mo$5 less | Yes | Now a Cognition subsidiary, after a chaotic 2025 acquisition saga | vs Cursor |
 Trae | 4.2−0.5 | $10/mo$10 less | Yes | ByteDance's free VS Code fork, with real data-retention tradeoffs to weigh | vs Cursor |
 JetBrains Junie | 4.3−0.4 | $10/mo$10 less | Yes | JetBrains' autonomous agent, separate from its inline AI Assistant | vs Cursor |
| Zed | 4.5−0.2 | $10/mo$10 less | Yes | Built by Atom's original creators, native and fast rather than Electron-based | vs Cursor |
 Google Antigravity | 4.2−0.5 | Free | Yes | Google's agent-first IDE that can act inside the browser too | vs Cursor |
| CodeGPT | 4.1−0.6 | $7/mo$13 less | Yes | A marketplace of specialized coding agents, not one fixed assistant | vs Cursor |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches Cursor.
Aide
4.1Free
vs Cursor−0.6
A fully open-source VS Code fork, not just an extension.
- Full VS Code fork, not an extension
- Fully open-source codebase
- Proactive agents that iterate on linter errors automatically
Genuinely open source, unlike most competing AI-native editors
Smaller team and community than venture-scale competitors
GitHub Copilot
4.6$10/mo
vs Cursor$10 less−0.1
The 2021 launch that started this entire category.
- Original AI coding autocomplete, launched in 2021
- Chat-based assistance and multi-file agent mode
- Multiple underlying model options beyond OpenAI
Earliest mover in this category with the largest existing user base
Free tier's completion and chat limits are restrictive for daily professional use
Windsurf
4.4$15/mo
vs Cursor$5 less−0.3
Now a Cognition subsidiary, after a chaotic 2025 acquisition saga.
- Cascade agentic flow for multi-file coding tasks
- VS Code-based AI-native editor
- Now owned by Cognition, the company behind Devin
Cascade agent mode handles genuinely complex, multi-file tasks
Recent ownership changes may affect long-term product direction
Trae
4.2$10/mo
vs Cursor$10 less−0.5
ByteDance's free VS Code fork, with real data-retention tradeoffs to weigh.
- VS Code fork with inline completion and chat
- SOLO Mode for autonomous full-project scaffolding
- Free access to premium models including GPT-4o and Claude
Notably generous free access to premium underlying models
Telemetry data sharing with ByteDance affiliates has no opt-out
JetBrains Junie
4.3$10/mo
vs Cursor$10 less−0.4
JetBrains' autonomous agent, separate from its inline AI Assistant.
- Autonomous, multi-step task execution
- Runs tests to verify its own changes
- Built into JetBrains' existing IDE suite
Genuine autonomous, multi-file task handling within a familiar IDE
Overlaps with JetBrains' own AI Assistant, worth comparing both directly
Zed
4.5$10/mo
vs Cursor$10 less−0.2
Built by Atom's original creators, native and fast rather than Electron-based.
- Built natively rather than as an Electron/VS Code fork
- Built by the original creators of Atom and Tree-sitter
- Performance-optimized for low-latency editing and AI actions
Genuine performance advantage from native, non-Electron architecture
Smaller extension and plugin ecosystem than the VS Code-based competitors
Google Antigravity
4.2Free
vs Cursor−0.5
Google's agent-first IDE that can act inside the browser too.
- Agents that act across editor, terminal, and browser
- Built on a VS Code foundation
- Support for Gemini 3 Pro, Claude Sonnet 4.5, and GPT-OSS models
Cross-surface agent action, including the browser, is a genuine differentiator
Very new product still in public preview, features may change
CodeGPT
4.1$7/mo
vs Cursor$13 less−0.6
A marketplace of specialized coding agents, not one fixed assistant.
- Marketplace of framework- and task-specific coding agents
- VS Code and JetBrains IDE support
- Multiple underlying LLM provider options
Specialized agents can outperform a generalist on a specific stack
Marketplace quality varies since agents come from different sources
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is Cursor free?
Cursor has a free plan, and paid plans start from $20/mo.
What is the best free alternative to Cursor?
GitHub Copilot is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.6 out of 5). Other free options: Zed, Windsurf, JetBrains Junie.
What is the cheapest alternative to Cursor?
Among paid plans, CodeGPT has the lowest starting price (from $7/mo). If you need it free, start with GitHub Copilot.
How did you pick these alternatives?
We match tools on what they do, their category and their price, using the details in our directory. Ratings come from our reviews and reader reviews.