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What are the best GitHub Copilot alternatives in 2025?
The best GitHub Copilot alternatives in 2025 are Cursor (95/100), Claude Code (92/100), and JetBrains AI Assistant (90/100). Cursor matches GitHub Copilot's performance while offering superior multi-file editing, Claude Code excels at complex code analysis and reasoning, and JetBrains AI Assistant provides seamless integration for teams already using JetBrains IDEs.
Top 10 GitHub Copilot Alternatives: Quick Rankings
| Rank | Tool | Score | Best For | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cursor | 95/100 | AI-Native Development, Multi-file Projects | $20/month |
| 2 | Claude Code | 92/100 | Code Analysis, Complex Reasoning | $20/month |
| 3 | JetBrains AI Assistant | 90/100 | JetBrains IDEs, Enterprise Development | $8.33/month |
| 4 | Sourcegraph Cody | 89/100 | Enterprise Codebases, Security | Free/$9/month |
| 5 | Tabnine | 86/100 | Privacy, Offline Mode | $12/month |
| 6 | ChatGPT | 85/100 | Code Generation, Learning | $20/month |
| 7 | Google Gemini | 83/100 | Google Cloud, Web Development | $20/month |
| 8 | Qodo (formerly Codium) | 82/100 | Test Generation, Code Quality | Free/$19/month |
| 9 | Continue.dev | 81/100 | Open Source, Local LLMs | Free |
| 10 | Replit AI | 81/100 | Rapid Prototyping, Cloud Development | Free/$20/month |
Why consider GitHub Copilot alternatives?
While GitHub Copilot pioneered AI-assisted coding and remains excellent, several alternatives now offer compelling advantages:
Better Multi-file Editing
Tools like Cursor and Cline can understand and modify multiple files simultaneously, making them more effective for complex refactoring tasks.
Enhanced Privacy & Security
Tabnine offers offline operation, while Sourcegraph Cody provides enterprise-grade security features for sensitive codebases.
Specialized Use Cases
Qodo focuses on test generation, while Claude Code excels at complex code analysis and architectural discussions.
Better IDE Integration
JetBrains AI Assistant offers deeper integration with JetBrains IDEs than third-party extensions can achieve.
Top GitHub Copilot alternatives: detailed reviews
1. Cursor (95/100) - Best Overall Alternative
What it does: Cursor is a complete code editor built specifically for AI-powered development, offering the deepest AI integration available today.
Why it beats GitHub Copilot
- Superior multi-file editing with full codebase understanding
- AI-first architecture designed from the ground up
- Support for frontier models (Claude Sonnet 4, GPT-4.1, Gemini 2.5 Pro)
- More advanced agentic workflows and autonomous coding
Trade-offs
- Higher price point ($20/month vs $10/month)
- Requires switching from your current editor
- Newer platform with smaller community
Best use case: Large-scale refactoring across multiple files where AI needs to understand the full codebase context and relationships between components.
2. Claude Code (92/100) - Best for Code Analysis
What it does: Claude Code leverages Anthropic's advanced reasoning capabilities to provide sophisticated code analysis and explanation.
Why it beats GitHub Copilot
- Superior code understanding and explanation capabilities
- Exceptional performance on complex reasoning tasks
- More thoughtful and safety-focused code generation
- Better at architectural decisions and system design
Trade-offs
- Less integrated development environment support
- Limited real-time completion compared to Copilot
- Higher cost for extensive usage
Best use case: Code reviews, complex debugging, and explaining legacy codebases where deep understanding is more important than speed.
3. JetBrains AI Assistant (90/100) - Best for JetBrains Users
What it does: JetBrains AI Assistant provides deep integration with the entire JetBrains ecosystem, making it the obvious choice for teams already using IntelliJ, PyCharm, or other JetBrains IDEs.
Why it beats GitHub Copilot
- Native integration with JetBrains IDEs' powerful static analysis
- Better understanding of project structure and dependencies
- Seamless integration with existing JetBrains workflows
- Lower cost ($8.33/month vs $10/month)
Trade-offs
- Limited to JetBrains ecosystem
- Smaller model selection compared to newer tools
- Less advanced multi-file editing capabilities
Best use case: Enterprise development teams using JetBrains IDEs who need AI assistance that works seamlessly with existing workflows and project structures.
4. Sourcegraph Cody (89/100) - Best for Enterprise
What it does: Sourcegraph Cody excels at understanding large, complex codebases across multiple repositories, making it ideal for enterprise environments.
Why choose over GitHub Copilot: Superior enterprise security features, better understanding of large codebases, and more granular access controls for sensitive code.
5. Tabnine (86/100) - Best for Privacy
What it does: Tabnine stands out for its privacy-first approach and ability to run completely offline while learning from your specific coding patterns.
Why choose over GitHub Copilot: Complete offline operation, on-premises deployment options, and personalized AI that learns from your team's coding style without sending code to external servers.
How to choose the right GitHub Copilot alternative
Your ideal alternative depends on your specific development workflow, security requirements, and team setup:
If you want better AI capabilities
- Multi-file editing & complex projects → Cursor
- Advanced code analysis & reasoning → Claude Code
- Conversational coding & learning → ChatGPT
If you have specific IDE/platform needs
- JetBrains IDEs → JetBrains AI Assistant
- Cloud-based development → Replit AI
- Open source & customization → Continue.dev
If you have security/privacy concerns
- Complete offline operation → Tabnine
- Enterprise security features → Sourcegraph Cody
- Self-hosted & open source → Continue.dev
If you have specialized needs
- Test generation & quality → Qodo
- Google Cloud development → Google Gemini
- AWS integration → Amazon Q Developer
GitHub Copilot vs alternatives: feature comparison
| Feature | GitHub Copilot | Cursor | Claude Code | JetBrains AI | Cody |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 95/100 | 95/100 | 92/100 | 90/100 | 89/100 |
| Multi-file editing | Limited | ✅ Excellent | Good | Limited | Good |
| IDE support | ✅ Universal | VS Code fork | Web-based | ✅ JetBrains native | Multiple IDEs |
| Offline mode | ❌ No | Limited | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Starting price | $10/month | $20/month | $20/month | $8.33/month | Free/$9/month |
| Code explanation | Good | Excellent | ✅ Outstanding | Good | Good |
| Enterprise features | ✅ Strong | Growing | Basic | ✅ Strong | ✅ Excellent |
GitHub Copilot alternatives by use case
Best for Beginners
- ChatGPT - Conversational learning
- Replit AI - No setup required
- Continue.dev - Free and flexible
Best for Enterprise Teams
- Sourcegraph Cody - Enterprise security
- JetBrains AI Assistant - Team collaboration
- Tabnine - On-premises deployment
Best for Complex Projects
- Cursor - Multi-file understanding
- Claude Code - Architectural reasoning
- Sourcegraph Cody - Large codebase navigation
Best for Privacy & Security
- Tabnine - Complete offline operation
- Continue.dev - Self-hosted
- Sourcegraph Cody - Enterprise controls
Best Free Alternatives
- Continue.dev - Fully open source
- Sourcegraph Cody - Free tier available
- Replit AI - Free tier for learning
Best for Specialized Tasks
- Qodo - Test generation
- Google Gemini - Google Cloud
- Amazon Q Developer - AWS integration
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free alternative to GitHub Copilot?
Yes, Continue.dev is the best free alternative, offering open-source flexibility with support for multiple models. Sourcegraph Cody and Replit AI also offer generous free tiers.
Which GitHub Copilot alternative works offline?
Tabnine offers the best offline experience with complete on-premises deployment. Continue.dev can also work offline when configured with local models like Ollama.
What's better than GitHub Copilot for multi-file editing?
Cursor is specifically designed for multi-file AI editing and outperforms GitHub Copilot in this area. It can understand and modify multiple files simultaneously with full codebase context.
Which alternative is best for enterprise security?
Sourcegraph Cody leads in enterprise security features, followed by Tabnine for on-premises deployment and JetBrains AI Assistant for teams already in the JetBrains ecosystem.
Can I use multiple AI coding assistants together?
Yes, many developers use multiple tools for different purposes. For example, GitHub Copilot for daily coding, Claude Code for complex analysis, and Qodo for test generation.
Which alternative has the best code explanation features?
Claude Code excels at code explanation and analysis, offering superior understanding of complex code relationships and architectural patterns compared to GitHub Copilot.