As AI-powered developer tools continue to reshape how we write code, Cursor and GitHub Copilot are making waves in the development community. Both offer advanced AI-powered code completion and assistance, but each has a unique approach.
Cursor sets itself apart with its VS Code fork, offering a tailored, seamless experience for those who prefer VS Code as their main editor. On the other hand, GitHub Copilot integrates directly into a wide range of IDEs, providing broader accessibility across various platforms.
While these tools focus on AI-assisted coding, AI code reviews are equally important in improving code quality and developer productivity. If you're looking for an AI-powered code review tool, Greptile provides automated AI code reviews to catch bugs, improve maintainability, and ensure best practices.
This comparison will break down the key differences and help you make an informed decision.
🔍 Feature Comparison
⚡ Code Completion
Cursor
Cursor offers advanced code completion through its Cursor Tab feature, providing multi-line suggestions and modifications to existing code. It analyzes recent changes and linter errors for context-aware suggestions. Users can partially accept suggestions using Ctrl/⌘ →, with free users receiving 2,000 suggestions and Pro users enjoying unlimited access.
GitHub Copilot
Copilot delivers real-time code suggestions as you type, offering whole-line and full-function completions across multiple programming languages. It excels at pattern recognition and can convert comments into code, making it particularly useful for repetitive coding tasks.
💬 AI Chat Capabilities
Cursor
Cursor’s built-in AI chat system offers context-aware code discussions with support for multiple AI models. It includes code block generation, chat history preservation, and automatic inclusion of relevant file context. The system also features web search capabilities for up-to-date information and customizable chat settings.
GitHub Copilot
Copilot Chat is available in IDEs and on GitHub.com, offering natural language coding assistance, debugging help, and architecture suggestions. The chat interface is designed to be intuitive and accessible across different platforms, including mobile.
🔍 Context Awareness
Cursor
Cursor implements automatic indexing of codebases for improved context understanding, using embeddings-based search for accurate code references. Users can customize indexing rules via .cursorignore, and the system maintains privacy by avoiding plaintext code storage.
GitHub Copilot
Copilot maintains context awareness through deep integration with the codebase, offering suggestions based on the current file, related files, and common coding patterns. It understands project structures and provides context-specific suggestions across different files and functions.
🔒 Privacy & Security
Cursor
Cursor emphasizes privacy with an optional Privacy Mode that prevents code storage, local processing of sensitive data, and transparent data handling policies. The platform allows configurable codebase indexing while ensuring no plaintext code is stored permanently.
GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot processes code suggestions locally and follows GitHub’s privacy policy. It offers telemetry opt-out options and enterprise-grade security features to manage access controls and compliance settings.
💰 Pricing
Cursor
- Hobby – Free, includes 2,000 completions per month.
- Pro – $20/month, unlimited completions, fast premium requests.
- Business – $40/user/month, privacy mode, centralized billing, SAML/OIDC SSO.
GitHub Copilot
- Individual – $10/month or $100/year.
- Business – $19/user/month, team management, security controls, priority support.
- Enterprise – $39/user/month, custom deployments, advanced analytics, SSO integration.
🏆 Verdict: Cursor or GitHub Copilot?
Cursor and GitHub Copilot cater to different developer needs:
- Cursor is best for developers who prefer a dedicated AI-powered VS Code experience with multiple AI model options. Its privacy-focused features and built-in AI chat make it great for teams that need deeper AI integration within their editor.
- GitHub Copilot excels in its broad IDE support, seamless GitHub integration, and real-time coding assistance across multiple platforms. It’s a solid choice for those working across different development environments.
Regardless of which tool you use, maintaining high-quality code is essential. If you're looking for a way to automate AI-powered code reviews, Greptile’s Code Review Tool ensures better security, maintainability, and accuracy for your projects.