Best AI coding assistants

The list

1. 1

   GitHub Copilot

   by GitHub

   Works inside popular editors, GitHub and the command line, with completions, chat and agent mode; free plan with limited usage.

   Editorial 98FreemiumFree tier
2. 2

   Cursor

   by Cursor (part of SpaceX)

   AI-first code editor whose agent can plan, edit and run code across a project, plus cloud agents and AI code review.

   Editorial 93FreemiumFree tier
3. 3

   OpenAI Codex

   by OpenAI

   OpenAI's coding agent in a desktop app, the terminal, IDEs and the cloud, with parallel agents and automatic PR review; included with ChatGPT plans.

   Editorial 93FreemiumFree tier
4. 4

   Replit

   by Replit

   Browser-based: Replit Agent builds, runs and publishes apps from natural-language prompts; free Starter plan.

   Editorial 91FreemiumFree tier
5. 5

   CodeRabbit

   by CodeRabbit

   Not a code writer: AI code review on pull requests, the CLI and IDEs, with one-click fixes; free for public repos.

   Editorial 90FreemiumFree tier
6. 6

   ChatGPT

   by OpenAI

   General assistant with coding help, useful for explanations and snippets outside the editor.

   Editorial 88FreemiumFree tier
7. 7

   Claude

   by Anthropic

   General assistant that handles coding questions and file uploads alongside writing and analysis.

   Editorial 88FreemiumFree tier
8. 8

   Devin Desktop

   by Cognition

   Agentic IDE (formerly Windsurf) with a command center for managing local and cloud coding agents.

   Editorial 88FreemiumFree tier
9. 9

   Claude Code

   by Anthropic

   Agentic coding in the terminal, IDEs and the web that reads, edits and runs code across a codebase; needs a paid Claude plan or the API.

   Editorial 87PaidNo free tier

Comparison table

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free AI coding assistant?

GitHub Copilot has a free plan with limited usage, and Cursor, Replit and Devin Desktop also offer free plans. Claude Code is not free on its own — it comes with paid Claude plans (Pro and above) or the API.

What's the difference between an AI code editor and a coding agent?

An editor assistant suggests and edits code while you drive. A coding agent (Cursor's agent, Claude Code, Devin Desktop's agents) can plan multi-step changes, edit many files and run commands with less hand-holding — you review the result.

Do I need to switch editors?

Not necessarily. GitHub Copilot plugs into popular editors you may already use; Cursor and Devin Desktop are full editors of their own; Claude Code runs in the terminal and IDEs.

What is the best AI code review tool?

CodeRabbit is built only for code review: it reviews pull requests, CLI and IDE changes and is free for public repositories. OpenAI Codex, Cursor and GitHub Copilot also offer automatic PR review as part of their coding plans.

What is GitHub Copilot Fusion?

Copilot Fusion, generally available since October 28, 2026, is a model-picker option that lets Copilot choose and combine models for each task instead of you picking one. It's on all Copilot plans, including Free, in VS Code, the GitHub Copilot app, Copilot CLI and JetBrains IDEs.

Is OpenAI Codex free?

ChatGPT Free and Go include limited Codex use in the desktop app. The CLI, IDE extension, cloud tasks and GitHub code review come with ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) and higher, or you can use Codex with an API key at API rates.