When I started learning to code with AI tools, I felt completely overwhelmed by the options. Every blog post said their pick was "the best" and none of them explained things from the perspective of someone who's actually new to this. So I did what I always do — I tested all three myself and wrote down what I found.
This isn't a "top 10 features" listicle. It's an honest breakdown from someone who's used GitHub Copilot, Cursor, and Claude Code in real projects. I'll tell you what each one does best, where each falls short, and which one I'd recommend depending on your situation.
The quick version
If you just want the answer without reading the whole article, here's my one-line take on each tool:
GitHub Copilot
Best for autocomplete-style help while you type. Feels like a smart pair programmer that finishes your sentences.
Cursor
Best for chat-driven coding inside an editor. It's VS Code with an AI brain built into every corner.
Claude Code
Best for full project understanding and autonomous changes. It reads your whole codebase and can build features end-to-end.
Now let's dig into what each one actually does.
GitHub Copilot: the autocomplete king
Copilot is made by GitHub (owned by Microsoft) and lives inside your code editor as an extension. It watches what you type and suggests the next line — or sometimes the next entire function — in real time. It's powered by OpenAI's models under the hood.
The experience is like having a really fast co-worker looking over your shoulder. You start typing a function name, and Copilot guesses what you're trying to build and fills in the rest. You hit Tab to accept, or keep typing to ignore it.
What Copilot does well:
- Lightning-fast inline suggestions as you type
- Works in VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim, and more
- Great for boilerplate and repetitive patterns
- Free tier available for individual developers
Where it falls short:
- Doesn't understand your whole project — just the current file and some context
- Can't make changes across multiple files at once
- Chat feature exists but feels less polished than Cursor's
- Suggestions can be confidently wrong — you need to review carefully
# Install the extension in VS Code:
# 1. Open Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
# 2. Search "GitHub Copilot"
# 3. Install and sign in with your GitHub account
# Pricing (as of early 2026):
Free tier → limited completions/month
Individual → $10/month
Business → $19/user/monthCursor: the AI-native code editor
Cursor is a standalone code editor that's built on top of VS Code. It looks almost identical, uses all the same extensions, but has AI baked into every part of the experience. Instead of just autocomplete, you can highlight code and ask it to change things, or open a chat panel and describe what you want in plain English.
What surprised me most was the Composer feature — you describe a feature you want, and Cursor plans the changes, then edits multiple files at once and shows you a diff of everything it changed. That was a game changer for me when I was first getting started. It felt like having a senior developer pair-programming with me.
What Cursor does well:
- Chat + inline editing + autocomplete all in one editor
- Composer can plan and edit across multiple files
- Familiar VS Code interface — all your extensions still work
- Supports multiple AI models (Claude, GPT-4, etc.)
Where it falls short:
- It's a separate editor — you have to switch from VS Code
- Can feel overwhelming at first with all the AI options
- Paid plan gets expensive ($20/month for Pro)
- Occasional bugs since it's a younger product
# Download Cursor from cursor.com
# It imports your VS Code settings automatically
# Key shortcuts to learn:
Ctrl+K (Cmd+K) → Inline edit with AI
Ctrl+L (Cmd+L) → Open chat panel
Ctrl+I (Cmd+I) → Open Composer
# Pricing (as of early 2026):
Hobby → free (limited requests)
Pro → $20/month
Business → $40/user/monthClaude Code: the terminal powerhouse
Claude Code is Anthropic's command-line coding assistant. Unlike Copilot or Cursor, it doesn't live inside a code editor — it runs in your terminal. You type claude in your project folder and it reads every file, understands the architecture, and then lets you have a conversation about your codebase.
This is the tool that blew my mind. I asked it to "add a dark mode toggle to the settings page" and it didn't just give me a code snippet — it found the settings component, created the toggle, added the CSS, updated the state management, and even modified the layout. Across six files. In one prompt. I just reviewed and approved each change.
What Claude Code does well:
- Reads and understands your entire codebase — not just the open file
- Makes coordinated changes across multiple files autonomously
- Extensible with plugins and MCP servers
- Works with any editor — it's editor-agnostic
- Can run shell commands, git operations, and tests on your behalf
Where it falls short:
- Terminal-based — takes some getting used to if you're not comfortable with the command line
- Requires Claude Pro/Max subscription or API billing
- No inline autocomplete — it's conversational, not predictive
- Token usage on big projects can add up
# Install globally via npm
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
# Navigate to your project and start
cd ~/my-project
claude
# Pricing (as of early 2026):
Claude Pro → $20/month (included)
Claude Max → $100-200/month (higher limits)
API billing → pay per token usedSide-by-side comparison
Here's the full breakdown in a format that's easy to scan:
| Feature | Copilot | Cursor | Claude Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inline autocomplete | Excellent | Great | None |
| Chat interface | Basic | Great | Excellent |
| Multi-file editing | Limited | Great | Excellent |
| Project understanding | Limited | Good | Excellent |
| Runs shell commands | No | No | Yes |
| Plugin / extension system | Via VS Code | Via VS Code | Plugins + MCP |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes | No |
| Starting price | $10/mo | $20/mo | $20/mo |
So which one should you actually use?
Here's my honest recommendation based on who you are:
Complete beginner, just learning to code
Start with GitHub Copilot. The free tier is generous, it works in VS Code out of the box, and the autocomplete helps you learn syntax as you go. It's the lowest barrier to entry.
Comfortable with basics, want an all-in-one editor
Go with Cursor. It gives you autocomplete plus chat plus multi-file editing in one place. The Composer feature is worth the switch alone.
Working on real projects, want max productivity
Use Claude Code. The full project understanding and autonomous file editing is unmatched. Pair it with Copilot for inline suggestions and you've got the best of both worlds.
My personal setup
I use Claude Code + Copilot together. Claude Code handles the heavy lifting — planning features, making multi-file changes, running commands — while Copilot fills in the small stuff as I type. They complement each other perfectly.
Can you use more than one?
Absolutely — and I'd actually recommend it. These tools aren't mutually exclusive:
- •Copilot + Claude Code — Copilot handles quick completions, Claude Code handles bigger tasks
- •Cursor standalone — If you want everything in one editor and don't want to use the terminal
- •All three — Overkill for most people, but if you're exploring, there's no harm in trying each free tier
The key insight I had is that these tools work at different levels. Copilot works at the line level, Cursor works at the file/feature level, and Claude Code works at the project level. Once I understood that, picking the right tool for each moment became natural.
Final thoughts
Six months ago I didn't know what a terminal was. Now I'm building full websites with AI coding tools and writing guides about them. If I can figure this out, you absolutely can too.
My advice: don't overthink the tool choice. Pick one, start using it today, and switch if it doesn't click. The best AI coding tool is whichever one you'll actually use. You can always add more later.
Ready to get started?
Check out the setup guides for each tool, or browse more tutorials on AI coding assistants.