C
CCode Assistants AI toolsFull list
AI pair programmers inside your editor.
17 tools17 with a free plan7 with an API5 open source
17 tools
CC
Free, from $17/mo
C
CC
Free, from $8/mo
G
GAI coding assistant and agents for editors, terminal, desktop and GitHub
Free, from $10/mo
G
Free, from $10/mo
G
AI coding assistant and agents for editors, terminal, desktop and GitHub
Code AssistantsFree plan
O
OOpenAI's coding agent for the desktop, CLI, IDE, web and iOS, included in ChatGPT plans
Free, from $8/mo
O
Free, from $8/mo
O
OpenAI's coding agent for the desktop, CLI, IDE, web and iOS, included in ChatGPT plans
Code AssistantsFree planAPI
L
LL
Free, from $25/mo
L
Build, host and run web apps by chatting with AI, with a built-in backend
App & Website BuildersFree planAPI
R
RR
Free, from $18/mo
R
Build and publish apps and websites by describing them in plain language
App & Website BuildersFree plan
M
MOpen-weight AI models, chat and coding agent you can run on your own infrastructure
Free, from $14.99/mo
M
Free, from $14.99/mo
M
Open-weight AI models, chat and coding agent you can run on your own infrastructure
Local & Open ModelsFree planAPIOpen source
D
DAutonomous AI software engineer that writes, tests and reviews code to merge-ready PRs
Free, from $20/mo
D
Free, from $20/mo
D
Autonomous AI software engineer that writes, tests and reviews code to merge-ready PRs
Code AssistantsFree plan
W
WW
Free, from $20/mo
W
AI coding IDE and command center for running local and cloud coding agents
Code AssistantsFree planAPI
C
CC
Free
C
Open-source AI coding agent for your editor, terminal, desktop and apps
Code AssistantsFree planAPIOpen source
J
JRun and review AI coding agents across projects in JetBrains IDEs, web and CLI
Free, from $10/mo
J
Free, from $10/mo
J
Run and review AI coding agents across projects in JetBrains IDEs, web and CLI
Code AssistantsFree plan
K
KK
Free, from $20/mo
K
Spec-driven agentic coding IDE and CLI for developers and engineering teams
Code AssistantsFree plan
L
LDesktop agent for documents, code and automation using local or open models
Free, from $20/mo
L
Free, from $20/mo
L
Desktop agent for documents, code and automation using local or open models
Local & Open ModelsFree planAPI
A
AAI coding assistant for AWS developers in the IDE, CLI and AWS Console
Free, from $19/mo
A
Free, from $19/mo
A
AI coding assistant for AWS developers in the IDE, CLI and AWS Console
Code AssistantsFree plan
K
KOpen-source AI coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains, CLI and cloud with 500+ models
Free, from $15/mo
K
Free, from $15/mo
K
Open-source AI coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains, CLI and cloud with 500+ models
Code AssistantsFree planOpen source
A
AA
Free
A
AI pair programming in your terminal for new and existing codebases
Code AssistantsFree planOpen source
T
TT
Free, from $19/mo
T
Open-source, self-hosted AI coding assistant for developers and teams
Code AssistantsFree planOpen source
Code Assistants tools compared
From each vendor's own pages, re-checked every two months. Of 17 tools we checked, 1 of 4 that state a policy don't train AI on your content, and 3 hold SOC 2 or ISO 27001.
| Tool | Agent mode | Tab completion | CLI / terminal | Cloud agents | AI PR review | Bring your own key | Local / self-hosted models | MCP support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GGitHub Copilot | — | — | ||||||
| CCursor | — | — | — | |||||
| OOpenAI Codex | — | — | — | — | ||||
| WWindsurf | — | — | — | — | ||||
| DDevin | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| CCline | — | — | — | |||||
| KKiro | — | — | — | |||||
| JJetBrains AI | — | — | ||||||
| AAmazon Q Developer | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| KKilo Code | — | |||||||
| A | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| TTabby | — | — | — | — | — |
— means the vendor's site doesn't say.
How to choose code assistants tools
Most code assistants on this list overlap a lot, so pick on the few things that actually differ between them.
Where it runs. Some are full editors you switch to, like Cursor, Windsurf and Kiro. Others plug into the editor you already use: GitHub Copilot, Cline, Kilo Code and Tabby all list VS Code and JetBrains support. Aider works in the terminal. Replit and Lovable run in the browser.
Open source and self-hosting. If your code can't leave your own machines, look at Tabby, Kilo Code and Mistral, which are open source and can be self-hosted. Cline is also open source.
Pricing model. Cline is listed as free. Most others are freemium, with paid plans starting at $8/mo (Cursor) and going up to around $20/mo (Windsurf, Kiro, LM Studio). OpenAI Codex is paid only.
How much it does on its own. Inline suggestions are one thing. Agents that plan and ship whole tasks are another, and Devin and OpenAI Codex are built for that. If you want to script or connect tools, check API access: Windsurf, Mistral, LM Studio and Cline offer it.
Frequently asked questions
Are there free AI code assistants?
Cline is listed as free and open source. Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, Amazon Q Developer, Kilo Code, Tabby and several others are freemium, meaning they have a free tier and paid plans.
How much do code assistants cost?
Among the tools that list a starting price, paid plans begin at $8/mo for Cursor and $10/mo for GitHub Copilot. Kilo Code starts at $15/mo, Replit at $18/mo, Tabby at $19/mo, and Windsurf, Kiro and LM Studio at $20/mo. Pricing for Devin, Anthropic, JetBrains AI and Aider isn't listed.
What should I look for in a code assistant?
Check four things. First, whether it works with your editor (VS Code, JetBrains, or the terminal). Second, whether it can be self-hosted or is open source. Third, whether it has an API. Fourth, whether you want inline help or an agent that carries out whole tasks, like Devin or OpenAI Codex.
What are the alternatives to GitHub Copilot?
If you want an AI-first editor, look at Cursor, Windsurf or Kiro. For open-source plugins, there's Cline, Kilo Code and Tabby. Aider works in the terminal, and Amazon Q Developer is aimed at AWS work. To build apps in the browser by describing them, try Replit or Lovable.