DOACursor vs GitHub Copilot: which one to choose?
We compare Cursor and GitHub Copilot on price, devices, difficulty and who each one suits, using the data on their DOA pages.
Cursor
VS Code-based editor built for agentic coding: chat with the whole repo as context, autocomplete and a choice of models. Owned by SpaceX since August 2026.
GitHub Copilot
Code autocomplete and chat inside VS Code, JetBrains and github.com. The most widely deployed assistant in companies.
DOA verdict for coding
Cursor wins, but only just
81.8 Cursor · 80.1 GitHub Copilot / 100
Developers who live in the editor. The best agent-plus-editor flow right now.
Why
- DOA score in coding · Cursor: 98/100 vs 90/100
- Free version · GitHub Copilot: 62/100 vs 55/100
- Ease of use: tie
- Devices · GitHub Copilot: 4 vs 3
Pick GitHub Copilot if…
Teams on GitHub and VS Code. Fits the workflow you already use.
How we decide: this verdict uses a formula of its own for comparisons, different from the DOA score: DOA score in coding (60%), free version (20%), ease of use (10%) and devices (10%). Data from each tool page, reviewed on 5 October 2026. How we calculate the DOA score and the verdict
| Cursor | GitHub Copilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Freemium Limited free Hobby. Pro $20, Pro+ $60 and Ultra $200 a month. Teams $40 per user. | Freemium Limited Free. Pro $10, Pro+ $39 and Max $100 a month. Students may get Education. |
| Devices | Windows · Mac · Linux | Windows · Mac · Linux · Browser |
| Level | Some practice needed | Some practice needed |
| What it is for | Coding | Coding Getting work done |
| DOA score | 83/100 | 77/100 |
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On the overall DOA score, Cursor gets 83/100 and GitHub Copilot 77/100. It is an indicative rating: try both on a real task before you pay.
Cursor is a better fit for
- Developers who live in the editor
- Startups that want to move tickets faster
GitHub Copilot is a better fit for
- Teams on GitHub and VS Code
- Students with the GitHub Education pack