AI code editor
Best AI tools for coding (AI code editors)
4 tools for builders and vibe coders. Filter by what you're willing to pay.
Our shortlist for coding (AI code editors) is Cursor, Windsurf, GitHub Copilot and Zed. All 4 have a free plan or free tier, and we checked all 4 free-tier notes against official pricing pages. If you want to start for free, try Zed first.
4 tools for coding (AI code editors)
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- Limited free tierPricing checked · Oct 14, 2026 · source for Cursor's pricing (opens in a new tab)$8/mo Plus (Grok models only); $30/mo Premium adds cloud agents and third-party models at API list price
- Limited free tierPricing checked · Oct 13, 2026 · source for Windsurf's pricing (opens in a new tab)$20/mo lowest paid tier
GitHub Copilot (opens in a new tab)
AI pair programmer inside GitHub and editors
Your tool? Get a badgeLimited free tierPricing checked · Oct 15, 2026 · source for GitHub Copilot's pricing (opens in a new tab)$10/mo Pro- FreePricing checked · Oct 13, 2026 · source for Zed's pricing (opens in a new tab)$10/mo lowest paid tier
How to choose
Start with what you're willing to pay. Zed is tagged free or generous free tier. Cursor, Windsurf and GitHub Copilot have a limited free tier.
Where we could read a price on the official pricing page, the lowest paid plans start at: Cursor $8/mo Plus (Grok models only); Windsurf $20/mo; GitHub Copilot $10/mo Pro; Zed $10/mo. Prices change often, and we don't always know whether a figure is billed monthly or annually, so confirm on the tool's site.
- Cursor is the pick for daily coding with AI: AI-first fork of VS Code with agent mode. Free tier: free $0: limited agent and Chat requests. Cursor is now sold as part of the X Subscription, with one usage pool shared with Grok.
- Windsurf is for coding in an agentic IDE: agentic IDE (now redirects to devin.ai/desktop). Free tier: free $0: light agent quota, limited models, unlimited inline edits/Tab (now Devin).
- GitHub Copilot is for developers who work mostly in GitHub: AI pair programmer inside GitHub and editors. Free tier: free $0: limited chat and agent usage; Pro $10/month.
- Zed is for developers who want a fast editor: fast open-source editor with AI agents. Free tier: Personal $0 forever: unlimited use with your own API keys or external agents; AI Pro $10/month.
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Free tiers last checked Oct 15, 2026 against each tool's official pricing page (linked on each checked tool). Prices change often, so confirm on the tool's site.
Questions
- Which AI tools for coding (AI code editors) are free?
- Cursor (limited free tier), Windsurf (limited free tier), GitHub Copilot (limited free tier) and Zed (free).
- Which has the cheapest paid plan?
- Of the prices we could read on official pricing pages, Cursor starts lowest at $8/mo Plus (Grok models only).
- How did you check these free tiers?
- We compared all 4 free-tier notes on this page against each tool's official pricing page, most recently on Oct 15, 2026. Each checked tool links to the page we used.
- Which tool should I pick?
- Cursor is the pick for daily coding with AI. Windsurf is for coding in an agentic IDE. GitHub Copilot is for developers who work mostly in GitHub. See the full list below.
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