Tasks / AI coding agents

Best AI coding agents

One decision, not a directory. Pricing checked 2026-10-14.

An AI coding agent takes a task in plain language, reads your project, edits files and runs commands until the job is done, asking you to approve changes along the way. Our pick for most developers is Claude Code. GitHub Copilot is the better start if you want a free plan or work mostly in GitHub. Below: how to choose, a side-by-side table of the coding agents we track, and picks by situation.

Updated 2026-11-13. Facts checked on official sites.

Best pick and alternative

Best pick

Claude Code

Terminal-based agentic coding tool from Anthropic.

PaidIncluded with Claude Pro ($20/mo) and Max plans, or via APICoding

Alternative

GitHub Copilot

AI pair programmer inside your editor and GitHub.

Free tierFree tier, paid from $10/mo (Pro)Coding

How to set it up with Claude Code

Pick a Claude plan that includes Claude Code: Pro ($20/mo, or $17/mo billed annually), Max or Ultra. It isn't on the Free plan; you can also pay per token through the API.
Install Claude Code by following Anthropic's official instructions and sign in with your Claude account.
Open your project folder and ask it to explain the codebase before you change anything.
Give it one scoped task, such as fixing a bug or adding a test, and review each file edit and command it proposes.
Run your tests, read the diff, and commit only what you understand.

Open Claude Code →

Why Claude Code

Claude Code works in your terminal, IDE and the Claude desktop app, reads your whole project, runs commands and edits files, and is included in every paid Claude plan, so one subscription covers chat and coding.

When to choose GitHub Copilot instead

Choose GitHub Copilot if you want a free plan to start (agent mode and the Copilot CLI are on Copilot Free), the cheapest paid plan ($10/mo Pro), or an agent that turns GitHub issues into pull requests.

Claude Code vs GitHub Copilot: side-by-side comparison →

How to choose a coding agent

Where you work. Terminal agents (Claude Code, Codex CLI, OpenCode, Aider) suit people who live in the shell. Editor agents (Cursor, Copilot, Cline) work inside your IDE. Cloud agents (Copilot, Codex) can keep working on GitHub after you close your laptop.
What you already pay for. Claude Code comes with paid Claude plans and Codex with ChatGPT plans, so the agent may already be included in a subscription you have.
How usage is billed. Most plans include an allowance and charge for extra usage (credits or API rates), so a heavy month can cost more than the headline price.
Open source and model choice. Open-source agents (OpenCode, Aider, Cline and the Codex CLI) let you bring your own model provider and keys; you pay the provider for usage.
Keep a human in the loop. Review every diff and command, keep auto-approval off at first, and run your tests before you commit.

AI coding agents compared

Agent	Works in	Pricing	Open source
Claude Code	Terminal, IDE, Claude desktop app	Included in paid Claude plans: Pro $20/mo ($17/mo annual), Max $100/mo, Ultra $200/mo; not on Free; or API pay-per-token	No
OpenAI Codex	CLI, IDE extension, desktop app, web and cloud tasks	Included in ChatGPT plans: limited trial access on Free and Go; Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise; or API key	CLI only (Apache-2.0)
GitHub Copilot	VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Xcode and more; CLI; GitHub	Free $0 (limited); Pro $10/mo; Pro+ $39/mo; Max $100/mo; extra AI credits $0.01 each	No
Cursor	Cursor editor, cloud agents	Free (limited); Plus $8/mo (Grok models only); Premium $30/mo; Super $100/mo; Ultra $200/mo; third-party models at API list price (cloud agents and third-party models from Premium)	No
Google Antigravity	App, IDE, CLI, IDE extensions	Free Individual plan with a weekly limit; higher limits with Google AI Pro or Ultra	No
OpenCode	Terminal, desktop, web	Free; you pay your model provider; optional Go plan $10/mo	Yes (MIT)
Aider	Terminal, in your git repo	Free; you pay your model provider	Yes (Apache-2.0)
Cline	VS Code and other editors	Free extension; pay for inference with your own keys or Cline credits	Yes (Apache-2.0)

Claude Code, Codex, GitHub Copilot and Cursor pricing checked on their official pages on 2026-11-13. Other rows come from each agent's profile, which shows its own verified date. All prices in USD.

Picks by situation

Best overall: Claude Code, if you pay for Claude or are happy to.
Free plan or GitHub-centred team: GitHub Copilot. Free includes agent mode and the CLI; paid plans can turn issues into pull requests.
Already pay for ChatGPT: OpenAI Codex, included in your plan.
Want an AI-first editor: Cursor.
Open source, any model: OpenCode, Aider or Cline.
Google models with a free tier: Google Antigravity.
Building a mobile app: let your agent check its own work on Expo Simulators, cloud iOS Simulators and Android Emulators that Claude Code, Codex and Cursor can drive ($0.10 per simulator minute on paid Expo plans).

All coding agents in our directory · Best coding agent for the terminal · Run several coding agents at once · Cursor vs Claude Code · Cursor vs GitHub Copilot

Pricing at a glance

Tool	Pricing	Free tier
Claude Code	Included with Claude Pro ($20/mo) and Max plans, or via API	No
GitHub Copilot	Free tier, paid from $10/mo (Pro)	Yes
Cursor	Free (limited); Plus $8/mo (Grok models only); Premium $30/mo; Super $100/mo; Ultra $200/mo; Teams from $30/user/mo	Yes
Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf)	Free tier; Pro $20/mo	Yes

Pricing changes often; check the official site before buying.

FAQ

What is the best AI coding agent?

For most developers, Claude Code: it works in the terminal, your IDE and the Claude desktop app, and is included in paid Claude plans from $20/month. GitHub Copilot is the best start if you want a free plan or work mostly in GitHub, and Codex makes sense if you already pay for ChatGPT.

Is there a free AI coding agent?

Yes. GitHub Copilot Free includes agent mode and the Copilot CLI with limited usage. ChatGPT Free and Go include limited trial access to Codex, and Google Antigravity has a free Individual plan with a weekly limit. OpenCode, Aider and Cline are free and open source, but you pay your model provider.

Is Claude Code free?

No. Claude Code is included in paid Claude plans (Pro at $20/month, or $17/month billed annually, plus Max and Ultra), not the Free plan. You can also pay per token through the Claude API.

Which AI coding agents are open source?

OpenCode (MIT), Aider (Apache-2.0), Cline (Apache-2.0) and the Codex CLI (Apache-2.0) are open source. Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cursor and Google Antigravity are not.

How much does GitHub Copilot cost?

Copilot Free is $0 with limited usage. Pro is $10/month, Pro+ $39/month and Max $100/month. Extra AI credits cost $0.01 each.

What is the difference between a coding agent and code autocomplete?

Autocomplete suggests the next lines as you type. A coding agent takes a whole task, plans it, edits several files and runs commands such as your tests, then hands the result back for you to review.

Sources checked 2026-11-13: claude.com/pricing, chatgpt.com/codex/pricing, github.com/features/copilot/plans, cursor.com/pricing, antigravity.google/pricing, opencode.ai/docs/console/go, github.com/Aider-AI/aider, github.com/cline/cline, expo.dev/pricing.