Open-source alternatives / GitHub Copilot
Open-source alternatives to GitHub Copilot
5 free tools you can run yourself for coding with AI help. GitHub Copilot has a free tier (Limited chat and agent usage; includes CLI and agent mode) (Pro $10/mo; vendor pricing, checked 2026-10-22). Licenses verified 2026-10-24.
| Tool | Open source / local | Price | Notes | Checked | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continue Open-source coding assistant and agent for your editor | Open source: Apache 2.0 | Free (open source, Apache 2.0) ✓ checked | Editor extension; the company has joined Cursor and says the open-source codebase remains available | source 2026-10-24 | Get Continue → |
| Cline Open-source autonomous coding agent for your IDE or terminal | Open source: Apache 2.0 | Free extension (open source, Apache 2.0); you pay for model usage ✓ checked | Editor extension and CLI; you bring a model API key or use Cline's provider | source 2026-10-24 | Get Cline → |
| Aider Open-source AI pair programmer in your terminal, works with local models | Open source: Apache 2.0 | Free (open source; you pay for model API or run local) ✓ checked | Terminal coding assistant; connect a local model via Ollama for fully local use | source 2026-10-23 | Get Aider → |
| Tabby Self-hosted AI code completion and chat, a private GitHub Copilot alternative | Open source: Apache 2.0 (enterprise folder under a separate license) | Free Community plan (open source); Team $19/mo per seat ✓ checked | Self-hosted code completion and chat server | source 2026-10-24 | Get Tabby → |
| OpenHands Open-source AI software-development agent you can self-host | Open source: MIT | Free (open source, MIT); Teams $499/mo ✓ checked | Self-hosted software-development agent; bring your own LLM key | source 2026-10-24 | Get OpenHands → |
What to know before you switch
- Continue and Cline are editor extensions, Aider works in your terminal, Tabby is a self-hosted code-completion server, and OpenHands is an agent that works on whole tasks.
- You choose the model: a local one (free, needs hardware) or a paid API key (costs money). Continue says it has joined Cursor and that its open-source codebase remains available.
Where to run it
Open-source models need compute. Your own computer is the cheapest way to start. If it is too small, these are two providers to look at. We have not tested either one.
Disclosure: some links on this page are, or may become, affiliate links. If you buy through one we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes which tools we list or how they rank. Details.
- Your own computer: small models run on a recent laptop; image and video models want a GPU or lots of memory.
- GPU cloud, pay as you go: Runpod rents GPUs by the hour for larger models and image generation. This is a referral link: if you sign up and use it, Runpod gives us platform credits (not cash) and may give you a credit bonus after you add funds.
- A server for self-hosted apps: DigitalOcean rents cloud servers for tools such as n8n, Open WebUI or Dify. Plain link, no affiliate relationship yet.
Check each provider's current pricing and referral terms before you commit.
Want it hosted or easier? Paid options
Self-hosting and free plans take setup time or have limits. If you would rather pay for a managed service, these fit the same jobs. Sponsored links are marked, and we show the free tier next to each price.
Disclosure: some links on this page are, or may become, affiliate links. If you buy through one we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes which tools we list or how they rank. Details.
| Tool | Paid entry plan | Free tier | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Copilot Code completion inside VS Code and JetBrains | Pro $10/mo ✓ verified | Yes: Limited chat and agent usage; includes CLI and agent mode | See GitHub Copilot plans → |
| Cursor AI-first code editor for developers | X Subscription Plus $8/mo (Premium $30/mo for third-party models) ✓ verified | Yes: Limited agent and chat requests (caps not published) | See Cursor plans → |
| Windsurf Agentic code editor | Pro $15/mo ✓ verified | Yes: Light agent quota, limited models, unlimited inline edits and Tab completions | See Windsurf plans → |
Not sure which fits? Tell us your project and we will rank free and open-source tools for it.
Find local tools for my projectThese are alternatives, not equivalents: we have not benchmarked them against GitHub Copilot and make no claim about relative quality. Each row links to the source used for its license on the date shown. GitHub Copilot is a trademark of its owner; we are not affiliated with it. Some links are affiliate links (disclosure); they never change what we list.