The short version: the cheapest serious option is GitHub Copilot Pro at $10/month (and free for students). Most working developers land around $20: Cursor Pro, Claude Pro (with Claude Code), ChatGPT Plus (with Codex) or Windsurf Pro. The $100–$200 plans are for people who run coding agents for hours every day.

All prices are in USD from the official pricing pages, as of October 2026.

Comparison table

Tool Free Standard Higher Top
GitHub Copilot Yes (limited) Pro — $10 Pro+ — $39 —
Cursor Hobby (limited) Pro — $20 Pro+ — $60 Ultra — $200
Claude (Claude Code) No Claude Code Pro — $20 ($17 yearly) Max 5x — $100 Max 20x — $200
ChatGPT (Codex) Limited Plus — $20 Pro — $100 Pro — $200
Windsurf Yes (light quota) Pro — $20 — Max — $200

None of these are truly unlimited. Every plan is a usage allowance: stronger models and long-running agents burn through it faster.

GitHub Copilot: cheapest and simplest

  • Free: completions and chat with monthly limits — fine for trying it and small projects.
  • Pro ($10): the best value for most beginners and hobbyists.
  • Pro+ ($39): a much bigger allowance for premium models.
  • Students: Copilot Student is free through the GitHub Student Developer Pack.

In June 2026 GitHub moved usage tracking to AI Credits instead of request counts, so watch the usage page in your account during the first month.

Choose it if you work in VS Code or JetBrains and want an assistant inside the editor you already use, at the lowest price.

Cursor: an editor built around AI

  • Hobby (free): limited agent requests and completions, plus a one-week Pro trial.
  • Pro ($20): every feature with a monthly usage pool.
  • Pro+ ($60): about 3× Pro's pool.
  • Ultra ($200): about 20×.
  • Yearly billing saves 20% — Pro becomes $16/month.

Choose it if you want AI in every step of the editor and the freedom to switch between models from different labs.

Claude Code: the agent in your terminal

Claude Code has no separate price — it is part of Claude's paid plans and draws from the same usage allowance:

  • Claude Pro ($20, or $17/month yearly): the cheapest way to use Claude Code. The free plan doesn't include it.
  • Max 5x ($100) and Max 20x ($200): for people working with the agent most of the day.

Limits reset on a rolling five-hour window, with a weekly cap, shared with your Claude usage on the web and in the apps.

Choose it if you prefer working from the terminal, or want one subscription for both your general assistant and coding.

Codex inside ChatGPT

If you already pay for ChatGPT Plus ($20), you have Codex. The $100 Pro tier launched in April 2026 specifically for heavy Codex users (about 5× Plus usage); the $200 tier is about 20×. Try it before paying for another coding tool.

Windsurf

  • Free: a light daily and weekly quota with unlimited tab completions.
  • Pro ($20): raised from $15 in March 2026; existing subscribers kept the old price.
  • Max ($200): much higher quotas.

Which plan fits you?

Your situation Our pick
Student Free GitHub Copilot via the Student Pack — see AI student discounts
Beginner on a budget Copilot Pro at $10
Already on ChatGPT Plus Try Codex before adding anything
Already on Claude Pro You have Claude Code — try it first
Full-time developer who wants an AI editor Cursor Pro ($16/month billed yearly)
Hitting limits daily with agents The $100 tier of the tool you use most — not two tools

The one rule: don't pay for two coding tools at once. Start free or with what your current subscription already includes, and upgrade only when you actually hit the limit.

Comparing general assistants instead? Read ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini.

Sources

Prices checked: October 2026. Coding tool pricing changes often — confirm on the pricing page before paying.