GitHub Copilot is everywhere. It’s the name most people think of when they hear “AI code assistant.” And sure, it’s good—I used it for over a year. But it’s not the only option, and honestly? It’s not even the best option for many freelancers.
Whether you’re looking to save money, get more features, or just explore what else is out there, these five alternatives are worth your attention. I’ve used all of them on real projects, and each one does something better than Copilot.
1. Cursor AI – The Power User’s Choice
If Copilot feels like a helpful assistant, Cursor feels like having a senior developer on your team. It’s not just about autocomplete—it’s a complete reimagining of how AI can help you code.
The killer feature is Composer (CMD+I). You can make changes across multiple files simultaneously with natural language commands. “Refactor all API calls to use async/await” or “Add error handling to all database queries.” Cursor understands your project structure and makes coordinated changes. I’ve refactored entire features in minutes that would’ve taken hours with Copilot.
The CMD+K inline editing is also brilliant. Highlight any code, describe what you want, and it rewrites it in place. No copying suggestions, no back-and-forth. Just direct, contextual edits.
The downside? It’s $20/month, double Copilot’s price. But for serious freelancers working on complex projects, the time saved justifies the cost within the first week.
Pricing: $20/month | When to choose it: Complex projects, frequent refactoring, willing to invest in top-tier tools
2. Codeium – The Free Alternative That Actually Works
Here’s the thing about Codeium: the free tier is so good that I question their business model. Unlimited autocomplete, 70+ languages, AI chat, all major IDEs supported. Zero cost. No credit card required.
I switched to Codeium for a month to test if it could replace Copilot, and honestly? For 80% of my work, it did. The autocomplete is fast, the suggestions are accurate, and the AI chat feature helps with debugging and understanding unfamiliar code.
Where it falls short compared to Copilot is handling very specialized or newer libraries. Copilot’s training data is more extensive, so it knows obscure frameworks better. But for standard web development, data science, or backend work? Codeium is shockingly capable.
The best part? You can try it with zero risk. If you don’t like it, you haven’t lost anything. But I’d bet most people will find it more than sufficient for their needs.
Pricing: Free (Pro at $10/month) | When to choose it: Budget-conscious, trying AI coding for the first time, standard tech stacks
3. Tabnine – Privacy-First Without Compromise
Tabnine isn’t trying to be the flashiest tool. It’s trying to be the most trustworthy. And for freelancers working with corporate clients, banks, or healthcare companies, that matters more than fancy features.
The key difference: Tabnine can run entirely on your machine. Your code never leaves your laptop. For clients with strict NDAs or security requirements, this is often non-negotiable. I’ve won contracts specifically because I could guarantee client code wouldn’t be used to train AI models.
The autocomplete is solid—conservative compared to Copilot, but reliable. It learns from your coding patterns over time, which means it gets better at suggesting code in your style. After a few weeks on a project, Tabnine feels personalized in a way Copilot doesn’t.
At $12/month, it’s slightly more expensive than Copilot, but the privacy features justify the premium if you work with sensitive code.
Pricing: Free tier, Pro at $12/month | When to choose it: Working with sensitive data, corporate clients, privacy concerns
4. Amazon CodeWhisperer – The AWS Developer’s Best Friend
If you live in the AWS ecosystem, CodeWhisperer is almost a no-brainer. It’s free for individual developers and understands AWS services better than any other tool.
I was building a Lambda function recently, and CodeWhisperer suggested not just the code but also IAM permissions and CloudFormation snippets. It knows AWS patterns, security best practices, and common pitfalls. Copilot would give you working code, but CodeWhisperer gives you AWS-optimized code.
The integration with AWS Toolkit for VS Code is seamless. You’re already using AWS? Add CodeWhisperer. It’s free and immediately useful.
The limitation is that it’s really only exceptional for AWS work. For frontend development or non-AWS backend work, it’s just okay. But if AWS is your primary platform, this should be in your toolkit.
Pricing: Free for individuals | When to choose it: Heavy AWS usage, serverless development, cloud-native applications
5. Sourcegraph Cody – The Context King
Cody is the newest player here, but it brings something unique: it understands your entire codebase better than any other tool. Not just the file you’re in—the whole repository.
Ask Cody “where do we handle user authentication?” and it’ll show you every relevant file and function. Need to understand how a feature works across multiple services? Cody can explain the flow in plain English.
For freelancers jumping between client codebases, this is invaluable. You spend less time grepping through unfamiliar code and more time actually building.
The autocomplete is good but not as polished as Copilot or Cursor. Where Cody shines is the chat and codebase understanding. Think of it as more of a code exploration tool than a pure autocomplete assistant.
It’s free for individuals, which makes it worth trying even if you’re using another tool as your primary assistant.
Pricing: Free for individuals, paid for teams | When to choose it: Working with large/unfamiliar codebases, need to understand complex systems quickly
How to Choose the Right Alternative
Here’s my decision framework after using all these tools:
Choose Cursor if: You’re a full-time developer working on complex projects and the $20/month feels like an investment, not an expense. The time saved on refactoring alone pays for itself.
Choose Codeium if: You want to try AI coding without spending money, or you’re on a budget but still want professional-grade features. The free tier is genuinely good enough for most work.
Choose Tabnine if: You work with clients who care about code privacy, or you’re in regulated industries like healthcare or finance. The local execution is worth the premium.
Choose CodeWhisperer if: AWS is your primary platform and you want an assistant that speaks AWS natively. It’s free and purpose-built for your use case.
Choose Cody if: You frequently work with large, unfamiliar codebases and spend time trying to understand how systems work. The context awareness is unmatched.
Can You Use Multiple Tools Together?
Technically yes, but I don’t recommend it. Running multiple AI autocomplete tools simultaneously causes conflicts and slows down your editor. Pick one as your primary tool.
That said, I do use combinations strategically: Cursor for active development, Cody for understanding new codebases, CodeWhisperer when working on AWS projects. Just not all at once in the same editor window.
My Personal Setup
I switched from Copilot to Cursor six months ago and haven’t looked back. The $20/month hurt initially, but the productivity gains are real. I estimate I save 5-7 hours per week on refactoring and multi-file changes alone.
For side projects and open-source work, I use Codeium because it’s free and I don’t need Cursor’s advanced features for smaller projects.
When I’m working on AWS-heavy client projects, I temporarily enable CodeWhisperer alongside my main tool because the AWS-specific knowledge is too valuable to ignore.
The Bottom Line
GitHub Copilot is a solid, reliable tool. But it’s not the end-all-be-all of AI coding assistance. Depending on your needs—budget, privacy concerns, tech stack, project complexity—one of these alternatives might serve you better.
My advice? Try the free options first. Spend a week with Codeium or CodeWhisperer. If they solve your problems, great—you’ve saved money. If you find yourself wishing for more, then consider upgrading to Cursor or Tabnine.
The best AI assistant is the one you’ll actually use consistently. And that might not be the most famous one.
Quick FAQ
Can these tools steal my code?
Codeium and Copilot use your code to improve their models (unless you’re on enterprise plans). Tabnine with local execution doesn’t. CodeWhisperer and Cody have privacy-focused options. Read the terms of service for your specific use case.
Which one is closest to Copilot?
Codeium is the most similar in terms of autocomplete behavior. If you want a drop-in replacement that feels familiar, start there.
Do I need to cancel Copilot before trying these?
No, but test alternatives before canceling. Most offer free trials or tiers. Use them on a real project for a week, then decide if switching makes sense
A.G. Makoudi is a tech writer specializing in SaaS tools and digital solutions, helping readers simplify technology and make smarter software choices.
