Copilot launched in 2021 as the first widely-used AI coding assistant. By 2026, it's still the most-used (Microsoft enterprise distribution gives it scale Cursor can't match), but no longer the most capable for power users — Cursor's agent mode and multi-model flexibility have edged ahead. Copilot offers: inline autocomplete (Tab to accept), Copilot Chat (in-IDE conversation), Copilot Workspace (agentic feature planning + execution), and enterprise SSO/compliance. Pricing: $10/month Individual, $19 Business, $39 Enterprise. Best for: VS Code or JetBrains shops who don't want to switch editors, enterprises that need mature SOC2 compliance.
GLOSSARY
What is GitHub Copilot?
Microsoft / GitHub's AI coding assistant — autocomplete in IDEs, chat in VS Code, agent mode via Copilot Workspace. The pioneer of AI coding.
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Cursor
AI-first code editor (a VS Code fork) with chat, autocomplete, and an agent mode that edits multiple files. The default editor for AI-assisted coding in 2026.
LLM (Large Language Model)
An AI system trained on massive text datasets to predict and generate human-like text — the technology behind ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and most modern AI chatbots.
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