Do I need a separate subscription for Claude Code?

No. Claude Code has no standalone subscription — it's included on every paid Claude plan. Claude Pro ($20/mo, or $17/mo annual) covers most individuals with Sonnet 4.6 and Opus 4.6 in the terminal, IDE, web, and desktop. Max 5x ($100/mo) and Max 20x ($200/mo) raise the shared usage limits ~5× and ~20× for heavy or all-day agentic use. You can alternatively pay-as-you-go via the Anthropic API, but the subscription plans are the value path for most developers.

What changed with GitHub Copilot pricing in 2026?

On June 1, 2026, every Copilot plan moved to usage-based billing. Each plan (Free, Pro $10, Pro+ $39, Business $19/user) now includes a monthly allowance of GitHub AI Credits (1 credit = $0.01) that fund premium model/agent requests; once exhausted, paid plans can buy more. Code completions and next-edit suggestions stay unlimited and don't consume credits on any paid plan. So the monthly price is now a floor — heavy agent/premium-model users can incur overages.

Which AI coding tools are actually open source vs. just free to use?

Genuinely open source: Cline (Apache-2.0 agent, BYO key) and the Zed editor (GPL/AGPL — though Zed's hosted AI credits are a paid add-on). 'Free to use' but closed source: Cursor Hobby, Windsurf Free, GitHub Copilot Free, Amazon Q Free, and Google Antigravity's preview are all $0 but proprietary. Claude Code's CLI is source-available (you can read it) but not OSI open-source — and the underlying models are closed everywhere.

What's the cheapest way to get an agentic coding tool in 2026?

For $0: Cline (open-source, BYO API key — you only pay model providers, often pennies per task), Google Antigravity (free in public preview with Gemini 3), Windsurf Free, or Copilot Free. For a flat ~$20/mo with hosted models included: Cursor Pro, Windsurf Pro, Claude Pro (Claude Code), Augment Indie, or Replit Core ($25). Watch for usage/credit overages — most $20 plans meter agent and premium-model usage beyond an included allowance.

Is Tabnine still a good pick for individual developers?

Not really in 2026. Tabnine retired its free and individual tiers and is now enterprise/team-focused, starting at $39/user/month (Code Assistant) or $59/user/month (Agentic), annual billing only. Its differentiator is privacy and deployment flexibility (SaaS, VPC, on-prem, air-gapped) with zero code retention — so it fits compliance-sensitive enterprises, not solo developers, who are better served by Cursor, Copilot Pro, Claude Code, Cline, or Zed.

Free tool

AI Coding Assistant Comparison (2026)

Every major AI coding tool — Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Windsurf, Cline, Zed, JetBrains Junie, Replit, Amazon Q, Tabnine, Augment, Google Antigravity — by price, billing model, form, and features. Filter by tool, billing, or open-source. Verified June 2026.

ToolBilling33 plans

Amazon Q DeveloperFree
Free
usage/creditsextension
~50 agentic req/mo, completions, AWS-aware, scans
Models:
Amazon-managed (Claude on Bedrock)
Best for:
AWS devs trying agentic coding free
ClineOpen-source / BYO-key
Free
free/BYO-keyextensionopen-source
Autonomous agent (plan/act), codebase context, MCP, terminal+browser, Apache-2.0
Models:
30+ providers incl. local (Ollama/LM Studio)
Best for:
Full control + BYO key, no platform markup
CursorHobby (Free)
Free
subscriptionIDE
Limited Tab + Agent, no card
Models:
Frontier models, limited (Auto mode)
Best for:
Trying Cursor / light use
GitHub CopilotFree
Free
usage/creditsextension
2,000 completions/mo, ~50 chat, agent mode, CLI, MCP
Models:
Claude Haiku 4.5, GPT-5 mini, Gemini
Best for:
Casual / student use in your editor
Google (Antigravity)Public preview (Free)
Free
subscriptionIDE
Agent-first IDE: plan/execute/verify across editor+terminal+browser; generous Gemini limits
Models:
Gemini 3 Pro + Claude Sonnet 4.5 + GPT-OSS
Best for:
Google's agent-first IDE, free to try
JetBrains (AI / Junie)AI Free
Free
usage/creditsIDE
Limited completion + chat, small Junie agent quota
Models:
Local + limited cloud
Best for:
Basic in-IDE AI for JetBrains users
WindsurfFree
Free
subscriptionIDE
Unlimited autocomplete + inline edits, light Cascade agent quota, MCP
Models:
SWE-1 + limited frontier
Best for:
Free agentic IDE with unlimited autocomplete
ZedPersonal (Free)
Free
free/BYO-keyIDEopen-source
2,000 edit predictions/mo, unlimited BYO-key AI, fast native editor, MCP
Models:
BYO key or external agents (Claude Code)
Best for:
Fast native editor with BYO-key AI
GitHub CopilotPro
$10/mo
usage/creditsextension
Unlimited completions, agent mode, cloud agent, ~$15 credits, MCP
Models:
Claude, GPT-5, Gemini (picker)
Best for:
Individual devs in VS Code / JetBrains
JetBrains (AI / Junie)AI Pro
$10/mo
usage/creditsIDE
Enhanced cloud AI, Junie + Claude agent, codebase context, MCP
Models:
Cloud models + Junie agent
Best for:
JetBrains devs wanting Junie
ZedPro
$10/mo
usage/creditsIDEopen-source
Unlimited edit predictions, $5 hosted credits, overage at API+10%
Models:
Zed-hosted + BYO key
Best for:
Hosted models without managing keys
Amazon Q DeveloperPro
$19/seat
per-seatextension
Higher limits, Java/.NET transforms, AWS integration, security scans, MCP
Models:
Amazon-managed (Claude on Bedrock)
Best for:
AWS teams modernizing codebases
GitHub CopilotBusiness
$19/seat
per-seatextension
Org policy, IP indemnity, agent mode, ~$19 credits, MCP
Models:
Claude, GPT-5, Gemini (org-managed)
Best for:
Teams already on GitHub
Google (Gemini Code Assist)Standard
$19/seat
per-seatextension
Unlimited completions, chat, agent, GCP integration, codebase context
Models:
Gemini 2.5 / 3 family
Best for:
Teams building on Google Cloud
Anthropic (Claude Code)via Claude Pro
$20/mo
subscriptionCLI agent
Agentic terminal coding, full codebase context, MCP, subagents, hooks, plan mode
Models:
Claude Sonnet 4.6 + Opus 4.6
Best for:
Most individual Claude Code users
Augment CodeIndie
$20/mo
usage/creditsextension
Context Engine (large codebases), agent, MCP, code review, SOC 2, no training, ~40k credits
Models:
Frontier (Claude, GPT, Gemini)
Best for:
Solo devs on large codebases
ClineTeams
$20/seat
per-seatextensionopen-source
Team mgmt on the OSS agent; first ~10 seats free
Models:
Same 30+ providers (org keys)
Best for:
Teams wanting an OSS agent + admin
CursorPro
$20/mo
subscriptionIDE
Unlimited Tab + Auto, extended Agent, MCP, cloud agents, Bugbot
Models:
All frontier (Claude, GPT-5, Gemini 3)
Best for:
Most working developers
WindsurfPro
$20/mo
usage/creditsIDE
Cascade agent (higher quotas), MCP, codebase context
Models:
Claude, GPT, Gemini + SWE-1
Best for:
Individual devs wanting Cascade flows
ReplitCore
$25/mo
usage/creditsweb
Replit Agent (autonomous builds), ~$25 credits, 5 collaborators, 2 parallel agents, hosting
Models:
Claude (Replit Agent) + frontier
Best for:
Build + ship apps from the browser
JetBrains (AI / Junie)AI Ultimate
$30/mo
usage/creditsIDE
Full Junie + Claude agent, ~$35/mo credits, rollover
Models:
GPT-5, Claude 4.5 Sonnet, Gemini 2.5 Pro + full Junie
Best for:
Heavy JetBrains + Junie users
ZedBusiness
$30/seat
per-seatIDEopen-source
Org AI policies, training off by default, unlimited predictions, BYOK
Models:
BYO key (no extra charge)
Best for:
Teams needing AI governance
GitHub CopilotPro+
$39/mo
usage/creditsextension
Unlimited completions, ~4×+ Pro usage, ~$70 credits, audit logs
Models:
All premium models incl. Opus
Best for:
Heavy users wanting all premium models
TabnineCode Assistant
$39/seat
per-seatextension
Codebase-grounded completions + chat, SaaS/VPC/on-prem/air-gapped, zero retention · annual only
Models:
Multiple LLMs + private/on-prem
Best for:
Privacy/compliance enterprises
CursorTeams
$40/seat
per-seatIDE
SSO, admin, team rules, Bugbot reviews, analytics, privacy mode
Models:
All frontier models
Best for:
Teams needing admin + shared context
WindsurfTeams
$40/seat
per-seatIDE
SSO, admin analytics, higher quotas, Cascade agent
Models:
Frontier models + SWE-1
Best for:
Teams on Windsurf/Cascade
Google (Gemini Code Assist)Enterprise
$45/seat
per-seatextension
Full GCP integration, admin controls, codebase customization, security
Models:
Gemini 3 family
Best for:
Enterprises on GCP
TabnineAgentic
$59/seat
per-seatextension
Agentic workflows, Context Engine, terminal CLI agent, MCP · annual only
Models:
Multiple LLMs (BYO + hosted)
Best for:
Enterprises wanting private agentic coding
CursorPro+
$60/mo
usage/creditsIDE
~3× Pro usage credits, priority access
Models:
All frontier models
Best for:
Heavy individual agent users
Anthropic (Claude Code)via Claude Max 5×
$100/mo
subscriptionCLI agent
~5× Pro usage, priority access, agentic + MCP
Models:
Sonnet 4.6 + Opus 4.6 (more Opus)
Best for:
Daily heavy Claude Code users
Augment CodeBusiness
$100/mo
usage/creditsextension
Up to 50 seats, $100 usage included, Context Engine, team controls
Models:
Frontier (Claude, GPT, Gemini)
Best for:
Teams on large codebases (flat price)
Anthropic (Claude Code)via Claude Max 20×
$200/mo
subscriptionCLI agent
~20× Pro usage, highest limits, parallel agents
Models:
Sonnet 4.6 + Opus 4.6
Best for:
Power users running agents all day
CursorUltra
$200/mo
usage/creditsIDE
~20× usage, priority new features
Models:
All frontier + priority to new ones
Best for:
All-day agentic coding

Verified June 2026, USD, individual/standard tier unless marked /seat. AI coding prices move monthly. Most “subscription” prices are now a FLOOR, not a cap — Cursor, Windsurf, Replit, Augment, Zed Pro, JetBrains, Copilot and others meter agent/premium-model usage against an included credit allowance, so heavy users pay overages. “Open-source” = the editor/agent license (Cline, Zed), not the AI models (all proprietary); Claude Code is source-available. Confirm on the vendor's page before buying.

Frequently asked

Do I need a separate subscription for Claude Code?: No. Claude Code has no standalone subscription — it's included on every paid Claude plan. Claude Pro ($20/mo, or $17/mo annual) covers most individuals with Sonnet 4.6 and Opus 4.6 in the terminal, IDE, web, and desktop. Max 5x ($100/mo) and Max 20x ($200/mo) raise the shared usage limits ~5× and ~20× for heavy or all-day agentic use. You can alternatively pay-as-you-go via the Anthropic API, but the subscription plans are the value path for most developers.
What changed with GitHub Copilot pricing in 2026?: On June 1, 2026, every Copilot plan moved to usage-based billing. Each plan (Free, Pro $10, Pro+ $39, Business $19/user) now includes a monthly allowance of GitHub AI Credits (1 credit = $0.01) that fund premium model/agent requests; once exhausted, paid plans can buy more. Code completions and next-edit suggestions stay unlimited and don't consume credits on any paid plan. So the monthly price is now a floor — heavy agent/premium-model users can incur overages.
Which AI coding tools are actually open source vs. just free to use?: Genuinely open source: Cline (Apache-2.0 agent, BYO key) and the Zed editor (GPL/AGPL — though Zed's hosted AI credits are a paid add-on). 'Free to use' but closed source: Cursor Hobby, Windsurf Free, GitHub Copilot Free, Amazon Q Free, and Google Antigravity's preview are all $0 but proprietary. Claude Code's CLI is source-available (you can read it) but not OSI open-source — and the underlying models are closed everywhere.
What's the cheapest way to get an agentic coding tool in 2026?: For $0: Cline (open-source, BYO API key — you only pay model providers, often pennies per task), Google Antigravity (free in public preview with Gemini 3), Windsurf Free, or Copilot Free. For a flat ~$20/mo with hosted models included: Cursor Pro, Windsurf Pro, Claude Pro (Claude Code), Augment Indie, or Replit Core ($25). Watch for usage/credit overages — most $20 plans meter agent and premium-model usage beyond an included allowance.
Is Tabnine still a good pick for individual developers?: Not really in 2026. Tabnine retired its free and individual tiers and is now enterprise/team-focused, starting at $39/user/month (Code Assistant) or $59/user/month (Agentic), annual billing only. Its differentiator is privacy and deployment flexibility (SaaS, VPC, on-prem, air-gapped) with zero code retention — so it fits compliance-sensitive enterprises, not solo developers, who are better served by Cursor, Copilot Pro, Claude Code, Cline, or Zed.