# AI coding tool questions answered: Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Copilot

Canonical: https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is/ai-coding-tool-questions-answered · Last verified: 2026-10-27 · Published: 2026-10-27 · Author: Agentic Weekly (operated independently from Texas, US) · Evidence: Evidence: Reported from vendor pages (read Oct 25 to Oct 27, 2026, America/Chicago), plus our dated smoke tests where linked. None is a quality ranking.

> As of Oct 27, 2026, Cursor's paid plans start at $8 a month (Plus) and Claude Code comes with Claude Pro at $17 a month billed annually ($20 monthly); GitHub Copilot Pro is $10 a month and Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) Pro is $20 a month, both read Oct 25, 2026. The table below shows every plan we recorded, and each question underneath opens to a short sourced answer.

Method: Plans and prices are read from the vendor pages linked in the table on the date shown in the Read column and labelled Reported; Tested would mean we ran the tool and logged a dated run, and no price here is Tested. We list only prices our records state and show "No price recorded" otherwise.

Data: [tools.json](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools.json) · [answers.json](https://theagenticweekly.com/answers.json)

## AI coding tool prices at a glance

Only prices our records state, each with the date we read the vendor page. Prices change; confirm on the vendor page before you buy. Tools with no price in our data are marked.

Table: AI coding tool plan prices in USD per month, with read date and source

| Tool | Plans and prices we recorded (USD per month) | Read | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Cursor](https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is/cursor-pricing) | Free $0; Plus $8; Premium $30; Super $100; Ultra $200; Teams from $30 per user; Enterprise custom | 2026-10-27 | [cursor.com/pricing](https://cursor.com/pricing) |
| [Claude Code](https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is/claude-code-pricing) | Not in the free Claude plan. Pro $17 billed annually ($200 up front) or $20 monthly; Max from $100; Team and Enterprise; or pay as you go with Console API credits | 2026-10-27 | [claude.com/pricing](https://claude.com/pricing) |
| [GitHub Copilot](https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is/github-copilot-pricing) | Free $0 (limited); Pro $10; Pro+ $39; Max $100; Business and Enterprise plans | 2026-10-25 | [GitHub Copilot plans](https://github.com/features/copilot/plans) |
| [Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf)](https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is/devin-pricing) | Free $0 (light quota); Pro $20; Max $200; Teams $80 plus $40 per full dev seat; Enterprise custom | 2026-10-25 | [devin.ai/pricing](https://devin.ai/pricing) |
| [Aider](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/aider) | The tool is free; model usage costs depend on the provider you connect | 2026-10-25 | [aider.chat](https://aider.chat/) |
| [Codex CLI](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/codex-cli), [opencode](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/opencode) | No price recorded in our data. Codex is bundled with ChatGPT plans; we quote no ChatGPT dollar amounts | n/a | see tool pages |

## Scope

Our smoke tests ran each tool once on a small local model, so they show that a tool installs and runs, not how well it codes. See each [test log](https://theagenticweekly.com/tests).

## FAQ

### Claude Code vs GitHub Copilot: what is the difference?

Claude Code is Anthropic's terminal coding agent (also in IDEs, desktop and web), included in paid Claude plans from $17 to $20 per month. GitHub Copilot is GitHub's assistant across editors, CLI and GitHub.com, with plans from $0 (free tier) to Pro $10, Pro+ $39 and Max $100 per month (read Oct 25, 2026). We smoke-tested Claude Code, not Copilot. See [Claude Code pricing](https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is/claude-code-pricing) and [Copilot pricing](https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is/github-copilot-pricing).

### Claude Code vs OpenCode: which should I use?

Claude Code is Anthropic's proprietary agent tied to Claude models. opencode is MIT-licensed and works with many model providers, as a CLI or desktop app. We smoke-tested both on Oct 25, 2026; with a small local model opencode needed the file path spelled out. No quality ranking. Detail: [Claude Code vs opencode](https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/claude-code-vs-opencode).

### Windsurf vs Devin: what is the difference?

Windsurf was renamed Devin Desktop on June 2, 2026: it is an IDE with an Agent Command Center for local and cloud agents. Devin is Cognition's cloud coding agent that works in its own environment and aims to open pull requests. Both are Cognition products. Detail: [Windsurf vs Devin](https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/windsurf-vs-devin).

### Which MCP servers work with Codex or OpenCode?

MCP is a standard, so any MCP server should work with any MCP client, but we have not tested servers inside Codex CLI or opencode, so we rank none for them. Our MCP test logs cover [filesystem](https://theagenticweekly.com/tests/mcp-server-filesystem), [git](https://theagenticweekly.com/tests/mcp-server-git), [fetch](https://theagenticweekly.com/tests/mcp-server-fetch), [memory](https://theagenticweekly.com/tests/mcp-server-memory), [time](https://theagenticweekly.com/tests/mcp-server-time) and [Playwright MCP](https://theagenticweekly.com/tests/playwright-mcp). Background: [what is MCP](https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is/model-context-protocol).

### Cursor vs Codex, or Cursor vs Claude Code vs Codex?

Cursor is an editor from $8 per month; Claude Code and Codex CLI are terminal agents bundled with Claude and ChatGPT plans. See [Cursor vs Codex CLI](https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/cursor-vs-codex-cli) and [the three-way comparison](https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/cursor-vs-claude-code-vs-codex-cli).

### What does Cursor cost, and what does Claude Code cost?

Cursor: Free, then $8, $30, $100 and $200 per month ([Cursor pricing](https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is/cursor-pricing)). Claude Code: included in paid Claude plans from $17 to $20 per month; not in the free plan ([Claude Code pricing](https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is/claude-code-pricing)). Read Oct 27, 2026.

### How do I install Claude Code, and is it free?

Run `curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash` (macOS, Linux) or `irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex` (Windows PowerShell). It is not free: it needs a paid Claude plan or Console account. See [how to install Claude Code](https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is/how-to-install-claude-code).

## Sources

- [Claude Code setup docs](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/setup) (fetched 2026-10-27)
- [Cursor pricing](https://cursor.com/pricing) (fetched 2026-10-27)
- [Claude pricing](https://claude.com/pricing) (fetched 2026-10-27)
- [GitHub Copilot plans](https://github.com/features/copilot/plans) (fetched 2026-10-25)
- [Devin plans and pricing](https://devin.ai/pricing) (fetched 2026-10-25)
- [Windsurf is now Devin Desktop (Cognition blog, June 2, 2026)](https://devin.ai/blog/windsurf-is-now-devin-desktop) (fetched 2026-10-25)
- [opencode README](https://github.com/anomalyco/opencode) (fetched 2026-10-25)
- [GitHub Copilot changelog](https://github.blog/changelog/label/copilot/) (fetched 2026-10-25)

## Related

- [Best AI coding agents](https://theagenticweekly.com/best/ai-coding-agents)
- [Claude Code vs Cursor](https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/claude-code-vs-cursor)
- [Claude Code vs Codex CLI](https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/claude-code-vs-codex-cli)
- [Which model works best in opencode, Cline or Claude Code](https://theagenticweekly.com/guides/best-model-for-opencode-cline-claude-code)
- [Cursor pricing](https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is/cursor-pricing)
- [Claude Code pricing](https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is/claude-code-pricing)
- [How to install Claude Code](https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is/how-to-install-claude-code)
- [Cursor vs Codex CLI](https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/cursor-vs-codex-cli)
- [Cursor vs Claude Code vs Codex CLI](https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/cursor-vs-claude-code-vs-codex-cli)
- [What is MCP (Model Context Protocol)?](https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is/model-context-protocol)
- [AI agent questions answered](https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is/ai-agent-framework-questions-answered)
- [All explainers and answers](https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is)

## Changelog

- 2026-10-27: First published. Facts read from the sources listed below on this date.

## How to cite

Agentic Weekly, "AI coding tool questions answered: Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Copilot", last updated 2026-10-27, https://theagenticweekly.com/what-is/ai-coding-tool-questions-answered