Free AI tools / coding
Free AI tools for coding
7 of the 9 coding tools we rank have a free plan. They're ranked by our fit score, and each one shows what the free plan is, what paying costs, and a link to the tool's own pricing page so you can check the limits yourself.
Best free pick: Cursor
free planAI-first code editor for building whole features by prompt.
Free plan confirmed on its pricing page (checked 2026-10-18).
Limited agent and chat requests.
First step: Download the Cursor editor from cursor.com
Try Cursor free →All free options, ranked
#1Cursor
fit 92/100AI-first code editor for building whole features by prompt.
Free plan confirmed on its pricing page (checked 2026-10-18). ✓
Limited agent and chat requests.
Paid plans from $8/mo (Plus, Grok models only); $30/mo (Premium). Pricing page
Visit Cursor →#2GitHub Copilot
fit 85/100In-editor code completion that most developers already trust.
Free plan confirmed on its pricing page (checked 2026-10-16). ✓
Paid plans from $10/user/mo (Pro). Pricing page
Visit GitHub Copilot →#3Windsurf
fit 84/100Agentic AI code editor; its pricing now sits on Devin's site.
Free plan confirmed on its pricing page (checked 2026-10-16). ✓
Paid plans from $20/mo (Pro). Pricing page
Visit Windsurf →#4ChatGPT
fit 80/100General-purpose assistant; the default starting point for most text tasks.
Free plan confirmed on its pricing page (checked 2026-10-18). ✓
Unlimited everyday text chats; uploads, image creation, voice and deep research are limited.
Paid price not verified yet. Pricing page
Visit ChatGPT →#5Claude
fit 78/100Strong at long documents and careful writing.
Free plan confirmed on its pricing page (checked 2026-10-16). ✓
Paid plans from £18/mo (£15/mo billed annually). Pricing page
Visit Claude →#6LangGraph
fit 73/100Open-source library for controllable, stateful agents in Python/JS.
Free plan confirmed on its pricing page (checked 2026-10-16). ✓
Paid plans from $39/seat/mo (LangSmith Plus). Pricing page
Visit LangGraph →#7CrewAI
fit 72/100Framework and studio for multi-agent 'crews' that work together.
Free plan confirmed on its pricing page (checked 2026-10-16). ✓
Paid plans from Enterprise: custom (Basic is free). Pricing page
Visit CrewAI →
Worth knowing: coding tools without a confirmed free plan
- Replit: free plan not confirmed. Paid price not verified yet.
- OpenAI Agents SDK: free plan not confirmed. Paid price not verified yet.
Want the overall best, paid or free? See the full coding ranking →
Questions people ask
What is the best free AI tool for coding?
In our rankings, Cursor is the strongest coding tool with a free plan (fit score 92/100). AI-first code editor for building whole features by prompt.
Is there a completely free AI tool for coding?
7 of the 9 coding tools we rank have a free plan: Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, ChatGPT, Claude, LangGraph, CrewAI. Free plans come with usage limits, so check each tool's pricing page for the current caps.
When should I pay for a coding tool?
Cursor is also our overall #1 for coding, so start free and upgrade only when you hit the free plan's limits. Paid plans from $8/mo (Plus, Grok models only); $30/mo (Premium).
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Fit scores are Toolfitr's editorial judgement, not user ratings. Free plans and prices change, so we show the date we last checked. Make one of these tools? Get an in-depth review or tell us if anything is out of date.
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