Cursor vs Copilot: which one should you pay for?

Short answer: pay for one primary coding assistant. Keep Cursor if the agent/editor workflow saves more than 30 minutes a week on real tasks. Keep Copilot if you already live in VS Code/GitHub and completions are enough. Paying for both is usually overlap.

How to decide in 45 minutes

1. Pick one real bugfix or small feature from your repo, not a demo app.
2. Run it in Cursor and GitHub Copilot on the plan you actually have (or trial).
3. Score first-output acceptance rate, edit burden, and whether secrets or repos need extra controls.
4. Read training/retention terms on each vendor page before annual billing.

See the full comparison: Cursor vs GitHub Copilot. Team rollout: security checklist.

If you already pay for both, use the Premium coding shortlist and stack audit. Research only. 7-day free trial; code LAUNCH50 for 50% off the first paid month (new users).