With the development of AI technology, there are more and more AI programming tools, and novices can easily get started. This article will compare three mainstream tools, Cursor, Trae and Copilot, analyze their advantages and disadvantages, and help you choose the AI development tool that is best for you.
Features : The most complete function, suitable for independent development
Website : https://www.cursor.com/
Rich knowledge base : a large number of built-in code bases and documents, which can be called quickly.
Strong context understanding ability : supports multi-file collaboration and is suitable for complex projects.
Supports multi-AI collaboration : Multi-AI Collaboration Protocol (MCP) can be called simultaneously.
Code completion is accurate : especially suitable for scenarios where code generation is needed quickly.
Limited API requests : fewer monthly free quotas, with a paid version ranging from $20-40.
Higher learning costs : Some features may need to be adapted to for beginners.
Develop small projects independently.
Large-scale projects are developed in modules to improve efficiency.
Features : Free and powerful, suitable for simple projects
Website : https://www.trae.ai/
Free use : Equipped with Claude 3.7 directly, no extra charge.
Front-end development-friendly : Supports generation of front-end code based on prototype diagrams (especially React projects).
Long queue time : The free version has tight resources and may have to wait.
Limited context length : Not suitable for complex or large projects.
Higher error rate : slightly less capable of handling complex logic.
Simple practice projects (such as pure front-end applets).
Improvement and filling of small and medium-sized functions of the project.
Features : Low price, deeply integrated with VS Code
Website : https://github.com/copilot
Low Price : Students can apply for free through GitHub.
Integration with VS Code : Implement code completion directly in the development environment.
Native Claude model : high code generation accuracy.
Limited functions : more suitable for single-point function development, not suitable for building complete projects.
Not friendly enough to beginners : a certain programming foundation is required.
Independent functional development (such as a single module or component).
Code completion and optimization in the project.
Contrast dimensions | Cursor (Anysphere) | Trae (ByteDance) | Copilot (GitHub) |
---|---|---|---|
price | $20-40/month (less quota for free version) | free | Student Free/$10/month |
Applicable groups | Independent developers, module collaboration | Novice practice, simple projects | VS Code user, function development |
Core advantages | Multi-AI collaboration (MCP), strong context understanding, accurate code completion | Free Claude 3.7, Front-end Prototype → Code Generation (React priority) | Native Claude model, deep integration with VS Code |
Main disadvantages | The number of requests is strictly limited, and novices are prone to wasting quotas | Long queue time and high error rate for complex projects | Single function, need basic programming |
Applicable scenarios | Independent development of small projects and module development | Practice projects (such as pure front-end applets), function filling | Independent function development, code completion |
Model support | Claude 3.7 (default) | Claude 3.7 | Claude (native processing) |
Collaboration features | ✅ Support multi-agent collaboration | ❌ Single task processing only | ❌ Code completion only |
Development environment integration | Standalone editor | Standalone editor | ✅ Embed VS Code directly |
Learning Cost | (need to adapt to the collaboration function) | Low (simple interface) | (need for basic programming thinking) |
Request restrictions | ❗ The free version has few quotas (easy to exceed the limit) | ❗ The queue time is long and requires segmented requests | ✅ No strict restrictions |
If you are an independent developer : Recommend Cursor , which has comprehensive features and supports multi-AI collaboration, suitable for scenarios that require flexible development.
If you are a novice and want to experience AI development quickly : Trae is recommended, free and suitable for simple projects, and is perfect for introductory learning.
If you are used to VS Code : Copilot is recommended, which is low in price and seamlessly connected with the development environment to help improve development efficiency.
I hope these tools can help you quickly get started with AI programming and improve development efficiency!