Top Copilot Alternatives for Developers

Aug 7 2024

Are you a developer looking for alternatives to GitHub Copilot? AI coding assistants can help you write code faster and more efficiently. This article explores the top alternatives to GitHub Copilot, each offering unique features to suit different needs and preferences.

Key Takeaways

Tabnine provides personalized AI models that prioritize privacy and accessibility.
CodeWhisperer offers deep integration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) for seamless cloud development.
Codeium is known for its user-friendly interface and strong community support.
Replit Ghostwriter excels in collaborative coding environments, making it ideal for team projects.
OpenAI Codex powers many popular AI coding assistants, offering robust support for various programming languages.

1. Tabnine

Tabnine is a powerful AI coding assistant designed to boost developer productivity. It offers real-time code completions and supports various programming languages and IDEs. Tabnine adapts to your coding style, providing personalized and context-aware suggestions that fit seamlessly into your workflow.

Key Features

AI Code Completions: Provides relevant code snippets based on the context, significantly speeding up coding.
Code Generation from Comments: Converts comments into executable code, making it easier to implement functionality.
Language and IDE Support: Compatible with multiple programming languages like JavaScript, Python, and Java, and works with popular IDEs such as Visual Studio Code and IntelliJ.
Personalized AI: Learns from your codebase without seeing any actual code, ensuring privacy and security.
Chat: Allows developers to ask questions, get code generation and explanations, and search the organizational codebase.
Privacy and Security: Uses open-source code with permissive licenses for training models, eliminating privacy and security risks.

Pricing

Tabnine offers three pricing plans:

Basic Plan: Free with limited features.
Pro Plan: $12 per user per month, free for 90 days.
Enterprise Plan: $39 per user per month, includes additional features and private deployment options.

Tabnine is a versatile tool that not only enhances code consistency but also speeds up code reviews and improves overall productivity. Whether you're an individual developer or part of a large team, Tabnine is designed to elevate your software development experience.

2. CodeWhisperer

Amazon's CodeWhisperer is a powerful AI-driven coding assistant launched by AWS in 2022. It leverages large language models (LLMs) trained on a billion lines of code from various sources, including open-source repositories and internal Amazon repositories. This tool provides highly accurate and personalized recommendations to optimize code for performance, security, and maintainability.

CodeWhisperer supports 15 programming languages, such as Python, Java, JavaScript, and C#. It integrates seamlessly with popular IDEs like Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ IDEA, and AWS Cloud9. This makes it a versatile tool for developers working in different environments.

Key features of CodeWhisperer include:

Code suggestions and completion: Offers real-time code suggestions and completion within any IDE.
Contextual code suggestion: Understands natural language comments and provides relevant code suggestions based on context.
Amazon Q: A conversational assistant in the IDE that helps explain and transform code or get personalized suggestions.
Security scanning: Built-in code scanning feature to identify and resolve security vulnerabilities early on.
Reference tracker: Keeps track of links to open-source code for review before inclusion.
Optimization for AWS services: Provides code suggestions optimized for AWS services like Amazon EC2, AWS Lambda, and Amazon S3.
Customizations: Tailor CodeWhisperer to specific needs, such as custom libraries and APIs.

CodeWhisperer is particularly beneficial for developers building applications within the AWS ecosystem. It not only speeds up development but also enhances code quality and security.

Pricing for CodeWhisperer is straightforward:

Individual plan: Free to use with a simple sign-up for an AWS Builder ID.
Professional plan: Costs $19 per user per month and includes additional administrative features for organizations.

3. Codeium

Codeium is an AI-powered toolkit that helps developers write code faster and more effectively. It supports over 70 programming languages, including Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, and Go. This AI coding autocomplete and chat feature has significantly boosted our productivity.

One of the standout features of Codeium is its context-aware autocomplete. It analyzes your project files and repositories to provide accurate and relevant code suggestions in real-time. This means you get helpful feedback that fits whatever you’re working on.

Codeium also offers a Playground feature, allowing you to use it directly from your browser. Alternatively, you can use its extension to access core functionalities in your favorite IDEs.

Features

Greater language support: Unlike GitHub Copilot, Codeium supports over 70 programming languages, including less popular ones like COBOL, TeX, and Haskell.
Extensive IDE support: It’s compatible with 40+ IDEs, so you can access its robust features from your preferred development environment.
Context awareness: Codeium analyzes your project file and repository, allowing it to generate more accurate and appropriate suggestions.

Pricing

Plan	Price	Features
Individual	Free	Limited features
Teams	$12 per seat/month	All individual features, suitable for small or medium-sized teams (up to 200 users)
Enterprise	Custom pricing	All features of previous plans, plus additional enterprise-level benefits

Codeium is a versatile tool that caters to developers of all levels, from students to professionals. Its extensive language and IDE support make it a valuable asset in any coding toolkit.

4. Replit Ghostwriter

Replit Ghostwriter is an innovative AI-powered coding assistant integrated into Replit's online IDE. It aims to boost productivity and creativity by automating repetitive coding tasks. Ghostwriter's key feature is its AI-powered code completion, which provides in-line suggestions based on the existing code, speeding up the coding process.

Ghostwriter can generate code from natural language prompts, making it easy to experiment with new APIs, build web servers, or create complete GUIs. It also helps with code refactoring, allowing developers to modernize or convert code between languages efficiently. Additionally, Ghostwriter offers proactive debugging and code context awareness, ensuring a seamless coding experience.

By integrating these tools into your workflow, you can significantly enhance your team's productivity and ensure that projects are completed on time.

Ghostwriter supports over 50 programming languages, making it ideal for educational purposes and collaborative coding projects. It is beginner-friendly and provides a valuable supplement to existing knowledge, reducing the time spent on code exploration and assistance-seeking. With an average response time of 500ms, Ghostwriter is optimized for speed, ensuring a smooth coding experience.

5. Sourcegraph Cody

Sourcegraph Cody is a powerful AI coding assistant designed to enhance your coding experience. It uses two large language models (LLMs): OpenAI’s GPT and Anthropic Claud. Cody is built to help developers navigate large codebases more effectively and gain insights into how their code connects and functions. Cody provides a powerful search engine for code, enabling developers to quickly find specific functions, definitions, and references across their entire codebase.

Cody can handle complex queries, making it easier to maintain and understand large and complex software projects. It also offers features like code change tracking and impact analysis, which are particularly useful for teams working on large-scale projects. By analyzing the relationships and dependencies in your code, Cody helps prevent unforeseen issues when making changes or updates.

Cody's ability to provide instant answers without relying on keyword searches sets it apart from other AI assistants. It avoids regurgitated responses and eliminates the need to provide context repeatedly.

Cody seamlessly integrates into daily workflows, boosting efficiency with quick answers, idea generation, and ready-made work. It serves as a troubleshooter, aiding in problem resolution and supporting users in making the most of digital tools. With a user-friendly interface, Cody's natural language search and AI-powered chat facilitate seamless interactions, while its integration with various tools ensures compatibility with users' favorite applications.

6. OpenAI Codex

OpenAI Codex is a game-changer for developers, offering a transformative era in coding. This tool can turn plain English into code, making it easier for non-programmers to create software. Codex supports multiple programming languages, including Python, JavaScript, and Go, making it versatile for various projects.

Key Features

Text-to-Code: Write commands in plain English and get functional code snippets.
Multi-Language Support: Works with Python, JavaScript, Go, and more.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with popular IDEs like VS Code and JetBrains.

Pros

Simplifies coding for beginners and non-programmers.
Supports a wide range of programming languages.
Integrates well with popular development environments.

Cons

May generate less optimal code for complex tasks.
Requires internet access for full functionality.

OpenAI Codex symbolizes a transformative era in the development space, making coding more accessible and efficient for everyone.

Pricing

OpenAI Codex offers a free tier with limited usage. For more extensive needs, various pricing plans are available. Visit the OpenAI API for detailed pricing information.

7. Captain Stack

Captain Stack is a remarkable open-source alternative to GitHub Copilot, designed specifically for Visual Studio Code (VSCode). Unlike Copilot, which relies on AI for code generation, Captain Stack uses search queries to fetch code snippets from Google, GitHub Gist, and StackOverflow. This unique approach allows developers to find relevant code suggestions directly within their editor.

The installation process is straightforward. Simply download the repository, open it in VSCode Insider, and run the extension. By typing //find {your keyword} in the editor, you can trigger inline completion, prompting Captain Stack to fetch relevant code suggestions from various sources.

Key Features

Code Search: Fetches code snippets from GitHub Gist and StackOverflow.
AI Code Generation: Utilizes OpenAI and OpenRouter for generating code.
User-Friendly: Easy to install and use within the familiar VSCode environment.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Straightforward installation process
User-friendly interface
Free to use

Cons

Limited advanced coding features
Relies on external sources for code suggestions

Captain Stack is continuously evolving, thanks to a dedicated community of contributors. This ensures its adaptability and functionality, making it a valuable tool for developers seeking code suggestions within VSCode.

8. GPT-Code-Clippy

GPT-Code-Clippy (GPT-CC) is an open-source coding companion designed to be a free alternative to GitHub Copilot. It leverages the power of the GPT-3-based language model, GPT-Codex, and focuses on fine-tuning the GPT-Neo model on the GPT Code Clippy dataset. This dataset is meticulously curated from publicly available code repositories on GitHub.

GPT-CC offers several features that make it a valuable tool for developers:

Autocompletion
AI-powered code suggestions
Code generation within the Visual Studio Code (VSCode) environment

The training process for GPT-CC involves using Huggingface's Transformers library and Flax API. The model is fine-tuned on diverse code datasets, including the self-curated GPT Code Clippy dataset. This ensures that the tool remains up-to-date with the latest programming languages and techniques.

GPT-Code-Clippy is not just an open-source alternative to GitHub Copilot; it aims to match its performance and user-friendly experience while continuously evolving to meet the dynamic needs of the coding community.

The project emphasizes ongoing enhancements, with future goals including pre-training the model from scratch, experimenting with GPT-J, expanding language capabilities, and devising a custom loss function. GPT-CC is a collaborative initiative that aims to provide researchers and developers with a valuable resource to explore and understand the capabilities and limitations of large deep learning models trained specifically on code.

9. Second Mate

Second Mate is an open-source AI code completion plugin that integrates with Emacs. It leverages the EleutherAI GPT-Neo-2.7B model via the Huggingface Model Hub. This makes it a lightweight option compared to some of the more robust alternatives like CodeWhisperer or Tabnine. However, its smaller model size might limit its effectiveness.

Integration: Works seamlessly with Emacs.
Model: Uses EleutherAI GPT-Neo-2.7B.
Platform: Available through Huggingface Model Hub.

If you're an Emacs user looking for a simple and open-source solution, Second Mate could be a great fit. Just a second, mate! Let me wait for the code suggestions to load.

10. Ask Codi

Ask Codi is an AI coding assistant that aims to speed up your development process. Established in 2018, it leverages OpenAI Codex to convert natural language into code, making it easier for developers to bridge the gap between human language and programming languages. With support for various programming languages like Python, Java, HTML, JavaScript, React, Angular, and Node.js, Ask Codi is a versatile tool for any developer.

Some of the standout features include:

Automated error detection: Identifies potential bugs and issues in your code, allowing you to fix them immediately.
Code completion: Predicts and suggests the next lines of code based on the current context, speeding up the coding process.
Seamless IDE integration: Integrates smoothly with popular IDEs like Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, and JetBrains IDEs, so you don't have to switch tabs.
Interactive Workbooks: A single environment where you can generate code, seek explanations, write documentation, and even craft unit tests.
Codi chat: An AI chatbot that integrates directly into your IDE to help with code questions.
Real-time code analysis: Analyzes your code as you write, providing immediate feedback and suggestions to improve both syntax and logic.
Collaborative coding: Offers a collaborative environment, allowing multiple developers to work together on the same codebase, enhancing team productivity and code consistency.

Ask Codi is designed to cut down on repetitive tasks and reduce errors, making your coding experience smoother and more efficient.

Ask Codi offers three subscription plans:

Basic: Free
Premium: $9.99 per user per month with additional capabilities
Ultimate: $29.99 per user per month for more advanced features, with discounts available for annual payments.

Ever wondered if an AI could help you with your daily tasks? Meet Codi, your new assistant that can type anywhere on macOS. Whether it's writing emails, using the terminal, or updating your team, Codi makes it easy. Ready to try it out? Visit our website now!

Conclusion

Exploring alternatives to GitHub Copilot opens up a world of possibilities for developers. Each tool has its unique strengths, from enhancing productivity to offering specialized features that cater to different coding needs. Whether you're looking for better integration with your favorite IDE, more robust security features, or simply a different approach to AI-assisted coding, there's an option out there for you. Embrace the innovation and find the perfect copilot to elevate your coding journey. Happy coding!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is GitHub Copilot?

GitHub Copilot is an AI tool that helps developers write code faster by suggesting code snippets as you type. It can complete lines of code or even generate entire functions based on the context of your project.

Why would I need an alternative to GitHub Copilot?

You might need an alternative if you are looking for different features, better integration with your preferred tools, or if you have specific privacy concerns. Some alternatives also offer free plans or support more programming languages.

What is Tabnine?

Tabnine is an AI-powered code completion tool that integrates with various code editors. It offers real-time code suggestions and supports many programming languages. It's designed to help you code faster and with fewer errors.

How does CodeWhisperer compare to GitHub Copilot?

CodeWhisperer is another AI coding assistant that offers similar features to GitHub Copilot, such as code suggestions and completions. It may have different integrations and could be more suitable for specific coding environments.

Is there a free alternative to GitHub Copilot?

Yes, there are free alternatives like GPT-Code-Clippy and Captain Stack. These tools offer similar code completion and suggestion features without the subscription cost.

Can these AI tools work offline?

Most AI coding assistants require an internet connection to function, but some, like Tabnine, offer offline capabilities for certain features. Always check the specific requirements of each tool.