Claude Code vs Cursor vs GitHub Copilot: I used all three for a month — here's the real cost breakdown

Claude Code vs Cursor vs GitHub Copilot: I used all three for a month — here's the real cost breakdown I'm a freelance developer. I can't afford to throw $20-40/month at AI tools that might not deliver. So I actually tested Claude Code, Cursor, and GitHub Copilot side by side for 30 days on real client projects. Here's what I found. The tools GitHub Copilot — $10/month (individual) or $19/month (business) Cursor — $20/month (Pro) Claude Code — Requires Claude Pro at $20/month OR you can configure a custom API What I was testing Daily code completion quality Multi-file refactoring Debugging complex bugs Understanding unfamiliar codebases Following project-specific conventions GitHub Copilot: Fast, but shallow Copilot is excellent at autocomplete. If you're finishing a line or a function that follows a clear pattern, it's nearly instant. Where it falls down: anything requiring context across multiple files. Ask it to refactor a class that's used in 8 different places and it doesn't know