Pricing checked against official pricing pages and vendor announcements as of September 2026. AI coding tool pricing changes frequently -- verify current details before subscribing.
A new category has pulled ahead of simple autocomplete in 2026: coding agents that can run autonomously for minutes or hours on a task with little supervision, rather than just suggesting the next line as you type. Claude Code, OpenAI's Codex CLI, and Devin all fall into this category. Cursor straddles both worlds -- a full AI-native editor with an agent mode built in. If you're looking for inline-autocomplete-style tools instead, see our GitHub Copilot vs Cursor vs Codeium guide.
Pricing at a glance
| Tool | Entry price | Higher tier |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | Included with Claude Pro, $20/month | Claude Max, $100-$200/month for higher usage |
| Cursor | Free (Hobby) | Pro, $20/month |
| OpenAI Codex CLI | Free and open source | Cloud agent via ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) or Pro ($200/month) |
| Devin | Core, around $20/month | Team tiers historically around $500/month |
Where each one wins
Claude Code runs from your terminal and is built for autonomous, longer-running tasks -- large refactors, multi-file changes, or working through an existing codebase end to end. It's bundled into a subscription many developers already pay for, and Anthropic's Opus models have consistently ranked near the top of coding benchmarks like SWE-bench Verified.
Cursor is the pick if you want to keep working inside a full IDE rather than switching to a terminal-first workflow. It combines fast inline completion with an agent mode for bigger tasks, so you're not choosing between autocomplete and autonomy -- you get both in one editor.
OpenAI Codex CLI is free and open source, making it the lowest-friction way to try an autonomous coding agent without committing to a subscription. The hosted cloud version, bundled into ChatGPT's paid plans, adds asynchronous task handling for bigger jobs.
Devin is built around a fully isolated cloud development environment -- you hand it a scoped ticket and it works independently, then delivers a reviewable result. It's the most "hands-off" of the four, and with its newer Core tier around $20/month, it's no longer restricted to teams with a $500/month budget.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between an AI coding agent and an AI code editor like Cursor?
A coding agent (Claude Code, Codex CLI, Devin) can run autonomously for minutes or hours on a task with minimal supervision, often from the terminal or a cloud sandbox. An AI code editor like Cursor is built around you actively working in the editor, with AI assisting inline and through an agent mode you trigger, rather than running unsupervised by default.
Is Claude Code included in my Claude subscription?
Yes -- Claude Code is included with a Claude Pro subscription ($20/month), with higher usage available on Claude Max plans starting at $100/month. It's also billed separately through the API for programmatic use.
Is OpenAI Codex CLI free?
The Codex CLI tool itself is free and open source. The cloud-based Codex agent for asynchronous tasks is bundled into ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) and ChatGPT Pro ($200/month).
Is Devin worth $500 a month?
For most individual developers, probably not -- Devin introduced a more accessible Core tier around $20/month for casual use. The higher-priced tiers are aimed at teams handing off well-scoped tickets to a fully autonomous cloud agent at scale.
Which AI coding agent is best for beginners?
Cursor's free Hobby tier gives you a full AI-native editor without needing to work from a terminal, making it the more approachable starting point. OpenAI's Codex CLI is also free, but as a command-line tool it assumes more comfort working outside a traditional IDE.
The bottom line
Coding agents are the fastest-moving category in AI tools right now, and the good news is that trying one rarely costs anything extra if you're already subscribed to Claude or ChatGPT. Start with whichever agent is already bundled into a subscription you have, add Cursor if you want a full IDE experience, and reserve Devin for well-scoped tickets you're comfortable handing off entirely.