In this blog, we compare three leading AI code copilots—GitHub Copilot, Codeium, and Amazon CodeWhisperer—to help you choose the best one for your workflow.
- GitHub Copilot: The OG Code Assistant
Overview:
Developed by GitHub and OpenAI, GitHub Copilot was the first mainstream AI coding assistant. It uses OpenAI’s Codex model to suggest code snippets, entire functions, and even help write tests.
Best For:
- Professional developers
- Teams using GitHub
- Open-source contributors and students (free access available)
Key Features:
- Real-time suggestions as you type
- Supports dozens of languages
- Works with VS Code, JetBrains, and Neovim
- Integrates tightly with GitHub workflows
Pros:
- Excellent language support
- Very accurate with popular languages like Python, JavaScript, and TypeScript
- Great contextual understanding of large codebases
Cons:
- Paid (except for verified students and open-source contributors)
- Some privacy concerns due to code training data
- Occasional "over-completions" or irrelevant suggestions
Verdict:
GitHub Copilot is extremely powerful and feels like pair programming with an experienced developer. If you're okay with the price and you're already on GitHub, it's a solid choice.
- Codeium: The Best Free Alternative
Overview:
Codeium is a rising star in the AI coding world. It's completely free for individual developers, offering fast, accurate code suggestions with support for over 40 languages and 70+ IDEs.
Best For:
- Solo developers
- Students and indie hackers
- Developers who want full functionality for free
Key Features:
- Fast and lightweight autocomplete
- Built-in AI chat for explanations
- Works with VS Code, JetBrains, Jupyter, and more
- Supports backend and frontend languages
Pros:
- 100% free
- No usage caps or subscriptions
- Lightweight and fast
- Excellent multi-language support
Cons:
- Lacks deep GitHub or cloud integrations
- Chat AI features still maturing
- Lesser-known compared to Copilot
Verdict:
Codeium offers serious value for zero cost. If you're looking for a Copilot-level experience without paying, Codeium might be the best code copilot for you.
- Amazon CodeWhisperer: Great for AWS Users
Overview:
CodeWhisperer is Amazon’s AI coding assistant, similar to Copilot, but with a focus on developers working within AWS ecosystems. It’s available for free in the Individual Tier, with some limitations.
Best For:
- AWS developers
- Cloud engineers
- Teams building serverless applications
Key Features:
- Context-aware suggestions
- Deep integration with AWS services
- Security scanning of generated code
- IDE support: VS Code, JetBrains, and AWS Cloud9
Pros:
- Free for individuals
- Suggests AWS SDK code snippets
- Built-in security and licensing scanner
- Easy to integrate with AWS projects
Cons:
- Suggestions often skew toward AWS use cases
- Slightly slower than Copilot or Codeium
- UI and UX not as polished
Verdict:
If your workflow is heavily cloud-based or centered on AWS, CodeWhisperer offers tailored support that Copilot and Codeium can’t. For general use cases, it might be overkill.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | GitHub Copilot | Codeium | Amazon CodeWhisperer |
| Price | Paid (free for students/OSS) | Free for everyone | Free (individual tier) |
| IDE Support | VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim | 70+ IDEs supported | VS Code, JetBrains |
| AI Chat | No (unless paired with ChatGPT) | Yes | No |
| Cloud Integration | GitHub | None | AWS |
| Language Support | 20+ languages | 40+ languages | 15+ languages |
| Best For | Professionals, GitHub users | Students, solo devs | AWS-focused teams |
Bonus Tip: Add Keploy to Your Coding Workflow
While code copilots help you write code faster, testing is equally important—and often neglected. This is where Keploy, an open-source AI-powered test generation tool, comes in.
What Keploy Does:
- Automatically captures API requests
- Converts traffic into test cases and mocks
- Works with Python, Go, Java, and more
Pairing a code copilot with Keploy allows you to write and test code without manual effort, making your entire development cycle AI-enhanced.
???? Check out Keploy on GitHub
Final Verdict: Which Code Copilot Is Better?
The answer depends on your needs:
- Use GitHub Copilot if you want the most refined experience and don’t mind paying (or qualify for free access).
- Use Codeium if you want a completely free tool with fast, intelligent suggestions.
- Use Amazon CodeWhisperer if your development is AWS-heavy or cloud-native.
All three tools are excellent in their own ways—and they’re only getting better. The best part? You can try them all for free before deciding which one fits your workflow best.
Read more https://keploy.io/blog/community/codium-vs-copilot-which-ai-coding-assistant-is-best-for-you