Student discounts, free tiers, and the best AI coding tools compared. Find the right plan for your workflow.
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| Model | Provider | Intelligence | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 4 | Anthropic | ★★★★★ | Best for complex reasoning and creative tasks |
| Claude Sonnet 4 | Anthropic | ★★★★☆ | Great balance of speed and capability |
| GPT-5.2 | OpenAI | ★★★★★ | Latest flagship with extended thinking |
| GPT-5.2 Pro | OpenAI | ★★★★★ | Enhanced reasoning for complex tasks |
| Gemini 2.5 Pro | ★★★★★ | 1M context, excellent code generation | |
| Gemini 2.5 Flash | ★★★☆☆ | Fast and cost-efficient for simpler tasks | |
| Codex Mini | OpenAI | ★★★☆☆ | Optimized for code completion |
| Plan | Price | Models Included | |
|---|---|---|---|
Claude Pro Anthropic | $20/mo Best value for Sonnet | Claude Sonnet 4•Claude Opus 4 (limited) | |
Claude Max 5x Anthropic | $100/mo 5x Pro usage | Claude Sonnet 4•Claude Opus 4 | |
Claude Max 20x Anthropic | $200/mo 20x Pro usage | Claude Sonnet 4•Claude Opus 4 | |
ChatGPT Plus OpenAI | $20/mo Includes Codex CLI | GPT-5.2•Codex Mini | |
ChatGPT Pro OpenAI | $200/mo Priority + unlimited | GPT-5.2•GPT-5.2 Pro•Codex Mini | |
Google AI Pro Google | $20/mo 2TB Drive included | Gemini 2.5 Pro•Gemini 2.5 Flash | |
Google AI Ultra Google | $250/mo Max capability | Gemini 2.5 Pro (extended)•Gemini 2.5 Flash | |
Cursor Pro Cursor | $20/mo BYOK or included | Claude Sonnet 4•GPT-5.2•Gemini 2.5 Flash | |
Windsurf Pro Codeium | $15/mo Best budget option | Claude Sonnet 4•GPT-5.2•Gemini 2.5 Flash |
| Plan | CLI Tool | VS Code | Web UI | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Claude Pro Anthropic | Claude Code | Not available | $20/mo | |
Claude Max 5x Anthropic | Claude Code | Not available | $100/mo | |
Claude Max 20x Anthropic | Claude Code | Not available | $200/mo | |
ChatGPT Plus OpenAI | Codex CLI | GitHub Copilot | $20/mo | |
ChatGPT Pro OpenAI | Codex CLI | GitHub Copilot | $200/mo | |
Google AI Pro Google | Not available | Gemini Code Assist | $20/mo | |
Google AI Ultra Google | Not available | Gemini Code Assist | $250/mo | |
Cursor Pro Cursor | Not available | Cursor IDE | $20/mo | |
Windsurf Pro Codeium | Not available | Windsurf IDE | $15/mo |
| Tool | Price | Student | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Antigravity Google DeepMind | $20/mo AI Pro plan | Yes | IDE integration•Agentic coding•Multi-file edits•Web browsing | |
GitHub Copilot Microsoft | $19/mo | Yes | VS Code & JetBrains•Inline suggestions•Copilot Chat•Code completion | |
Cursor Cursor | $20/mo | No | Custom IDE•Multi-file edits•Codebase context•Chat & composer | |
Windsurf Codeium | $15/mo | No | Custom IDE•Cascade agent•Multi-file edits•Flows | |
Zed AI Zed Industries | $15/mo | No | Native editor•Fast performance•Inline assist•Agent panel |
| Tool | Price | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
Claude Code Anthropic | Usage-based API costs | Terminal agent•Multi-file edits•Shell commands•Git integration | |
Aider Aider | Free + API BYOK | CLI pair programming•Git integration•Multi-model support•Voice mode | |
Claude CLI Anthropic | Usage-based API costs | Terminal access•Scripting•API wrapper•MCP support | |
Codex CLI OpenAI | Free + API BYOK | Terminal agent•File operations•Shell commands•Sandbox execution |
Get GitHub Copilot free via Student Developer Pack, or Google AI Pro free for 1 year.
At $15/mo, get access to Claude Sonnet, GPT-5.2, and Gemini models with a solid IDE experience.
$20/mo includes Codex CLI + VS Code extension + web chat with GPT-5.2 access.
Most CLI tools are free but require bringing your own API key, with costs varying by usage.
Prices as of December 2025. Plans and features subject to change. Check provider websites for current pricing.