Best Cursor Alternatives for Codebase Chat in 2026
Cursor's chat feature lets you ask questions about your codebase and get answers grounded in your actual code. But if you need deeper codebase search, want to work outside an editor, or require chat that spans massive repositories, these alternatives offer powerful ways to converse with your code.
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Pricing | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Sourcegraph Cody | Free plan Pro $9/month, Enterprise custom | 4.6 |
| Claude Code | Free plan Usage-based API pricing | 4.5 |
| GitHub Copilot Chat | Free plan Individual $10/month, Business $19/user/month | 4.3 |
| Windsurf | Free plan Pro $15/month, Team $30/user/month | 4.2 |
| VS Code with Continue | Free plan Only costs for your chosen LLM API usage | 4.1 |
Detailed Reviews
Sourcegraph Cody
An AI coding assistant backed by Sourcegraph's code intelligence platform, offering the deepest codebase search and retrieval of any chat tool.
Pros
- +Unrivalled codebase search powered by Sourcegraph's code graph
- +Retrieves relevant context from across massive monorepos automatically
- +Available as a VS Code extension or through the Sourcegraph web interface
Cons
- -Full capabilities require Sourcegraph platform deployment
- -Setup complexity higher than simpler chat tools
- -Web-based chat can feel disconnected from the editing workflow
Pricing
Claude Code
Anthropic's terminal-based coding agent that can explore, read, and reason about your entire codebase through natural conversation.
Pros
- +Actively explores your codebase by reading files and running commands
- +Exceptional reasoning about code architecture and design patterns
- +Understands project structure, not just individual files
Cons
- -Terminal-only interface, no sidebar chat in an editor
- -Can be slow when exploring very large codebases
- -No persistent codebase index, re-explores each session
Pricing
GitHub Copilot Chat
GitHub Copilot's chat interface that answers questions about your code with context from your workspace and GitHub repositories.
Pros
- +Seamless integration within VS Code, JetBrains, and GitHub.com
- +Workspace-aware with @workspace command for broader context
- +Backed by GitHub's understanding of millions of repositories
Cons
- -Context window can miss relevant files in larger projects
- -Answers sometimes lack depth for architectural questions
- -Chat quality varies depending on how well it retrieves context
Pricing
Windsurf
Codeium's AI editor with a chat panel that maintains awareness of your codebase context and can seamlessly transition from chat to code edits.
Pros
- +Smooth transition from asking questions to applying changes
- +Codebase indexing provides strong contextual awareness
- +Chat maintains conversation history with persistent context
Cons
- -Codebase indexing can be slow on initial setup
- -Chat sometimes references outdated indexed information
- -Limited to the Windsurf editor environment
Pricing
VS Code with Continue
An open-source chat-with-code extension for VS Code that lets you use any AI model to ask questions about your codebase.
Pros
- +Choose any LLM provider including local models for complete privacy
- +Open source with full transparency about how context is sent
- +Customisable context providers for tailored codebase retrieval
Cons
- -Context retrieval quality depends on your configuration
- -Requires more setup than out-of-the-box solutions
- -Chat experience less polished than purpose-built tools
Pricing
Our Verdict
Sourcegraph Cody is the clear winner for codebase chat if you work with large repositories, thanks to its unmatched code search and retrieval. For deep architectural understanding, Claude Code's active exploration approach produces the most insightful answers. GitHub Copilot Chat is the most convenient option if you are already a Copilot user and need quick answers without switching tools.