PRACTICAL GUIDE · CHOOSE BY USE CASE
AI coding tools: free assistance, build credits and limits
Start with the change you want to make and where the project already lives. A coding assistant and an app builder may cover different steps, so compare the product description, access allowance and project restrictions together.
Questions to settle before choosing
What part of development needs help?
Choose a bounded task such as explaining a function, changing a feature or building a prototype. Evaluate the resulting code using your project’s normal review and checks.
What is counted as usage?
Read completions, agent requests, credits and tokens in their own units. None of those numbers is a reliable count of finished features.
What happens after the prototype?
Check hosting, databases and project restrictions separately from AI access. Review the provider’s current terms before depending on a free project for ongoing use.
A selection to explore
An editorial selection, not a measured ranking. Access types and restrictions remain visible, including trials or paid access where relevant.
GitHub Copilot
Coding & app buildersEditor, terminal, and GitHub coding assistant with completions, chat, agent mode, and repository-aware help.
2,000 code completions and 50 chat or agent requests each month; no credit card required.
- ↳Coding help inside an existing editor
Keep in mindFree chat and agent usage stops at 50 monthly requests; organizational controls and IP indemnity are not included.
Oct 4, 2026
Cursor
Coding & app buildersAI-first code editor with repository chat, tab completion, Composer, agents, and multi-file editing.
Hobby includes limited Agent requests, Chat, Tab completions, and Composer with no credit card required.
- ↳Repository-wide edits in an AI-first editor
Keep in mindThe free allowance is unpublished and limited; cloud agents and access to frontier models require Pro.
Oct 4, 2026
Windsurf (Devin Desktop)
Coding & app buildersDesktop IDE and command center for coding agents, autocomplete, debugging, review, and local-to-cloud handoffs.
Free desktop plan with unlimited access to the included coding model and a full IDE.
- ↳Managing coding agents from one desktop IDE
Keep in mindWindsurf is now branded Devin Desktop; quotas beyond the included unlimited model are not fully published.
Oct 4, 2026
Replit
Coding & app buildersBrowser development platform where AI agents build, run, collaborate on, and publish full-stack projects.
Starter provides daily Agent credits, built-in databases, and publishing for one project.
- ↳Building and publishing apps entirely in a browser
Keep in mindDaily Agent credits are not quantified publicly, Agent intelligence is limited, and Starter publishes only one project.
Oct 4, 2026
Lovable
Coding & app buildersPrompt-based builder for web apps and sites with code generation, hosting, databases, and AI features.
Five build credits daily, capped at 30 monthly, plus monthly Cloud and in-app AI grants.
- ↳Prompting web prototypes into working applications
Keep in mindDaily build credits expire without rollover, the monthly build cap is 30, and free published projects retain Lovable branding.
Oct 4, 2026
Bolt.new
Coding & app buildersBrowser AI app builder that generates, runs, and hosts full-stack projects from conversational prompts.
One million tokens monthly with a 300,000-token daily limit, hosting, databases, and public or private projects.
- ↳Generating and hosting small full-stack apps
Keep in mindFree sites carry Bolt branding, uploads are capped at 10 MB, and large projects can consume tokens quickly.
Oct 4, 2026
Check the original sources
The plan summaries above come from the current catalog. Each tool has its own source-review date; this guide’s editorial date does not refresh those checks.
GitHub Copilot
Cursor
Windsurf (Devin Desktop)
Replit
Lovable
Bolt.new
Make a shortlist for your project
Start with the requirement you cannot compromise on, then use the finder to compare matching plans. Read the complete restrictions before relying on a free allowance for repeat work.
Filter and compare the catalog →