GitHub Copilot vs Tabnine: Complete Comparison Guide
Compare GitHub Copilot and Tabnine on AI suggestions, privacy, on-premise options, and pricing. Discover which AI code assistant best fits your team and security requirements.
GitHub Copilot
The most widely used AI code assistant, developed by GitHub and OpenAI. With 71.1% usage among developers, Copilot offers powerful inline autocomplete, chat features, and deep GitHub integration. It runs entirely in the cloud and processes code through OpenAI's models.
Tabnine
An AI code assistant with a strong focus on privacy and enterprise security. Tabnine is the only major player offering a full on-premise option where code never leaves the corporate network. With 17.1% usage, it provides personalized suggestions based on your own codebase.
Comparison table
| Feature | GitHub Copilot | Tabnine |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy & hosting | Cloud-only — code is sent to OpenAI servers for processing | Cloud, VPC, or fully on-premise — code can stay within your network |
| AI models | GPT-4o and Claude via GitHub infrastructure | Own models + integration with OpenAI and Anthropic, customizable per organization |
| Pricing | Free tier, Pro $10/month, Business $19/month | Free tier (limited), Pro $12/month, Enterprise on request |
| IDE support | VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim, Visual Studio, and more | VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim, Eclipse, and more |
| Codebase personalization | Workspace indexing for contextual suggestions | Trains on your own codebase for personalized, team-specific suggestions |
| Compliance | SOC 2 certified, code reference filter available | SOC 2, GDPR-compliant, on-premise for maximum control and auditability |
Verdict
GitHub Copilot is the undisputed market leader with the best overall AI suggestions and the broadest ecosystem. For most developers and teams, it is the default choice. Tabnine distinguishes itself through its unique on-premise capability and privacy focus, making it indispensable for organizations with strict security and compliance requirements. Copilot's suggestions are generally rated as slightly better, but Tabnine compensates with deeper personalization based on your own codebase and full data control.
Our recommendation
At MG Software, we use Cursor with built-in AI rather than standalone Copilot or Tabnine. For clients who prefer an IDE extension, we recommend GitHub Copilot as the default choice due to its superior suggestions and broad IDE support. For clients in regulated industries such as finance or healthcare, where code must strictly remain internal, Tabnine with on-premise deployment is the only responsible option among major AI code assistants.
Frequently asked questions
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