Eaon vs VS Code with Copilot
Eaon and VS Code with Copilot
VS Code is the editor most people already use. Eaon sits next to it and runs your coding agents side by side.
In short
VS Code is a free editor, and GitHub Copilot adds chat, agents and an Agents window that runs several sessions at once, including Claude and Codex harnesses, plus a cloud agent that opens pull requests. Copilot has a free tier, and Pro is $10 a month. VS Code's source is MIT; the VS Code build and Copilot are proprietary.
Eaon is free and open source with no plan to buy. It runs Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Antigravity and Eaon's own agents in real terminals with each session on its own branch, reviews pull requests with an agent, and starts sessions from Linear issues. Keep VS Code for editing and use Eaon to run the agents.
Feature by feature
Checked against VS Code with Copilot's own site, docs and pricing on 12 October 2026. Each VS Code with Copilot fact links to its source. Eaon's column describes Eaon 2026.6.2.
| Feature | Eaon | VS Code with Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Price and license | ||
| Price | Yes: $0. No account, no subscription | Partly: VS Code free; Copilot Free, Pro $10/month Source |
| Open source | Yes: Yes, GPL-3.0 | Partly: Source is MIT; the VS Code build and Copilot are proprietary Source |
| Platforms | Yes: macOS, Windows and Linux | Yes: macOS, Windows, Linux, web Source |
| Agents | ||
| Runs other coding agents | Yes: Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Antigravity, Eaon Code, Eaon CLI, or any CLI in a shell | Partly: Claude and Codex harnesses next to Copilot Source |
| Agents in parallel | Yes: A grid of real terminals, no pane limit | Yes: Several sessions in the Agents window Source |
| Git worktrees per task | Yes: Each session gets its own worktree and branch | Yes: Worktree isolation in the Agents window Source |
| Your own keys and plans | Yes: Agents use your own logins; Chat takes your API keys, ChatGPT or Copilot | Yes: Your own keys for many providers; ChatGPT for Codex Source |
| Local models | Yes: Built-in llama.cpp, plus Ollama and LM Studio | Yes: Ollama and other local models Source |
| In the app | ||
| Code editor | No: No editor. Agents edit; you review | Yes: It is the editor Source |
| Terminal | Yes: Real terminals that keep running | Yes: Integrated terminal Source |
| Browser | Partly: Its own browser in Chat and Workers, not in the ADE | Yes: Integrated browser with agent tools Source |
| Pull request review | Yes: An agent reviews; you edit and post from the app | Yes: Through the GitHub Pull Requests extension Source |
| Issue tracker | Yes: Linear issues become sessions | Yes: GitHub Issues; the cloud agent takes Jira and Linear Source |
| Away from your desk | ||
| Other machines and cloud | Partly: Pair devices on your own network | Yes: SSH and tunnels; Copilot cloud agent on paid plans Source |
| Phone | No: No phone app yet | Partly: Agents in a phone browser (Insiders); GitHub Mobile Source |
| Scheduled runs | Yes: Scheduled tasks and always-on Workers | Partly: Automations, in preview Source |
| Voice input | Partly: Dictation in Chat | Yes: Dictation and Voice Mode Source |
| Beyond code | ||
| Everyday AI chat | Yes: Chat with any model, and Workers that keep going | Partly: Chat without a workspace, coding-focused Source |
Questions
Can I use VS Code with Copilot and Eaon together?
Yes. Eaon isn't an editor, so keep VS Code with Copilot for reading and writing code and use Eaon's ADE to run several agents at once, each on its own git branch.
Is Eaon really free?
Yes. Eaon is free and open source under GPL-3.0, with no account and no subscription. You pay your model providers directly, or nothing at all with local models.
Is this comparison up to date?
We checked VS Code with Copilot's own website, docs and pricing on 12 October 2026, and every VS Code with Copilot fact links to where we read it. These products change quickly, so if something here is out of date, email support@eaon.dev and we'll fix it.