Sourcegraph Cody vs GitHub Copilot
Sourcegraph Cody leverages the full power of code search while GitHub Copilot relies on model-based context. This comparison examines which produces better code quality in practice.
Sourcegraph Cody combines AI with Sourcegraph's powerful code search and intelligence platform, giving it access to the full graph of your codebase across repositories. GitHub Copilot relies on open editor tabs and file context for its suggestions. For large, multi-repo organizations, this architectural difference has real implications for code quality.
Head-to-head comparison
Code structure
Sourcegraph CodySourcegraph Cody
Cody can reference symbols and patterns across all repositories in your Sourcegraph instance for precise suggestions.
GitHub Copilot
Copilot generates structurally sound suggestions based on open files and training data.
Security
Sourcegraph CodySourcegraph Cody
Cody can be self-hosted on your Sourcegraph instance, keeping code entirely within your infrastructure.
GitHub Copilot
Copilot processes code on GitHub's servers with optional enterprise controls.
Speed of prototyping
TieSourcegraph Cody
Cody's cross-repo search makes it faster to find and reuse existing patterns when prototyping.
GitHub Copilot
Copilot Chat's natural language interface is intuitive for rapid feature prototyping.
Backend/data layer
Sourcegraph CodySourcegraph Cody
Cody finds existing backend implementations across repos, reducing duplication in backend code.
GitHub Copilot
Copilot suggests backend code based on training data and open files, without cross-repo awareness.
Deployment readiness
Sourcegraph CodySourcegraph Cody
Cody's access to existing deployment patterns in your codebase improves the accuracy of infrastructure code.
GitHub Copilot
Copilot produces deployment-ready code for common patterns but without your organization's specific conventions.
Long-term maintainability
Sourcegraph CodySourcegraph Cody
Cody enforces your organization's actual coding conventions by referencing live code as context.
GitHub Copilot
Copilot follows community conventions which may drift from your team's specific practices.
Code quality
Sourcegraph Cody produces higher quality code for large organizations with complex multi-repo codebases by grounding its suggestions in your actual code graph. GitHub Copilot is more accessible and requires no additional infrastructure.
Security
Cody's self-hosted deployment option provides maximum data privacy for regulated industries. GitHub Copilot's server-side processing requires trust in GitHub's data handling practices.
Which should you choose?
Choose Sourcegraph Cody if...
Use Sourcegraph Cody for large engineering organizations that already use Sourcegraph for code search.
Sourcegraph Cody servicesChoose GitHub Copilot if...
Use GitHub Copilot for teams wanting easy setup, broad editor support, and strong natural language capabilities.
GitHub Copilot servicesThe bottom line
Sourcegraph Cody is the superior choice for large organizations that need context from across their entire codebase and value data sovereignty. GitHub Copilot is easier to adopt and better for teams without Sourcegraph infrastructure.
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Code Audit
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- Dependency audit
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Sourcegraph subscription to use Cody?
Cody has a free version that works without Sourcegraph Enterprise, but the cross-repo context features require a Sourcegraph instance.
Which supports more editors?
Both support VS Code and JetBrains; Copilot additionally supports Neovim and Visual Studio, while Cody supports Emacs.
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Cursor vs GitHub Copilot
Cursor is more capable for building full features.
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