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Breaking News: Google Antigravity just changed its quota system after demand surged. This is the first real alternative to Cursor and Copilot Agent—but is it the right alternative for your workflow in 2026?
Google Antigravity vs Cursor vs GitHub Copilot Agent: Best AI IDE in 2025
A practical 3-way comparison: workflow differences, pricing models, security risks, and who each agentic IDE really fits. Updated for December 2025 quota changes and Copilot's model picker launch.
- Google Antigravity: Agent-first platform spanning editor/terminal/browser, with "artifacts" for verification. Quotas refresh every 5 hours for Pro/Ultra.
- Cursor: Premium agentic IDE with clear paid tiers ($20/$60/$200/mo), background agents, and large context windows.
- Copilot Agent: GitHub-native coding agent with model picker (Auto/Opus 4.5/Sonnet 4.5/GPT-5.1-Codex-Max). Pro+ gives 1,500 premium requests/month.
- Security warning: "IDEsaster" vulnerabilities affect all agentic IDEs—guardrails are non-optional in 2025.
Quick Verdict: Who Each Tool Is For
Agentic IDEs are no longer a niche. In the last month, Google entered the arena with Antigravity, and in the last week it adjusted usage quotas because demand spiked. If you're choosing a default "AI dev environment" going into 2026, here's the most practical breakdown:
| Tool | Choose If You Want... | Skip If You Need... |
|---|---|---|
| Google Antigravity | Task-first workflow with artifacts for verification across editor/terminal/browser | Clear pricing docs and mature governance controls |
| Cursor | Premium agentic IDE with clear tiers, background agents, and predictable costs | Budget flexibility or GitHub-centric workflows |
| Copilot Agent | GitHub-native agent with model picker and familiar premium-request meter | Multi-surface verification or platform independence |
Pros & Cons in One Glance
| Tool | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Antigravity | Agent-first interface; multi-surface execution; quota refresh model | Still young; opaque "work done" pricing; capacity limits |
| Cursor | Mature product; clear premium tiers; background agents | Cost can climb; value depends on daily agent usage |
| Copilot Agent | Deep GitHub integration; model picker; Pro+ broad access | Premium-request economics can surprise; autonomy = security risk |
What Is Google Antigravity and Why Is It Trending Now?
Google Antigravity is positioned as more than "an editor with AI." Google's own developer announcement frames it as a development platform that combines a familiar coding experience with an agent-first interface where agents can plan, execute, and verify tasks across your editor, terminal, and browser.
The December Quota Change (The Real-World Trigger)
Google's announcement states:
- AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers get priority access with quotas that refresh every five hours.
- Free users now get a larger weekly-based limit, designed to reduce "hitting rate limits quickly during a project."
- Usage is tied to "work done" by the agent—simple tasks consume less quota than complex reasoning.
Setup & Everyday Workflow (What Using It Feels Like)
Because Antigravity is agent-first, the biggest change isn't the code editor layout—it's the mental model.
Antigravity's Core Workflow: Task-First, Not Chat-First
Google describes two ways to interact with your code, with a strong emphasis on requesting higher-level changes (like UI changes) and then reviewing the agent's progress through Artifacts such as screenshots and walkthroughs—designed to provide "necessary and sufficient context" to validate the work.
A Realistic Use Case Where Antigravity Shines
Imagine you're building a small feature with UI, backend, and a tiny integration test:
- In a chat-first tool, you often end up copying snippets, asking follow-ups, and manually verifying.
- In an agent-first tool, the pitch is: "assign the feature," let the agent run the loop, then review artifacts + diffs.
Feature Deep Dive: What Matters
1) Multi-Surface Autonomy (Editor + Terminal + Browser)
The defining Antigravity claim is that agents can execute and verify tasks across the editor, terminal, and browser. That's important because many dev tasks aren't "write code" tasks—they are:
- Run tests
- Reproduce bugs
- Verify UI behavior in a browser
- Compare outputs
- Iterate until it passes
2) The "Agent Economy" (Limits Reflect Work, Not Prompts)
Google's limit change explicitly ties consumption to "work done." This is a philosophical bet: as agents get more capable, counting prompts becomes meaningless; counting resource-intensive work becomes the sensible control point.
3) What We Can't Assert Without Testing
Antigravity has credible positioning, but it's still new. Without running multiple real repos through it, it would be irresponsible to claim it "codes better" than Cursor or "hallucinates less" than Copilot Agent.
Pricing, Plans, and Value (Dec 2025)
Google Antigravity: Free Preview + AI Pro/Ultra Quotas
- Pro/Ultra: Highest limits; quotas refresh every five hours.
- Free: Weekly quota model to support longer projects.
- AI Ultra plan: $249.99/month in the U.S. (launched earlier in 2025).
Cursor: Clear Premium Tiers
| Plan | Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Hobby | Free | Basic usage |
| Pro | $20/mo | Background agents, large context |
| Pro+ | $60/mo | Enhanced features |
| Ultra | $200/mo | Maximum capabilities |
GitHub Copilot Agent: Premium Requests + Model Access
- Pro+: $39/mo with 1,500 premium requests/month and $0.04/request overage.
- Model picker: Auto, Opus 4.5, Sonnet 4.5, GPT-5.1-Codex-Max for coding agent.
- Students: Copilot Pro can be free for verified students.
Performance vs Competitors
Antigravity vs Cursor
Cursor's advantage: It's already "IDE-first" and marketed around agentic workflows with paid tiers and features like background agents.
Antigravity's advantage: Platform-first approach with agent-first interface + verification across editor/terminal/browser, plus artifacts as a trust mechanism.
Antigravity vs GitHub Copilot Coding Agent
Copilot's advantage: Deeply integrated into the GitHub ecosystem and common IDEs; the coding agent now supports explicit model choice.
Antigravity's advantage: End-to-end workflow emphasis (agent dedicated workspace, artifacts, multi-surface verification) as a first-class concept.
Quick "Best Fit" Checklist
- Large refactors + test updates: Cursor or Copilot Agent (strong mature workflows)
- UI-heavy iteration with verification: Antigravity's artifact positioning
- Enterprise governance & budgeting: Copilot's premium-request model and GitHub budgeting controls
Security Reality Check (2025 Baseline)
Agentic tools increase your attack surface. That's not speculation—that's the current conversation. Multiple reports describe widespread vulnerabilities across AI-assisted dev tools ("IDEsaster"), including risks like data exfiltration and remote code execution.
Safer Defaults and Habits (Tool-Agnostic)
- Require explicit approval before running commands or making high-impact changes.
- Treat repo content (issues, READMEs, generated files) as untrusted input.
- Use least-privilege tokens and avoid broad credentials in environments agents can access.
- Keep a "human gate" between agent output and merges.
Who Should Use This (and Who Should Skip It)
Pick Google Antigravity If...
- You want an agent platform designed around tasks + verification, not chat.
- You like Google's quota approach (weekly for free; refreshed every 5 hours for Pro/Ultra).
- You work on UI-heavy projects where browser verification matters.
Pick Cursor If...
- You want the most straightforward premium IDE tiers and features like background agents.
- You're okay paying for a "best-in-class" IDE experience.
- You want predictable monthly costs.
Pick Copilot Agent If...
- You already live in GitHub and want agent capabilities with a model picker.
- You want a plan/budget system you can explain to teammates.
- You value deep IDE integration (VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio).
Skip (For Now) If...
- Your org can't tolerate the security risk of agents without strict controls.
- You mostly need autocomplete and occasional Q&A—these tools are overkill.
- You need mature governance and compliance documentation today.
Final Verdict
What to Watch Next (Early 2026)
- Whether Antigravity's "work done" quotas become transparent enough for teams to budget confidently.
- Whether "artifact-based proof" becomes the standard UI pattern across agentic IDEs.
- How quickly security frameworks mature for prompt-injection defense.
