I Tried to Replace $10 Copilot with a Free Tool for 15 Days
Let me be honest with you. In early 2026, I was paying for both GitHub Copilot and Cursor AI. My monthly bill was over $30. I wanted to know: Is there any tool that is actually free and can do 90% of the work?
That’s when I started testing Codeium for our main pillar guide on Best Free AI Coding Assistants in 2026 [Pillar Post]. I didn't just test it for 1 hour. I used it for 15 days straight on real projects - a React e-commerce site for a US client, a Python automation script, and a small PHP project for a local client. And honestly, I was shocked. This free tool saved me at least 4 hours every day. In this guide, I will show you how I set it up in VS Code in 2026, with real examples.
What is Codeium in 2026? (My Honest Take)
Codeium is an AI code completion tool, but calling it just a "completion tool" is unfair in 2026. According to the Codeium Official Website, it now powers over 500,000 developers worldwide and supports 70+ languages. The team also launched their own super-fast editor called Windsurf.
But for me, the best part is its business model. Unlike other tools that give you 200 completions per month and then ask for money, Codeium says: "Free forever for individual developers". No credit card, no trial expiry. I tested this claim. I coded for 10 hours a day for 2 weeks, and it never stopped. For students in Pakistan, India, or even beginners in the USA who don't want to pay $10/month, this is a game-changer.
Real-Time Example: How Codeium Helped Me Build a To-Do App in 20 Minutes
Let me give you a real example from last week. My client from Texas asked me to build a simple React To-Do App with local storage.
Without AI:
It would take me around 1.5 hours to write all components, state logic, and CSS.
With Codeium:
I typed `// create react todo component with add, delete and localstorage` and Codeium generated 80% of the full component. I just pressed Tab 3 times. Then I typed `function saveToLocalStorage,` and it completed the full function with `JSON.stringify`. The whole app was done in 22 minutes. I recorded this and uploaded on my YouTube channel. This is the power of Codeium. It’s not just suggesting words; it’s writing full logic.
This is why I always recommend beginners start with Codeium before paying for Copilot. You can read my full comparison here: Codeium vs Tabnine: Which Free Tool is Better?
How to Install Codeium in VS Code - Step-by-Step Guide (2026 Updated)
I am making this super simple, even if you installed VS Code yesterday. You just need 2 things: the latest VS Code from the VS Code Official Site and a Gmail account.
Step 1:
Go to Extensions
Open VS Code. On the left sidebar, you will see an icon with 4 boxes. Click it. This is the Extensions marketplace.Step 2:
Search and Install
Type "Codeium" in the search bar. You will see "Codeium: AI Autocomplete & Chat". It has over 2 million installs. Click the big blue Install button. It takes 10 seconds.Step 3:
The Important Part - Sign In
After installation, in the bottom-right corner, it will say "Codeium: Not Authenticated". Click it. Your browser will open. Sign in with Google. It will ask you to "Authorize VS Code". Click Authorize. That's it. No payment page will come. This is why I love it.Step 4:
Test it Live
Now create a new file `test.py`. Type `def fibonacci(n):` and press Enter. You will see a light grey suggestion for the full Fibonacci code. Press Tab to accept. If you see grey text, it means it’s working. Welcome to the free AI coding world!If you are confused about paid tools, check this: GitHub Copilot vs Cursor AI - Which is Best in 2026?
My Favorite Feature: Free Chat Inside VS Code
In 2026, every AI tool has a chat feature, but most of them are paid. Codeium gives it for free. You don't need to go to the ChatGPT website. Just press Ctrl + I or click the Codeium logo on the left. I asked it, "Explain this React useEffect code like I am 10 years old," and it explained it in super simple English. For international freelancers, this is huge because you can ask it to add comments in English for US clients.
I also used it for debugging. I pasted an error, "CORS error in Node.js," and it gave me 3 solutions instantly with code. This chat is not as smart as Cursor AI chat, but for free, it is more than enough. You can see my full honest experience of paid tools here: Cursor AI Review: My Honest 7 Day Experience.
International Perspective: Who Should Use Codeium in 2026?
After talking to 20+ developers in a Discord group (from the USA, Germany, India, Pakistan), here is my final verdict:
For Students and Beginners (USA, UK, Pakistan, India):
This is your best friend. You are learning. You don't need to pay $10/month. Codeium will write boilerplate code for you so you can focus on logic.
For Freelancers on Upwork/Fiverr:
Use Codeium to deliver projects 50% faster. I delivered a US client's project in 2 days instead of 4 because Codeium wrote all the repetitive CRUD functions. More speed = more clients = more dollars.
For Big Companies:
If you work in a bank or software house where code privacy is critical and you can't send code to the cloud, Codeium might not be ideal. In that case, use Tabnine with offline mode.
Final Words: My 15-Day Result
Look, I am not saying Codeium is perfect. Sometimes its suggestions are a bit repetitive. GitHub Copilot is still 10% smarter in complex logic. But for $0 vs $10, Codeium wins for 95% of developers globally. In my 15-day challenge, I wrote over 8000 lines of code with Codeium, and I didn't pay a single Penny. My client couldn't even tell I was using a free tool.
So my advice is simple:
Whether you are in Karachi, Delhi, London, or Texas: Install Codeium today. Test it for 3 days. If you like it, you just saved $120 per year. If you don't, you lost nothing. That's the beauty of free tools.
Written by Jaha
I am a full-stack developer and AI tools tester from Faisalabad. At TechWithJaha, I help Pakistani and global developers learn AI coding tools for free. Read More About Me
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