How Rgent compares.
There are good options now, including one from Posit. Here's how they differ, what each is best at, and where we think Rgent wins.
The short version
- Rgent is for people who live in RStudio and want an assistant that sees their data, runs the code and fixes what breaks. Flat price, 25 free requests to try it.
- Posit Assistant is Posit's own agent. It's well built and works in RStudio and Positron, with more model choice. It costs more, credits are metered, and there's no free trial.
- GitHub Copilot finishes the line you're typing. It's very good at that, and it pairs fine with Rgent.
- chattr and gptstudio are free packages that put a chat window in RStudio. You bring an API key and pay the provider.
- ChatGPT or Claude in a browser can't see your session, so you copy and paste in both directions.
Side by side
| Rgent | Posit Assistant | Copilot in RStudio | chattr / gptstudio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works in RStudio | Yes, any recent version | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sees your data frames and environment | Yes | Yes | No | Limited |
| Runs code in your R session | Yes, or asks first | Yes | No | Not built in |
| Repairs the session when code fails | Yes, runs the chunk that's missing | Not that we could find | No | No |
| File edits you accept line by line | Yes, diff cards with Undo | Approve a plan first | Inline suggestions | Copy and paste |
| Data Explorer in RStudio | Yes, writes the dplyr for your view | No | No | No |
| Completions as you type | No | Yes, unlimited | Yes | No |
| Python | No, R only | Yes | Yes | R-focused |
| Models | Claude Sonnet 5.5 or Haiku 5.5 | Claude, Kimi, GLM; your own keys | GitHub's models | Your choice of provider |
| Price | $10 or $15 a month, 1,000 requests | $20 a month incl. $15 of credits ($5 first month) | GitHub's plans | Free, plus API costs |
| Free to try | 25 requests, no card | No free trial, card required | GitHub's free tier | Yes |
Posit Assistant
This is the one most people ask about. Posit makes RStudio, and their assistant shows it: it sits in the RStudio sidebar, reads your live session, runs code, and has a plan mode and a permission system for what it may read, edit and run. It also gives unlimited completions as you type, which Rgent doesn't. On Posit Workbench, admins can control which models and providers people use. If your company runs Workbench, that matters.
Where we think Rgent is the better pick:
- Price you can predict. Rgent is $10 or $15 a month for 1,000 requests. Posit AI Pass is $20 a month with $15 of credits; models burn credits at different rates, and you top up when they run out.
- You can try it first. 25 free requests and no card. Posit stopped free trial signups in 2026.
- It fixes its own mistakes in your session. When code fails because an object or package is missing, Rgent finds the chunk in your R Markdown that creates it, runs it and tries again, before asking the model for anything.
- Every change to your file is a card. You see the red and green lines, accept or reject each one, and undo later. The edit lands in the right place even if you kept typing.
- A Data Explorer inside RStudio. Sort, filter and search a data frame, then get the dplyr code for exactly the rows you see. RStudio's own viewer doesn't do that.
Where Posit Assistant is the better pick: you want completions as you type, you work in Python as well as R, you want to pick your model or use your own API key, or your team needs Workbench admin controls.
GitHub Copilot
RStudio has Copilot built in, and it's good at what it does: it suggests the rest of the line or function as you type. It doesn't chat about your analysis, see your data or run anything. Plenty of people use both. Copilot for typing, Rgent for "why is this model giving me NA" or "plot revenue by region".
chattr and gptstudio
Both are free, open source R packages that open a chat in RStudio. chattr is maintained by Posit; gptstudio supports many providers. You bring an API key and pay the provider per token, which can be cheap or not, depending on how much you use. They're a good fit if you like setting things up yourself. Rgent does more inside the session: it reads your workspace and open file, runs the code, fixes errors and proposes edits you approve.
ChatGPT or Claude in a browser
Great models, wrong place. They can't see your data frames or your file, so you paste them in, and then paste the answer back and run it yourself. Rgent uses Claude too, but from inside RStudio, with your session as context.
What Rgent doesn't do
Fair is fair. Rgent works with R, not Python. It doesn't do completions as you type. You can't bring your own model or API key. Plans have a 1,000 request monthly limit. And we're a small team, not Posit.
Thinking about switching to Positron? See Rgent vs Positron
Sources
Checked November 2026. Prices and features change, so check each product's own site before you decide.
- Posit AI Pass product page (updated October 2026)
- What's new with Posit AI Pass (release notes)
- AI in RStudio: Posit Assistant and Next Edit Suggestions (March 2026)
- Posit Workbench 2026.10 release
- GitHub Copilot in RStudio (Posit docs)
- chattr and gptstudio on GitHub
Posit, RStudio and Positron are trademarks of Posit Software, PBC. GitHub Copilot is a trademark of GitHub, Inc. ChatGPT is a trademark of OpenAI. Claude is a trademark of Anthropic, PBC. Rgent isn't affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.
See what it does with your own data.
25 free requests. No card. It installs like any R package.