Rgent vs Positron: stay in RStudio, or switch?
Positron is Posit's newer IDE, and Posit Assistant is its AI agent. Both are good. The question is whether you want to move.
What Positron is
Positron is a free IDE from Posit, built on the same base as VS Code, for R and Python. It has a strong Data Explorer, a variables pane, and extensions from the Open VSX registry. Posit Assistant comes built in. To use it you subscribe to Posit AI Pass ($20 a month, with $15 of credits) or connect your own model provider.
Rgent isn't an IDE. It's an R package that adds an assistant, a Data Explorer and saved chats to the RStudio you already use.
Pick Positron if
- You split your time between R and Python.
- You want editor extensions, or you already use VS Code.
- You want completions as you type, or your own models and API keys.
- You're starting fresh and don't mind learning a new IDE.
Stay in RStudio with Rgent if
- RStudio works for you. Your projects, keyboard shortcuts, addins and habits stay as they are. Install a package and the assistant is in the Viewer pane.
- You want a price you can predict. $10 or $15 a month for 1,000 requests, not credits that run down at different rates.
- You want to try before paying. 25 free requests, no card.
- You like Positron's Data Explorer. Rgent brings one like it to RStudio: sorting, filters, search, column summaries, and the dplyr code for the rows you're looking at.
- You write R Markdown and Quarto. Rgent knows your chunks. When code fails because something's missing, it runs the chunk that creates it and tries again, and it warns you when an edit would break a chunk.
Side by side
| Rgent in RStudio | Positron with Posit Assistant | |
|---|---|---|
| Change of IDE | None | Move to Positron |
| Languages | R | R and Python |
| Sees your session and open file | Yes | Yes |
| Runs code for you | Yes, or asks first | Yes |
| Fixes a missing object by running your own chunk | Yes | Not that we could find |
| File edits | Diff cards: accept, reject, undo | Plan mode to approve changes first |
| Data Explorer | Yes, with code for the view | Yes, built into Positron |
| Completions as you type | No | Yes |
| Models | Claude Sonnet 5.5 or Haiku 5.5 | Claude, Kimi, GLM, or your own provider |
| Price | $10 or $15 a month, 1,000 requests | Positron is free; Posit AI Pass is $20 a month incl. $15 of credits |
| Free to try | 25 requests, no card | No free trial ($5 first month, card required) |
Can I use both?
Rgent runs in RStudio, so not in the same window. But nothing stops you keeping RStudio with Rgent for your R projects and trying Positron for Python work. Your code and projects open in either.
And Posit Assistant in RStudio?
Posit Assistant also works in RStudio now, so you don't have to switch IDEs to use it. We compare the two directly under All AI tools for R.
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
- Positron release notes
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.
Keep RStudio. Add an assistant that knows your data.
25 free requests. No card. It installs like any R package.