GitHub Copilot
GitHub's AI coding assistant for code completion, chat, agents and review
What is GitHub Copilot?
GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant from GitHub. It suggests code as developers type, answers questions in chat and edits files in agent mode, and paid plans add a cloud agent and code review. It works in VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs, Xcode and other editors, on GitHub.com, in GitHub Mobile and in the terminal.
Good for
- Getting code suggestions while writing scripts or apps
- Asking questions about an unfamiliar codebase
- Reviewing pull requests before merging
Key features
- Code completions and next edit suggestions
- Chat in the IDE, on GitHub.com and in GitHub Mobile
- Agent mode that edits files in the workspace
- Cloud agent and code review on paid plans
- Copilot CLI for the terminal
- Choice of models, with premium models on higher plans
Limitations to know about
- The Free plan is capped at 2,000 completions per month
- Paid plans include a monthly AI credit allowance (1,500 on Pro)
- Cloud agent and code review are not in the Free plan
GitHub Copilot pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 2,000 completions/month, limited chat and agent use |
| Pro | $10/month | Unlimited completions, cloud agent and code review, 1,500 monthly credits |
| Pro+ | $39/month | About 4x Pro's included usage, premium models, 7,000 monthly credits |
| Max | $100/month | 20,000 monthly credits, priority access to new models and features |
| Business / Enterprise | $19 / $39 per granted seat per month | Organisation plans with 1,900 or 3,900 credits per user per month |
Free plan limits: 2,000 code completions per month, limited chat and agent usage, Haiku 4.5 and GPT-5 mini models, Copilot CLI included; no credit card required
GitHub Copilot alternatives
Cursor
AI code editor with agents that write and change code
Claude Code
Anthropic's agentic coding tool for the terminal, IDEs, desktop and web
OpenAI Codex
OpenAI's coding agent for the terminal, IDEs, desktop app and cloud
Devin Desktop
AI code editor from Cognition, renamed Devin Desktop in June 2026
Mistral Vibe
Mistral AI's assistant for chat, work tasks and coding, now called Vibe
Lovable
AI app and website builder that creates apps from chat prompts
Head to head: GitHub Copilot vs Cursor
Frequently asked questions
Is GitHub Copilot free?
GitHub Copilot has a free plan. 2,000 code completions per month, limited chat and agent usage, Haiku 4.5 and GPT-5 mini models, Copilot CLI included; no credit card required. Paid plans start at $10/user/mo.
How much does GitHub Copilot cost?
GitHub Copilot's cheapest paid plan, Pro, costs $10 a month billed monthly per user. Unlimited code completions and next edit suggestions; $15 of monthly AI credits (1,500 credits). There is also an enterprise plan priced on request. Prices as published on GitHub Copilot's pricing page on 23 September 2026.
What is GitHub Copilot used for?
GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant from GitHub. People use it for getting code suggestions while writing scripts or apps, asking questions about an unfamiliar codebase and reviewing pull requests before merging.
What are the alternatives to GitHub Copilot?
Tools that do a similar job include Cursor, Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Devin Desktop and Mistral Vibe. Each has its own page here with its plans, limits and prices.
Who makes GitHub Copilot?
GitHub Copilot is made by GitHub (Microsoft), based in San Francisco, California, US. The company was founded in 2008.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from GitHub (Microsoft)'s own pages, read on the dates shown.
- github.com/features/copilot/plans (individual plans, prices, free plan limits) read 23 September 2026
- docs.github.com/en/copilot/get-started/plans (Business and Enterprise prices, credit allowances) read 23 September 2026
- github.com/features/copilot (supported editors and surfaces, features) read 23 September 2026
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GitHub (company founded and HQ) read 23 September 2026