GitHub Copilot
AI pair programming as an add-on for the editor you already use.
Hands-on test: scheduled
| Vendor | GitHub (Microsoft) |
|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes — 2,000 completions/mo + AI Credits allowance |
| Entry paid plan | $10/mo (Pro) |
| Form | IDE extension, CLI, web & mobile |
| Platforms | VS Code · JetBrains IDEs · Visual Studio · Neovim · Eclipse · Copilot CLI · GitHub web & mobile |
| Official site | https://github.com/features/copilot |
GitHub Copilot is the incumbent in this category: instead of asking you to change editors, it plugs into the IDE you already run — and into the GitHub website, mobile apps and a CLI. Since 2026 its paid plans meter chat and agent usage in AI Credits, so the plan you pick is really a credit budget.
That makes Copilot the natural baseline for this comparison set: it has the broadest editor coverage of the eight tools profiled here, and its free plan is one of the few that publishes an exact allowance (2,000 completions a month).
GitHub Copilot pricing
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 2,000 completions/mo + an AI Credits allowance; auto model selection only |
| Pro | $10/mo | 1,500 AI Credits included |
| Pro+ | $39/mo | 7,000 AI Credits included |
| Max | $100/mo | 20,000 AI Credits included |
| Business | $19/seat/mo | Team plan |
| Enterprise | $39/seat/mo | Team plan |
Prices read from the official pricing page on October 22, 2026. Vendors in this category change pricing often — check the official page before buying.
Free tier in detail
Copilot Free — $0.
- 2,000 code completions per month
- An allowance of AI Credits for chat and agent features, drawn from the same pool
- Model choice on the free plan is limited to automatic selection
- Requires a GitHub account
The official pricing page does not mention a credit-card requirement for the free plan.
Features and form
- Runs inside five IDE families, plus a CLI and GitHub's web and mobile apps — the broadest surface in this set
- Chat and agent usage are metered in AI Credits on paid plans
- Team plans (Business and Enterprise) are billed per seat
Who GitHub Copilot suits
- Developers who want AI assistance without changing editors
- Teams already standardized on GitHub
- JetBrains and Visual Studio users — few rivals cover both
Our hands-on test
Scheduled — we run every tool through the same frozen benchmark repo and score it with unit tests; results will appear here.
Pros and cons
Based on published product data (official pricing pages and documentation), not on hands-on use. Hands-on findings will be added here when the benchmark runs complete.
Pros
- Broadest editor coverage of the eight tools profiled here
- Free plan publishes its exact completion allowance (2,000/month)
- Per-seat team pricing is published and simple
Cons
- Free plan restricts model choice to automatic selection
- Chat and agent work draw from the same credit pool as everything else, so heavy agent sessions consume the allowance faster
- Credit metering makes the monthly cost of heavy use less predictable than a flat request quota
Frequently asked questions
Is GitHub Copilot free?
Yes. Copilot Free costs $0 and includes 2,000 code completions per month plus an allowance of AI Credits for chat and agent features. It requires a GitHub account, and model choice on the free plan is limited to automatic selection.
How much does Copilot cost after the free plan?
Pro is $10/month (1,500 AI Credits included), Pro+ is $39/month (7,000 credits) and Max is $100/month (20,000 credits). Team plans are Business at $19 per seat/month and Enterprise at $39 per seat/month. Prices read from GitHub's official plan documentation on October 22, 2026.
Which editors does Copilot work in?
VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Visual Studio, Neovim and Eclipse, plus a CLI and GitHub's web and mobile apps — the widest coverage of the eight tools in this comparison set.
What are Copilot AI Credits?
Paid Copilot plans include a monthly amount of AI Credits, and chat and agent usage is charged against that pool. The free plan also includes a smaller credit allowance alongside its 2,000 monthly completions.
Head-to-head comparisons
Cursor vs GitHub Copilot
Side-by-side pricing, free tiers and verdict.
Kiro vs GitHub Copilot
Side-by-side pricing, free tiers and verdict.