Github Copilot
GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered pair programming tool that works directly in your editor, suggesting whole lines or entire functions for yo...
Last verified:
What is Github Copilot?
GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant that helps developers write code faster and with less effort. It works across the software development workflow, from inline code suggestions in the IDE to chat assistance, command-line help, pull request descriptions, and even autonomous work on code changes and pull requests for eligible plans. It is designed to reduce boilerplate, explain code, and help developers focus more on problem solving and collaboration.
Copilot is available in multiple places where developers already work: IDEs, GitHub Mobile, the command line through GitHub CLI, Windows Terminal Canary, and the GitHub website. The website emphasizes that Copilot works alongside you directly in your editor, can propose edits, validate files with agent mode, and can also be used through Copilot Spaces to organize project context for more relevant answers.
It is aimed at individual developers, freelancers, students, educators, open source maintainers, teams, organizations, and enterprises. The individual plans focus on personal productivity, while Business and Enterprise add administrative controls, policy management, organization-wide governance, and deeper customization for teams. GitHub also positions Copilot as useful for companies that want to standardize workflows and build with AI across the stack.
The product also supports more advanced workflows through agents and multiple models. GitHub says users can choose from leading LLMs optimized for speed, accuracy, or cost, and can use Copilot, custom agents, or third-party agents in supported workflows.
Github Copilot pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
Free: $0 USD, includes 50 agent mode or chat requests per month, 2,000 completions per month, access to Haiku 4.5, GPT-5 mini, and more, plus Copilot CLI; no credit card required. Pro: $10 USD per user per month, includes everything in Free plus Copilot cloud agent, Copilot code review, Claude and Codex on GitHub and VS Code, 300 premium requests with the option to buy more, unlimited agent mode and chats with GPT-5 mini, unlimited inline suggestions, and access to models from Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, and more. Pro+: $39 USD per user per month, includes everything in Pro plus access to all models including Claude Opus 4.7 and more, 5x as many premium requests as Pro with the option to buy more, and access to GitHub Spark. GitHub also notes student access and organization/enterprise plans such as Copilot Business and Copilot Enterprise.
Github Copilot pros
- Inline code suggestions while you type
- Chat help inside the IDE
- Command-line assistance through GitHub CLI
- Copilot Spaces for shared project context
- Pull request change descriptions
- Agent mode for proposing edits and validating files
- Cloud agent for autonomous task execution
- Works across GitHub and major IDEs
- Available on GitHub Mobile
- Supports Windows Terminal Canary chat
- Supports multiple LLM options
- Unlimited inline suggestions on Pro
- Unlimited agent mode and chats with GPT-5 mini on Pro
- Organization-grade controls for admins
- Audit logs for enterprise governance
- MCP server access controls
- Can index organization codebases on Enterprise
- Access to private custom models on Enterprise
- Copilot Free tier available
- No credit card required for Free
Github Copilot cons
- Free tier has limited monthly usage
- Free tier lacks premium features
- Pro upgrades are currently paused
- Pro+ upgrades are currently paused
- Chat is not available in every supported IDE
- Enterprise features are required for GitHub.com integration
- Some features are only on Pro+, Business, or Enterprise
- Model quality depends on language training data
- Non-English prompts may work less well
- Suggestions can resemble public code in rare cases
- Requires human review before use
- Can suggest insecure code patterns
- Some features depend on GitHub administrator policies
- Business and Enterprise may require organizational setup
- Premium requests are limited on lower tiers
- Copilot data handling differs by plan
- Autonomous work is limited to eligible plans
- Certain advanced review features cost premium requests
Frequently asked questions about Github Copilot
What is GitHub Copilot?
GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant that provides contextual help across the software development lifecycle. It can suggest code as you type, answer questions in chat, help from the command line, generate pull request descriptions, and assist with code changes and reviews. GitHub describes it as a way to spend less time on boilerplate and more time on problem solving and collaboration.
Where can I use GitHub Copilot?
Copilot is available in your IDE, on GitHub Mobile, in Windows Terminal Canary through the Terminal Chat interface, in the command line through GitHub CLI, and on the GitHub website. The website also says it is available on platforms including GitHub, VS Code, Visual Studio, Xcode, JetBrains IDEs, Neovim, Eclipse, Raycast, SQL Server Management Studio, and Zed.
Is GitHub Copilot free?
Yes, GitHub Copilot Free is available at $0 USD. It includes 50 agent mode or chat requests per month, 2,000 completions per month, access to Haiku 4.5, GPT-5 mini, and more, plus Copilot CLI. GitHub says no credit card is required for the Free tier.
What do the Pro and Pro+ plans add?
Pro adds Copilot cloud agent, Copilot code review, Claude and Codex on GitHub and VS Code, 300 premium requests, unlimited agent mode and chats with GPT-5 mini, unlimited inline suggestions, and access to models from Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, and more. Pro+ includes everything in Pro and adds access to all models, including Claude Opus 4.7 and more, 5x as many premium requests as Pro, and access to GitHub Spark.
What is Copilot Spaces?
Copilot Spaces is a feature for organizing and sharing context so Copilot can give more relevant answers. GitHub says it helps teams scale knowledge and keep people consistent by creating a shared source of truth from docs and repositories. It is positioned as a way to make Copilot more project-aware.
What is agent mode?
Agent mode is a more autonomous Copilot workflow that can plan, explore, and execute work in the background. On the website, GitHub says Copilot can propose edits and validate files with agent mode in the editor, and it also highlights a cloud agent that can work on tasks autonomously. This is meant to accelerate shipping rather than replace human review.
Does GitHub Copilot support organizations?
Yes, GitHub Copilot has Business and Enterprise offerings for teams and large organizations. The website says organizations can manage licenses, policies, governance, audit logs, and access controls, and Enterprise adds deeper customization, GitHub.com integration, and codebase indexing for more tailored suggestions.
Can GitHub Copilot use multiple models?
Yes, GitHub says users can choose from leading LLMs optimized for speed, accuracy, or cost. The website specifically mentions access to models from Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, and more, with higher plans unlocking broader model access.
Does GitHub Copilot replace developers?
No. GitHub explicitly says Copilot is intended to make developers more efficient, not to replace them. The site recommends using the same safeguards you would use with any third-party code, including testing, code review, and security checks.
What are the main limitations of GitHub Copilot?
GitHub notes that availability and quality depend on the plan, platform, and language. Chat is not available in every supported IDE, some advanced features are limited to Pro+, Business, or Enterprise, and suggestions can still be imperfect or sometimes resemble public code. The website also says non-English prompts may work less well because public sources are predominantly in English.