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GitHub Copilot: plans, prices, strengths and limits
GitHub Copilot is GitHub's coding assistant for code editors, the command line and pull requests. It is built for developers, not as an everyday writing assistant.
Prices for United States, before sales tax Data release 2026.10.16-3, Oct 16, 2026 Rules 2.1.0
- Made by
- GitHub (Microsoft)
- Individual plans
- 4, one free
- Paid plans
- $10 to $100 a month
- Facts checked
- Oct 16, 2026
Quick verdict
Copilot suits developers who want AI in the editor they already use: GitHub documents extensions for VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs, Xcode, Eclipse, Neovim, Zed and more. Pro at $10 a month adds unlimited completions, a choice of models from several companies, a cloud agent that opens pull requests and code review on GitHub. Pro+ at $39 and Max at $100 add premium models and more credits.
The principal limitation is that everything except completions is paid from a monthly allowance of AI credits, and the cloud agent works only on repositories hosted on GitHub. GitHub also scopes Copilot to software work, so it is not a general assistant. This rests on GitHub's documentation, not on our tests.
Strengths and limits
Strengths
- Works in many editorsGitHub documents extensions for VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs, Xcode, Eclipse, Neovim, Zed, SQL Server Management Studio and Raycast, with agent mode in VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Eclipse and Xcode. All plans include Copilot CLI and the Copilot desktop app. Features vary by editor.
- Unlimited completions on paid plansOn Pro, Pro+ and Max, inline suggestions and next edit suggestions are unlimited and do not use AI credits, per GitHub's plans documentation. Copilot Free includes 2,000 completions a month.
- Models from six companies, inside the allowancePaid plans offer models from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, xAI, Moonshot and Microsoft, paid from credits. Pro includes Claude Sonnet 5.5, Gemini 3.8 Flash and Grok 4.7, among others; Pro+ and Max add Claude Opus 5.5, Claude Fable 5.1 and GPT-6.1 Sol. Auto mode cuts model cost 10%.
- Cloud agent and pull request reviewFrom Pro, the cloud agent researches a repo, plans, codes in a cloud environment and opens a pull request. Code review runs on GitHub pull requests, manually or automatically, at about $0.05 to $5 of credits per review. Pro+ and Max can also hand tasks to Claude and Codex agents.
- Shared context and memoryCopilot Spaces, on every plan, collect repos, files and other sources as context for Copilot Chat and can be shared. Custom agents live in .github/agents. Paid plans add Copilot Memory (public preview), which stores repo facts and preferences across sessions and deletes entries unused for 28 days.
Limits
- Credits pay for everything but completionsPlan limit. Chat, agent mode, code review, the cloud agent and the CLI all use GitHub AI Credits, worth $0.01 each: 1,500 a month on Pro, 7,000 on Pro+ and 20,000 on Max. Part of each allowance is "flex" credit that GitHub says may change. Extra use is billed against a dollar budget you set.
- Cloud agent is GitHub only, one task at a timeDocumented limit. The cloud agent works only on GitHub-hosted repos, handles one repo, branch and pull request per task, and stops at a 59-minute session limit. It is not included in Copilot Free.
- Not a general assistantVendor scope. GitHub's docs scope Copilot to code, repositories and development concepts. Image and video generation are not documented for Copilot, and voice is documented only as dictating prompts in Copilot CLI, not a spoken conversation.
- Free plan details conflictUnverified. The plans page gives Free "limited chat and agent usage" through an AI-credit allowance, while the plans FAQ still says 50 chat requests a month. Free uses auto model selection only, and GitHub does not list which models that uses. Free has no cloud agent, pull request review or Memory.
- Training is on unless you turn it offPrivacy default. Since April 24, 2026, GitHub may use interaction data from Free, Pro, Pro+ and Max to train models by default. You can opt out at any time. No Copilot chat history export is documented on the pages we checked.
Based on what GitHub (Microsoft) documents for each plan, not on our tests.
Who it suits
A good fit if you
- Developers who want AI in VS Code, JetBrains, Xcode, Eclipse, Neovim or Zed without changing editors
- Projects already hosted on GitHub that could use a cloud agent and pull request review
- Unlimited completions at a low monthly price: Pro at $10 a month
- Trying Claude, GPT, Gemini and Grok models under one credit allowance
- Verified students (free Copilot Student plan), teachers and popular open source maintainers (Pro may be free)
Look elsewhere if you
- Everyday writing, research or general questions: GitHub scopes Copilot to software work
- A cloud agent for repos on GitLab, Bitbucket or elsewhere: not offered; it is GitHub-hosted only
- Creating images or video: not documented for Copilot, and not verified by us
- Paying yearly as a new subscriber: annual Pro and Pro+ are legacy plans
Plans and prices
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copilot Free | Free | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Copilot Pro | $10 a month | Not listed | Oct 13, 2026 Source |
| Copilot Pro+ | $39 a month | Not listed | Oct 13, 2026 Source |
| Copilot Max | $100 a month | Not listed | Oct 13, 2026 Source |
Prices for United States, before sales tax unless a plan says otherwise. A yearly plan is paid up front and is not cancel-any-time.
Features by plan
What GitHub (Microsoft) documents for each plan. A hatched mark means we could not verify it, which is not the same as "not offered".
| Feature | Copilot Free | Copilot Pro | Copilot Pro+ | Copilot Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Models and limits | ||||
| Top models included | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Context window | Unclear | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Models from several companies | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| General-purpose assistant | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Research and sources | ||||
| Web search with sources | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Deep research reports | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Files and data | ||||
| File and document uploads | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Spreadsheet and data analysis | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Coding | ||||
| Coding agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works in your code editor | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Code completions as you type | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Background coding agent | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pull request review | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Images, video and voice | ||||
| Image generation | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Video generation | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Real-time voice | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Image editing and design | ||||
| Photo editing | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Background removal | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Text inside images | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Logo maker | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Vector (SVG) files | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Upscaling | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Video editing and presenters | ||||
| Photo to video | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Footage editing | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Avatar presenters | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Lip sync | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Automatic captions | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Clips from long videos | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Exports without a watermark | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| App building and hosting | ||||
| Apps from a description | No | No | Not verified | No |
| Hosting and publishing | No | No | Not verified | No |
| Custom domain | No | No | Unclear | No |
| Database and sign-in | No | No | Unclear | No |
| Code export | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Music, voice and transcription | ||||
| Songs with vocals | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Instrumental music | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Separate stems | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Voiceover from text | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Voice cloning | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Dubbing into other languages | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Sound effects | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Transcription | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Meeting notes | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Dictation into any app | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Projects and memory | ||||
| Projects | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom assistants | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Memory across chats | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations and agents | ||||
| Connectors to other apps | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Inside Gmail | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Inside Google Docs | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Inside Google Sheets | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Inside Word | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Inside Excel | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Inside PowerPoint | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Inside Outlook | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Browser agent | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Privacy and control | ||||
| Opt out of model training | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Export your data | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Shows ads | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Rights and licensing | ||||
| Commercial use of outputs | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Apps and extras | ||||
| Cloud storage included | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Apps | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
The details and sources of every row are in Compare two AIs and the data release.
Models on each plan
The models each plan's own pages name, on the terms they give. A model being offered says nothing about how well the plan does your work.
Copilot Free
- Auto model selection Automatic choice only Auto model selection only. Source
Copilot Pro
- Claude Sonnet 5.5Anthropic Included Source
- Claude Haiku 5.5Anthropic Included Source
- GPT-5.6 TerraOpenAI Included Source
- GPT-5.6 LunaOpenAI Included Source
- GPT-6 LunaOpenAI Included Source
- GPT-5.4OpenAI Included Source
- Gemini 3.8 FlashGoogle Included Source
- Grok 4.7xAI Included Source
- Kimi K3Moonshot AI Included Source
- MAI-Code-1.1-FlashMicrosoft Included Source
Copilot Pro+
What it documents for each use
- Research & Search Research a question with sources that hold up · Check claims against reliable sources
- Coding & Development Code inside my editor · Hand repository tasks to an agent · Review pull requests automatically
- Business & Productivity Connect AI to the apps I already use
A use is listed when at least one plan documents every feature a task needs. Answer quality is a separate question: see below.
Using it day to day
Copilot runs as extensions for VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs, Xcode, Eclipse, Neovim, Zed, SQL Server Management Studio and Raycast, and in Copilot CLI, the GitHub Copilot desktop app, github.com and GitHub Mobile. GitHub's docs say all plans include the CLI and the desktop app. Features differ by editor, so check GitHub's feature matrix for yours.
Free includes 2,000 completions a month and limited chat and agent use. Paid plans include monthly AI credits: Pro 1,000 base plus 500 flex, Pro+ 3,900 plus 3,100, and Max 10,000 plus 10,000, with priority access to premium models on Max. An optional 1 million token context works for supported models in VS Code and Copilot CLI only, and uses more credits. You can attach images and PDFs to chat when the model accepts image input. Bing web search for chat is off until you turn on "Copilot access to Bing". Max launched in June 2026, and sign-ups reopened gradually from June 17.
Privacy, data and ads
Since April 24, 2026, GitHub may train on interaction data from Copilot Free, Pro, Pro+ and Max by default. To opt out, set "Allow GitHub to use my data for AI model training" to Disabled. Do this before you use Copilot on code you would not want used.
On paid plans, Copilot Memory lets you view and delete stored preferences, and unused entries are deleted after 28 days. No Copilot chat history export is documented; the plans FAQ points to the GitHub Privacy Statement for access and deletion requests. Advertising is not mentioned on the pages we checked, and no cloud storage comes with Copilot.
Read the vendor's own page: GitHub Copilot privacy and data controls. We make no legal or compliance claim.
Test results
We have not tested GitHub Copilot yet, so this page makes no claim about answer quality, and we show no example outputs. Run the same kit in it and in the alternatives, in your own account:
- Summarize a report with traceable facts
- Analyze a spreadsheet and get the numbers right
- Edit an email without losing a detail
- Diagnose and repair a small program
- Research a question with sources that support the answer
- Make sense of documents that disagree
- Research a current question within a date window
- Edit an article without changing its facts
- Turn project notes into a report that agrees with itself
- Implement a small specification
- Refactor code without changing what it does
- Make a picture that follows a detailed brief
- Put exact text into a graphic
- Change one thing in a picture and nothing else
- Make a short clip that follows a brief
- Make a song that sings your lyrics exactly
- Read a script with names, numbers and abbreviations
- Design a logo with an exact name
Getting started
- Install the Copilot extension for the editor you already use and start on Copilot Free. Check GitHub's feature matrix for what your editor supports.
- Set "Allow GitHub to use my data for AI model training" to Disabled if you do not want your interactions used.
- Run our code repair kit with Free's auto model, then repeat it with a model you pick on Pro to see whether the choice matters for your code.
- On a paid plan, set a budget for extra usage and watch how many credits a code review or cloud agent task uses before you turn on automatic reviews.
- Move to Pro+ ($39) only if you need Claude Opus, Claude Fable or GPT-6.1 Sol, or to hand tasks to Claude and Codex agents; Max ($100) is aimed at sustained agent work.
Your fit
Tell Find my AI what you do and what matters; it checks every plan of GitHub Copilot against your priorities, next to the alternatives.
Alternatives
- X Subscription (Cursor, Grok, X) If you want an editor built around the agent, or a cloud agent for repos on GitLab, Bitbucket or Azure DevOps, which Cursor documents from Premium at $30 a month. Its plans also bundle Grok and X Premium. Read the comparison About X Subscription (Cursor, Grok, X)
- Claude If you also want a general assistant: Claude Pro at $20 a month includes Claude chat and Claude Code, with extensions for VS Code, Cursor and JetBrains IDEs and cloud sessions that open pull requests. Read the comparison About Claude
- ChatGPT ChatGPT Plus at $20 a month pairs a general assistant with Codex, which documents cloud tasks, GitHub pull request reviews and an IDE extension for VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf. Read the comparison About ChatGPT
- Gemini Google's free Antigravity editor lists unlimited Tab completions on its $0 plan, against Copilot Free's 2,000 a month, and the Jules cloud agent can open pull requests on the free tier. Read the comparison About Gemini
Recent changes
- Copilot Max added
- Copilot Pro+ added
- Copilot Pro added
- Copilot Free added
Every change is in the change log.
Questions
How do GitHub AI Credits work?
One credit is $0.01. Each month Pro gets 1,000 base plus 500 flex credits, Pro+ 3,900 plus 3,100, Max 10,000 plus 10,000; flex may change. Completions on paid plans use no credits; chat, agent mode, code review, the cloud agent and the CLI do. Extra use comes from a dollar budget.
Which models do I get on Pro and on Pro+?
Pro includes a selection such as Claude Sonnet 5.5 and Haiku 5.5, GPT-5.6 Terra, GPT-6 Luna, Gemini 3.8 Flash, Grok 4.7, Kimi K3 and MAI-Code. Pro+ and Max add Claude Opus 5.5, Claude Fable 5.1, GPT-6.1 Sol, GPT-6 Astra and GPT-5.6 Sol. Free uses auto model selection only.
Is Copilot free for students?
Verified students get a separate free Copilot Student plan, and verified teachers and maintainers of popular open source projects may get Pro free. Anyone can use Copilot Free, with 2,000 completions a month and limited chat and agent use.
Does Copilot train on my code?
Since April 24, 2026, GitHub may use interaction data from Free, Pro, Pro+ and Max for training by default. You can opt out any time by setting "Allow GitHub to use my data for AI model training" to Disabled.
Does Copilot fix code well?
GitHub's documentation describes what Copilot can do, not how well, and we have not run our tests on Copilot yet. Run our code repair kit on Free first, then compare it with another tool on the same program.
Sources
16 official pages, checked Oct 13, 2026 to Oct 16, 2026. This page was written by the What the tech desk with AI assistance from the facts in our data release; no company paid for or reviewed it.
- Plans for GitHub Copilot - GitHub DocsGitHub
- Supported AI models in GitHub Copilot - GitHub DocsGitHub
- About GitHub Copilot - GitHub DocsGitHub
- Managing GitHub Copilot policies as an individual subscriber - GitHub DocsGitHub
- Asking GitHub Copilot questions in GitHub - GitHub DocsGitHub
- GitHub Copilot · Plans & pricingGitHub
- GitHub Copilot in IDEs - GitHub DocsGitHub
- About GitHub Copilot code review - GitHub DocsGitHub
- Using GitHub Copilot CLI - GitHub DocsGitHub
- Upcoming deprecation of GitHub Spark on github.com - GitHub ChangelogGitHub
- GitHub Terms of Service (effective April 27, 2026)GitHub
- About GitHub Copilot Spaces - GitHub DocsGitHub
- About custom agents - GitHub DocsGitHub
- About GitHub Copilot Memory - GitHub DocsGitHub
- Usage-based billing for individuals - GitHub DocsGitHub
- GitHub Copilot on GitHub.com - GitHub DocsGitHub
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