GitHub Copilot is the cheapest well supported paid AI coding assistant, with unlimited code completions from $10 a month and a coding agent that can open pull requests. It is worth it for developers who mainly want fast autocomplete inside their editor and GitHub. Heavy agent users should watch the credit based billing, and many developers now pair it with or switch to Claude Code.
What GitHub Copilot is
GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant from GitHub. It suggests code as you type in your editor, answers questions in chat, and offers an agent that can take on tasks Copilot plans ↗. On paid plans, its cloud coding agent can be assigned a task and open a pull request, and it can review pull requests Copilot plans ↗.
It gives you a choice of models from several companies, including Anthropic's Claude, OpenAI's GPT, Google's Gemini and xAI's Grok, and the same model list is offered on every plan Copilot plans ↗. Copilot also works in the command line and on GitHub Mobile Copilot plans ↗.
Since June 1, 2026, Copilot bills chat and agent work through AI credits, each worth $0.01 GitHub blog ↗ Copilot plans ↗. Code completions and next edit suggestions do not use credits on any plan Copilot plans ↗ GitHub blog ↗.
What it does well
Autocomplete is cheap and never runs out. Pro costs $10 a month and includes unlimited inline suggestions, which do not draw on credits Copilot plans ↗. For developers who mostly want help finishing lines and functions, that is the best value among well known tools.
It lives where your code lives. Copilot's agent can pick up an assigned task and open a pull request on GitHub, and paid plans include code review on pull requests and file diffs Copilot plans ↗. If your team already works in GitHub, there is little to set up.
The free tier is real. Copilot Free includes 2,000 inline suggestions and 50 chat requests a month, plus agent mode Copilot plans ↗. That is enough to judge whether it suits you.
Higher plans let you mix agents. Pro+ and the new Max plan let you hand tasks to third party agents such as Claude and OpenAI Codex, in preview Copilot plans ↗. Business and Enterprise let admins pool credits and set budgets across the organization GitHub blog ↗.
It is still widely used. Stack Overflow's 2026 survey found 59 percent of developers using coding agents had used Copilot, second only to Claude Code Stack Overflow survey ↗.
Where it falls short
Agent work can get expensive. Chat, agents, the CLI and other features draw down credits at each model's API rates, so cost depends on the model and how complex the task is Copilot plans ↗ GitHub blog ↗. When credits run out you can set a budget for more, switch to a cheaper model or wait for the monthly reset Copilot plans ↗. The flat price is no longer the whole story.
It is losing share at work. JetBrains found that Copilot's work adoption fell to 21 percent from 29 percent a year earlier, while Claude Code rose to about 39 percent JetBrains research ↗. For multi file agent work, more developers now choose Claude Code, which comes with Claude Pro at $20 a month JetBrains research ↗ Claude pricing ↗.
Billing changes have caused churn. Annual Pro and Pro+ subscribers stay on the old pricing until renewal, then move to Copilot Free unless they upgrade GitHub blog ↗. Code review also uses GitHub Actions minutes on top of credits GitHub blog ↗.
Business pricing is not on the plans page. You need GitHub's billing announcement to find the per user prices Copilot plans ↗ GitHub blog ↗. Hands on testing is in progress; we will update this review with results.
Pricing and plans
Prices below were listed in October 2026 Copilot plans ↗.
Free is $0 with 2,000 inline suggestions and 50 chat requests a month, plus agent mode. It does not include the cloud coding agent or code review Copilot plans ↗.
Pro is $10 a month with unlimited inline suggestions and $15 in monthly AI credits ($10 base plus a $5 flex allotment). It adds the cloud coding agent and code review, and you can buy extra credits Copilot plans ↗.
Pro+ is $39 a month with $70 in AI credits and access to third party agents Copilot plans ↗.
Max is $100 a month with $200 in AI credits Copilot plans ↗.
Business is $19 per user a month with $19 in credits, and Enterprise is $39 per user a month with $39 in credits GitHub blog ↗. Enterprise adds codebase indexing and private fine tuned models for completions Copilot plans ↗.
Flex allotments may change over time, and you get alerts at 75, 90 and 100 percent of any budget you set Copilot plans ↗. The plans page does not describe a free trial Copilot plans ↗.
Who should (and shouldn't) use it
- Good fit: developers who mainly want unlimited autocomplete for $10 a month Copilot plans ↗.
- Good fit: teams that work in GitHub and want an agent that opens pull requests Copilot plans ↗.
- Good fit: companies that need admin budgets and pooled credits GitHub blog ↗.
- Skip it if: you run long agent sessions every day and want predictable costs.
- Skip it if: you want the tool most developers now use for agent work. That is Claude Code JetBrains research ↗.
Alternatives worth a look
- Claude Code: the most used coding agent at work, included with Claude Pro at $20 a month JetBrains research ↗ Claude pricing ↗.
- Devin Desktop: the editor formerly called Windsurf, with unlimited Tab completions on its free plan Devin pricing ↗.
- Cursor: an AI code editor whose Pro plan is $20 a month Cursor pricing ↗.
Where it appears
Budget pickThe Best AI Coding AssistantWhat’s good
- Cheapest good paid plan
- Completions never use credits
- Free tier
What to know
- Credits for chat and agents can run out
- Falling adoption among pros
Key features
- Unlimited inline completions on paid plans
- Chat and agent mode billed in AI credits
- Coding agent that opens pull requests
- Pro+ delegates to Claude and Codex agents (preview)
- Business and Enterprise admin usage controls
Works with
Questions people ask
Is GitHub Copilot free?
There is a free plan with 2,000 inline suggestions and 50 chat requests a month Copilot plans ↗.
How much does GitHub Copilot cost?
Pro is $10 a month, Pro+ $39 and Max $100 for individuals Copilot plans ↗. Business is $19 and Enterprise $39 per user a month GitHub blog ↗.
Do Copilot code completions use AI credits?
No. Code completions and next edit suggestions are included on every plan. Chat, agents and the CLI use credits Copilot plans ↗.
Is GitHub Copilot better than Claude Code?
Copilot is cheaper for autocomplete Copilot plans ↗. For agent work, more developers use Claude Code: 39 percent at work versus 21 percent for Copilot in JetBrains' survey JetBrains research ↗.
Where this comes from
Checked Oct 9, 2026. Vendor pages describe their own products; independent sources add outside views. Hands on testing is in progress.
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