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GitHub Copilot Review 2026: Features, Pricing & Alternatives

Code & DevFreemiumBy GitHub (Microsoft)Updated Oct 2026

AI pair programmer inside VS Code, JetBrains, GitHub and your terminal.

Visit GitHub Copilot ↗ See alternatives

At a glance

  • Category: Code & Dev
  • Pricing: Freemium · paid from $10/mo
  • Best for: Developers who want AI in the editor they already use
  • Platforms: VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Xcode, GitHub.com, CLI
  • Made by: GitHub (Microsoft)
  • Website: github.com/features/copilot

Overview

What is GitHub Copilot?

GitHub Copilot suggests code as you type, answers questions in chat and — with its coding agent — can take a GitHub issue and open a pull request for you to review.

Because it is built by GitHub, it works across popular editors and understands repositories, pull requests and issues natively.

Quick verdict

GitHub Copilot is best for…

Developers who want AI in the editor they already use.

Try GitHub Copilot ↗

Features

Key features of GitHub Copilot

Code completions

Inline suggestions as you type.

Copilot Chat

Ask about code, errors and docs.

Agent mode

Multi-file edits from one instruction.

Coding agent

Assign issues and get pull requests.

Code review

AI review comments on pull requests.

Model choice

Pick from several leading models.

Verdict

GitHub Copilot pros and cons

What we like

  • Works in almost every popular editor
  • Native GitHub integration
  • Free tier for individuals
  • Free for verified students and open-source maintainers

Things to consider

  • Premium requests are limited per plan
  • Suggestions need review
  • Less whole-codebase editing than Cursor in some cases

Pricing

GitHub Copilot pricing plans

Prices checked October 2026 — always confirm on the official website before buying.

Free

$0

Limited completions and chat each month.

Pro

$10/mo

Unlimited completions and more premium requests.

Pro+

$39/mo

Most premium requests and all models.

Business ($19/user) and Enterprise ($39/user) plans add policy and security controls.

Use cases

What you can do with GitHub Copilot

  • Autocompleting boilerplate
  • Explaining unfamiliar code
  • Writing unit tests
  • Automating small issues with the coding agent
  • Reviewing pull requests

Getting started

How to start using GitHub Copilot

  1. Sign in to GitHub and enable Copilot Free.
  2. Install the Copilot extension in your editor.
  3. Start typing to see suggestions or open Chat.
  4. Upgrade to Pro for unlimited completions.
Get started ↗

FAQ

GitHub Copilot — frequently asked questions

Yes, Copilot Free offers a monthly allowance; students and OSS maintainers can get Pro free.

VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs, Xcode, Neovim and GitHub.com.

Copilot fits into your existing editor; Cursor is a dedicated AI-first editor.

Business and Enterprise code is not used for training; individuals can control this in settings.

Alternatives

Best GitHub Copilot alternatives

Comparing options? These tools are worth a look too.

Cursor

An AI-first code editor that understands your whole codebase.

View Cursor →

Claude

A thoughtful AI assistant for long documents, careful writing and serious coding work.

View Claude →

Lovable

Build full-stack web apps and websites by chatting with AI — no coding required.

View Lovable →

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