GitHub Copilot
AI pair programmer in VS Code, JetBrains, and GitHub — completions, chat, and agents.
GitHub Copilot is the most widely deployed coding assistant — more than 20 million users — and now spans far more than autocomplete: chat, an agent mode that executes multi-step edits, a coding agent that takes an issue and opens a pull request, code review, and a CLI. Model choice includes GPT-5, Claude, and Gemini, and paid plans can route work to third-party agents like Claude Code and Codex. Billing moved to metered AI credits: completions stay unlimited on paid plans; chat and agent work draw from a monthly allotment.
Best for
Engineering teams already living on GitHub, and enterprises that need IP indemnity, license management, and policy controls more than they need the flashiest agent. The free tier's 2,000 monthly completions genuinely covers hobbyists.
Cursor asks you to switch editors; Copilot meets you in VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim, and github.com itself, which is why procurement keeps choosing it. Its coding agent is wired into GitHub primitives — issues, PRs, Actions — so agent work lands as reviewable pull requests instead of local diffs. And Business and Enterprise plans carry IP indemnification, something Cursor and Claude Code don't lead with.
Core features
Code completion
Inline completions and next-edit suggestions across major editors; unlimited on paid plans and exempt from the AI-credit meter.
Chat and explanations
Ask about code and get explanations, fixes, and refactors in-editor or on github.com, with a model picker spanning GPT-5, Claude, and Gemini.
Team controls
Business and Enterprise add policy management, audit logs, IP indemnity, and organization-pooled credit budgets.
Pros
- + Works inside the editors and GitHub workflow teams already use — near-zero adoption friction compared with switching to Cursor
- + Coding agent turns an assigned issue into a reviewable pull request using GitHub's own PR and Actions plumbing
- + Cheapest credible paid tier in the category at $10/mo, with a free tier that actually functions for light use
Watchouts
- - Metered AI credits make monthly cost unpredictable; heavy chat and agent use can exhaust Pro's allotment mid-month
- - Suggestions can reproduce licensed code patterns and insecure idioms, so human review and the public-code filter remain mandatory
Power List links
People behind GitHub Copilot
Alternatives
Frequently asked
What is GitHub Copilot?
AI pair programmer in VS Code, JetBrains, and GitHub — completions, chat, and agents.
Who builds GitHub Copilot?
GitHub Copilot is built by Microsoft, a publicly traded company (MSFT).
How much does GitHub Copilot cost?
GitHub Copilot uses freemium. Current tiers: Free · $10/mo Pro · $39/mo Pro+ · $100/mo Max. Check the official site before buying — AI pricing changes often.