At a glance
Best for
Developers and teams already working within GitHub who want affordable, well-integrated AI assistance across many IDEs, with strong inline completions.
Not ideal for
Developers who need the most autonomous, capable agent mode available, where dedicated agentic editors currently lead.
In this review
GitHub Copilot is the tool that brought AI pair programming into the mainstream, and it remains the most widely available option — integrated directly into VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, and GitHub.com. It offers inline code completions, a chat assistant, and an agent mode that has been steadily maturing.
Its enduring advantages are reach, price, and GitHub-native workflow. This review covers how Copilot works across its many surfaces, the move to per-token AI Credits billing in 2026, and where it leads — and where dedicated agentic editors have pulled ahead.
What is GitHub Copilot?
GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant that lives inside the tools developers already use. Rather than being a standalone editor, it integrates into VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, and GitHub.com, providing inline completions as you type, a chat interface for questions and edits, and an agent mode for multi-step changes.
Its tight coupling with GitHub is central to its appeal: it fits naturally into pull requests, code review, and the wider GitHub workflow, which makes it a low-friction addition for the enormous number of teams already on the platform.
Key features
- Inline completionsFast, context-aware code suggestions as you type — Copilot's original and still core strength. These remain free on paid plans and do not consume AI Credits.
- Broad IDE supportWorks across VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, and GitHub.com, the widest editor support of the major tools.
- Chat and agent modeA chat assistant for questions and edits, plus an agent mode for multi-step, multi-file changes that continues to improve.
- GitHub-native workflowIntegrates with pull requests, code review, and the GitHub platform, fitting existing team workflows.
- Model choiceAccess to a selection of models, with output quality varying by which model you choose.
How it works in practice
For most developers, Copilot's day-to-day value is in inline completions — fast, contextual suggestions that speed up routine coding — supplemented by chat for explanations and edits. Agent mode handles larger tasks, and Copilot's presence inside GitHub.com extends assistance into code review and pull-request workflows.
The 2026 billing change matters here: inline completions and next-edit suggestions remain free on paid plans, while agent mode, chat, and code review draw from a monthly pool of GitHub AI Credits billed per token. In practice, light users leaning on completions may rarely touch their credits, while heavy agent users will consume them faster.
Output and capability
Copilot's inline completions are excellent and remain a benchmark for that style of assistance. For the common case of accelerating everyday coding within a familiar IDE, it is hard to beat on convenience and price.
Its agent mode, while improving quickly, is generally considered less mature than the dedicated agentic editors like Cursor and Windsurf for complex, autonomous multi-file work. Output quality also varies with the model selected, so results depend partly on configuration.
Limitations to be aware of
The main limitation is agent maturity: for the most demanding autonomous multi-file tasks, specialised agentic editors currently lead. Copilot is closing the gap, but developers whose primary need is a powerful agent may find dedicated tools stronger today.
The shift to per-token AI Credits also changes the cost picture for heavy agent and chat users. While plan prices held steady and completions stayed free, what those prices cover changed, so heavy agentic usage can now draw down credits in ways the previous model did not.
GitHub Copilot pricing
Copilot keeps the lowest entry price of the major tools and, in June 2026, moved to per-token billing via GitHub AI Credits. Inline completions and next-edit suggestions remain free on paid plans; agent mode, chat, and code review draw from a monthly credit pool.
Free
$0/mo
A capable free tier.
- 2,000 code completions per month
- Limited chat and agent mode
- Works across supported IDEs
- No credit card required
Pro
Popular$10/mo
The cheapest entry point of the majors.
- Unlimited inline completions
- Chat and agent mode with AI Credits
- Broad IDE support
- GitHub-native workflow
Pro+
$39/mo
For heavier individual use.
- Larger AI Credit allowance
- More agent and chat headroom
- Access to more models
- Copilot Max also available for the heaviest use
Business
$19/user/mo
For teams (Enterprise $39/user).
- $19 in monthly AI Credits per user
- Pooled credits and admin controls
- GitHub-native team workflow
- Enterprise adds more credits and controls
As of June 2026, agent mode, chat, and code review draw from per-token GitHub AI Credits; inline completions and next-edit suggestions remain free on paid plans. Verify current credit allowances and any promotional pricing on GitHub's plans page.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Lowest entry price of the major AI coding tools
- Excellent, free-on-paid-plans inline completions
- Widest IDE support: VS Code, JetBrains, and GitHub.com
- Deeply integrated with the GitHub workflow
- Capable free tier with 2,000 monthly completions
- Low-friction for the many teams already on GitHub
Cons
- Agent mode less mature than dedicated agentic editors for complex work
- Per-token AI Credits change the cost picture for heavy agent/chat use
- Output quality varies by the model selected
- Less specialised than tools built agent-first
Frequently asked questions
Copilot has a free plan (2,000 completions/month), Pro at $10/month, Pro+ at $39/month, Business at $19/user/month, and Enterprise at $39/user/month. As of June 2026, agent mode, chat, and code review draw from per-token GitHub AI Credits, while inline completions remain free on paid plans.
The verdict
GitHub Copilot remains the most accessible AI coding assistant: the cheapest entry price, the widest IDE support, excellent inline completions, and seamless GitHub integration. For the enormous number of developers already on GitHub who want affordable, well-integrated assistance, it is the safe, sensible default.
Where it trails is autonomous agent capability for the most complex multi-file work, where dedicated editors lead, and the new per-token credit model changes the maths for heavy agent users. But for everyday coding within a familiar IDE — and especially within a GitHub-centric team — Copilot is hard to beat on value, and its free tier makes it easy to try.