Recommended baseline
Copilot Pro
This is ToolColumn's recommended starting tier for this plan comparison.
Pricing
GitHub Copilot Pricing: Free, Pro, Pro+, Max, Business, and Enterprise
GitHub Copilot pricing now uses AI Credits: Pro is $10 with 1,500 monthly credits, Pro+ $39 with 7,000, Max $100 with 20,000, and team plans use pooled per-user allowances.
AI Coding Assistants
Pricing checked August 16, 2026
Buyer guide
Where to start before you compare plans
Compare entry cost, billing terms, and included usage to find the best starting tier for your purchase.
Real entry point
Copilot Pro
This is the first practical paid tier after entry-level limits are taken into account.
Annual billing
Included AI Credits reset at 00:00 UTC on the first day of each calendar month and do not roll over. Verify checkout and legacy annual-plan status before paying.
API boundary
Copilot is a developer-assistance subscription and usage product. Do not treat its AI Credits as general GitHub API or third-party model API credit.
Tracks
Which plan fits whom
Copilot Free
Free evaluationFree
Use Free to test auto-selected models, limited agents, and up to 2,000 completions per month.
Best for: Developers validating fit
Avoid if: Daily work needs paid-model choice or sustained agents.
Copilot Pro
Default individual$10/mo
Use Pro as the $10 starting point with 1,500 total monthly AI Credits.
Best for: Regular solo development
Avoid if: The usage dashboard already shows a larger recurring need.
Copilot Pro+
Heavy individual$39/mo
Use Pro+ for premium models and 7,000 total monthly AI Credits.
Best for: Power users with sustained chat and agent work
Avoid if: A temporary paid-usage budget solves the spike.
Copilot Max
Maximum individual$100/mo
Use Max for 20,000 total monthly AI Credits and sustained high-volume agentic work.
Best for: Heavy individual agents and frontier models
Avoid if: Pro+ usage is not consistently exhausted.
Copilot Business
Managed organization$19/seat/mo
Use Business or Enterprise for pooled credits, centralized policy, and managed seats.
Best for: Teams and enterprises
Avoid if: Only one developer needs personal access.
Plan matrix
Pricing breakdown
Compare entry price, billing cadence, and feature access before you commit to annual spend or a higher tier.
Plans listed
7
Benchmark plan
Copilot Pro
Free track
Free plans
2 plans
Copilot Free
FreeFree
Usage: Monthly GitHub AI Credits allowance; 2,000 completions/mo
- Copilot Chat
- Copilot CLI
- Code review
- Coding agent
- Policy controls
Copilot Student
FreeFree
Usage: Monthly GitHub AI Credits allowance; unlimited completions
- Copilot Chat
- Copilot CLI
- Code review
- Coding agent
- Policy controls
Individual track
Individual plans
3 plans
Copilot Pro
Individual$10/mo
Usage: 1,500 total AI credits/mo (1,000 base + 500 flex); unlimited completions
- Copilot Chat
- Copilot CLI
- Code review
- Coding agent
- Policy controls
Copilot Pro+
Individual$39/mo
Usage: 7,000 total AI credits/mo (3,900 base + 3,100 flex); unlimited completions
- Copilot Chat
- Copilot CLI
- Code review
- Coding agent
- Policy controls
Copilot Max
Individual$100/mo
Usage: 20,000 total AI credits/mo (10,000 base + 10,000 flex); unlimited completions
- Copilot Chat
- Copilot CLI
- Code review
- Coding agent
- Policy controls
Team track
Team plans
1 plan
Copilot Business
Team$19/seat/mo
Usage: 1,900 AI credits/user/mo in a shared billing-entity pool
- Copilot Chat
- Copilot CLI
- Code review
- Coding agent
- Policy controls
Enterprise track
Enterprise plans
1 plan
Copilot Enterprise
Enterprise$39/mo
Usage: 3,900 AI credits/user/mo in a shared billing-entity pool
- Copilot Chat
- Copilot CLI
- Code review
- Coding agent
- Policy controls
Free plan
Available
Trial
30 days
Billing unit
Hybrid
Pricing checked
August 16, 2026
Watchouts
What buyers often miss
These are the boundary conditions and purchase traps worth checking before you optimize for the lowest headline number.
Free and Student do not publish a fixed credit number
Both include an allowance, but current public documentation leaves the exact amount to the account rather than the paid-plan table.
Agent tasks vary in cost
Model choice, tokens, context, and task complexity determine AI Credit use; one task is not one credit.
Credits do not roll over
Unused included credits reset on the first day of each calendar month.
Premium requests are legacy-only
Keep request-based math only for eligible existing annual Pro and Pro+ plans after June 1, 2026.
Editorial pricing notes
Pricing notes
Plan caveats, contract terms, and feature-access limits that can change what you actually pay.
Buying path
Start with the current AI Credits lane. Copilot Pro is the default paid individual route; Pro+ and Max buy larger monthly allowances and broader model access. One GitHub AI Credit equals $0.01, but an interaction does not cost a fixed number of credits because model choice, tokens, context, and task complexity determine usage.
Paid plans keep code completions and next edit suggestions unlimited. Chat, CLI, cloud agent, Spaces, Spark, and third-party coding agents consume AI Credits, so the right plan depends on agentic work rather than completion count alone.
Upgrade triggers
Upgrade only when the usage dashboard shows that the current allowance is constraining real work. Pro is the normal starting point, Pro+ is the step-up for premium models and a larger pool, and Max is for sustained high-volume agentic workflows. If a temporary spike is the issue, compare an additional-usage budget with a permanent plan upgrade.
Included individual credits reset on the first day of each calendar month and do not roll over. When they are exhausted, an individual can upgrade, set a budget for paid usage, or wait for reset.
API and team boundaries
Business and Enterprise are organization seats, not larger personal subscriptions. Their per-user allowances contribute to a shared billing-entity pool, and administrators control paid overage, budgets, and policies. Business self-serve availability can change, so use GitHub's current sales or signup route rather than an old individual-plan notice.
Premium requests are now a legacy boundary, not the current plan meter. GitHub's legacy documentation applies only to existing annual Pro and Pro+ subscribers who remained on request-based billing after June 1, 2026.
Final pricing check
Before paying, verify whether the buyer is an individual or an organization, which models and agent features consume most of the allowance, when the monthly reset occurs, and whether additional usage is enabled. For teams, also verify pool size, user-level budgets, organization policies, and whether blocked usage or paid overage is the intended exhaustion behavior.
Decision archive
Price history snapshots
Track how GitHub Copilot pricing has moved over time, including plan lineup shifts, free access changes, and starting price updates.
3 archived snapshots
LatestFreemium · Hybrid
Last confirmed
August 16, 2026
First archived July 18, 2026
Added Copilot Max.
View source pageStarting price
$10
Access model
Free plan available
Plan count
7
Billing unit
Hybrid
Copilot Free
free
Monthly: $0/mo + usage
Annual: Not listed
Usage: Monthly GitHub AI Credits allowance; 2,000 completions/mo
Copilot Student
student
Monthly: $0/mo + usage
Annual: Not listed
Usage: Monthly GitHub AI Credits allowance; unlimited completions
Copilot Pro
pro
Monthly: $10/mo + usage
Annual: Not listed
Usage: 1,500 total AI credits/mo (1,000 base + 500 flex); unlimited completions
Copilot Pro+
pro-plus
Monthly: $39/mo + usage
Annual: Not listed
Usage: 7,000 total AI credits/mo (3,900 base + 3,100 flex); unlimited completions
Copilot Max
max
Monthly: $100/mo + usage
Annual: Not listed
Usage: 20,000 total AI credits/mo (10,000 base + 10,000 flex); unlimited completions
Copilot Business
business
Monthly: $19/mo + usage
Annual: Not listed
Usage: 1,900 AI credits/user/mo in a shared billing-entity pool
Copilot Enterprise
enterprise
Monthly: $39/mo + usage
Annual: Not listed
Usage: 3,900 AI credits/user/mo in a shared billing-entity pool
Freemium · Hybrid
First archived
July 18, 2026
Pricing was reviewed with no headline change.
View source pageStarting price
$10
Access model
Free plan available
Plan count
6
Billing unit
Hybrid
Copilot Free
free
Monthly: $0/mo + usage
Annual: Not listed
Usage: 50 premium requests/mo; 2,000 completions/mo
Copilot Student
student
Monthly: $0/mo + usage
Annual: Not listed
Usage: 300 premium requests/mo; unlimited completions
Copilot Pro
pro
Monthly: $10/mo + usage
Annual: Not listed
Usage: 300 premium requests/mo; unlimited completions
Copilot Pro+
pro-plus
Monthly: $39/mo + usage
Annual: Not listed
Usage: 1,500 premium requests/mo; unlimited completions
Copilot Business
business
Monthly: $19/mo + usage
Annual: Not listed
Usage: 300 premium requests/user/mo
Copilot Enterprise
enterprise
Monthly: $39/mo + usage
Annual: Not listed
Usage: 1,000 premium requests/user/mo
Freemium · Hybrid
First archived
April 17, 2026
Latest archived pricing state remains unchanged since it was first recorded.
View source pageStarting price
$10
Access model
Free plan available
Plan count
6
Billing unit
Hybrid
Copilot Free
free
Monthly: $0/mo + usage
Annual: Not listed
Usage: 50 premium requests/mo; 2,000 completions/mo
Copilot Student
student
Monthly: $0/mo + usage
Annual: Not listed
Usage: 300 premium requests/mo; unlimited completions
Copilot Pro
pro
Monthly: $10/mo + usage
Annual: Not listed
Usage: 300 premium requests/mo; unlimited completions
Copilot Pro+
pro-plus
Monthly: $39/mo + usage
Annual: Not listed
Usage: 1,500 premium requests/mo; unlimited completions
Copilot Business
business
Monthly: $19/mo + usage
Annual: Not listed
Usage: 300 premium requests/user/mo
Copilot Enterprise
enterprise
Monthly: $39/mo + usage
Annual: Not listed
Usage: 1,000 premium requests/user/mo
Evidence boundary
Official sources
Editorial guidance grounded in official product sources.
FAQ
GitHub Copilot pricing FAQ
How many GitHub AI Credits do Copilot Pro, Pro+, and Max include?
Pro includes 1,000 base plus 500 flex credits for 1,500 total monthly. Pro+ includes 3,900 base plus 3,100 flex for 7,000. Max includes 10,000 base plus 10,000 flex for 20,000.
What does one GitHub AI Credit cost?
One AI Credit equals $0.01, but an interaction can use a fraction of a credit or many credits depending on model choice, tokens, context, and task complexity.
How do Copilot Business and Enterprise credits work?
Business contributes 1,900 credits per user per month and Enterprise 3,900. Those allowances pool at the billing-entity level, where administrators control paid usage and budgets.
What happens when Copilot AI Credits run out?
Individuals can upgrade, enable a paid-usage budget, or wait for the next monthly reset. Organizations either continue with paid usage or block until reset, depending on policies and budgets.
Do current GitHub Copilot plans still use premium requests?
Current plans use GitHub AI Credits. Premium requests remain only for existing annual Copilot Pro and Pro+ subscribers who stayed on the legacy request-based billing lane after June 1, 2026.
Internal links
What to open next
Keep researching GitHub Copilot
Pair the pricing snapshot with verdict, alternatives, and the full profile page.
ToolProfile: GitHub CopilotGitHub-native AI coding assistant for chat, code review, and agent workflows.Review: GitHub Copilot ReviewGitHub Copilot remains one of the easiest AI coding assistants to adopt, combining GitHub-native workflow fit, broad IDE coverage, code review, and flexible plans from free to enterprise.Alternatives: 5 GitHub Copilot Alternatives Worth Switching ToCursor is the best overall GitHub Copilot replacement for most developers, while Windsurf, Claude Code, Codex, and Tabnine win when you need deeper agents, terminal workflows, or tighter governance.
Head-to-head pages
Open direct comparison pages before choosing a plan.
VSGitHub Copilot vs CursorCursor is better for developers who live in one editor and want the most opinionated AI coding workflow. GitHub Copilot is better for GitHub-centric teams that prioritize price, platform breadth, and built-in review and PR automation. Across the whole market, this comparison is a contextual tie rather than a single winner.VSGitHub Copilot vs Devin Desktop (Windsurf)GitHub Copilot is the better overall buy for most teams because it layers agents onto the tools they already use. Windsurf is stronger when a deeper in-editor AI workflow is worth the migration cost.VSGitHub Copilot vs Claude CodeClaude Code is the better default for developers and engineering teams that want an agent-first coding workflow for scoped implementation tasks. GitHub Copilot is the better fit when GitHub-native rollout, broad IDE coverage, pull request assistance, and enterprise seat governance matter more than terminal-agent depth.VSGitHub Copilot vs CodexCodex should be the default when the team is buying for deeper agentic coding work: repository understanding, task execution, command-running, tests, code review preparation, and reviewable diffs. GitHub Copilot should lead when the team values GitHub-native IDE assistance, pull request workflow, seat administration, and organization policy more than standalone agent depth.VSGitHub Copilot vs TabnineGitHub Copilot is the default recommendation for most buyers because it is the broader GitHub-native assistant with lower mainstream team entry pricing, wide IDE and platform reach, mature chat and agent surfaces, and a simpler rollout path for teams already living in GitHub. Tabnine becomes the better pick when the decision is driven by private deployment, no-retention posture, model governance, auditability, mixed VCS support, and enterprise control requirements that matter more than GitHub-native convenience.
Other reviews in this category
Sanity-check nearby tools before committing to a pricing tier.
ReviewCursor ReviewCursor is one of the strongest AI coding environments available, pairing deep codebase context with agentic workflows, but its usage-based pricing makes plan selection less predictable.ReviewClaude Code ReviewClaude Code remains a top coding agent for serious repo work. Fable 5 affects Claude-side evaluation and budget planning, but do not assume it is the default Claude Code model without official confirmation.ReviewCodex Review: Is GPT-5.6 Worth It for Developers?Codex pairs GPT-5.6 model choice with selectable reasoning and Ultra subagents, but its value depends on managing plan limits, credits, surfaces, and separate API billing.ReviewWindsurf ReviewWindsurf is one of the strongest AI-native IDEs available, with multi-file agent workflows, MCP, browser previews, and JetBrains support. Its main tradeoffs are hybrid overage pricing and a less mature ecosystem than safer editor-plus-plugin setups.