GitHub Copilot
ActiveGitHub / Microsoft · founded 2021
The default AI pair programmer inside your editor and GitHub.
GitHub Copilot provides inline code completion and chat across VS Code, JetBrains, and GitHub. It is the safest default for teams already on GitHub, with a free tier, tight repository awareness, and solid multi-file agentic editing in newer versions. It trails Cursor on whole-repo agentic ergonomics for some users.
At a glance
- Category
- AI Coding Tools
- Primary use case
- Inline code completion and chat in IDE and GitHub
- Entry price
- $10/mo
- Free plan
- Free tier (limited completions)
- API
- Yes
- Open source
- No
- Evidence level
- Research / specifications only
- Last checked
- 20 Aug 2026
Pricing
Last checked 20 Aug 2026
| Free plan | Free tier (limited completions) |
|---|---|
| Trial | None |
| Entry price | $10/mo |
| Pro price | $10/mo |
| Team price | $19/user/mo |
| Enterprise | Custom (~$39/user/mo) |
| Usage limits | Free tier caps completions/chat messages |
Copilot Pro ~$10/mo, Business ~$19/user/mo, Enterprise ~$39/user/mo. Free tier added 2024–25.
What it does
Secondary use cases
- PR review
- Test generation
- Agentic multi-file edits
Input types
Code, Text
Output types
Code
Models used
GPT / Claude (selectable)
Platforms
Integrations
Privacy & commercial rights
Data retention
Code snippets may be retained; configurable telemetry
Trains on your data
No (per stated policy)
Enterprise privacy
Business/Enterprise exclude prompts from training by default
Self-hosting / local
Not available
SSO
Available
Compliance
SOC 2 (GitHub claims)
Commercial use
Permitted — Commercial use permitted
Pros & cons
Pros
- Deep GitHub integration
- Broad IDE support
- Free tier available
- Strong enterprise controls
Cons / trade-offs
- Weaker whole-repo agentic editing than Cursor
- Model quality depends on chosen backend
Alternatives to GitHub Copilot
Considering a switch, or comparing before you buy? See the full alternatives guide.