Coding · Updated 2026-10-25

GitHub Copilot — what it is actually for

GitHub Copilot provides code completion, chat, agent mode, pull-request review, and a cloud agent inside GitHub and popular IDEs. Usage on paid plans is measured in GitHub AI Credits.

Short answer: use GitHub Copilot when you need inline code completion and chat in the editor. It is a free tier + subscription service from GitHub (Microsoft); the official pricing source is linked below.

Vendor: GitHub (Microsoft)
Category: Coding
Pricing model: Free tier + subscription
Free option: Yes. The Free plan includes limited chat and agent usage.

What GitHub Copilot is used for

Inline code completion and chat in the editor
Automated pull-request review
Delegating tasks that create pull requests

Source: official product page and official documentation.

Who GitHub Copilot is for

Teams that keep code and reviews on GitHub
Developers who want completion, chat, and review in one tool
Organizations that need pooled usage and admin controls

Source: official documentation.

Who it is not for

Teams that do not use GitHub
Users who require a fully local model

Source: documented plans, limits, and deployment model on the official product page.

Pricing

Free plan at US$0 with limited chat and agent usage.Source: github.com
Pro at US$10 per month, Pro+ at US$39 per month, and Max at US$100 per month.Source: github.com
Paid plans include GitHub AI Credits. Business and Enterprise plans pool credits across an organization with admin spending controls.Source: github.com

Copilot features such as agent mode, code review, Copilot CLI, and the cloud agent consume AI Credits.

Full pricing page: https://github.com/features/copilot/plans

Alternatives to GitHub Copilot

Cursor — AI-first code editor and agent platform with pooled usage plans.
Claude Code — Agentic coding tool for terminal and IDE workflows, included in paid Claude plans.
OpenAI Codex — OpenAI's coding agent across ChatGPT, CLI, IDE, and cloud tasks.
JetBrains Air — Agent development environment for running multiple coding agents in IDEs, web, CLI, and mobile.

Official sources

GitHub Copilot FAQ

Is GitHub Copilot free?

Yes. There is a Free plan with limited chat and agent usage. Paid plans add higher limits and more features.

What are GitHub AI Credits?

They are the usage unit for Copilot features such as agent mode, code review, Copilot CLI, and the cloud agent.

Does Copilot work outside GitHub?

It works in supported IDEs and the CLI. GitHub-hosted features such as pull-request review require GitHub.