GitHub Copilot
Your AI pair programmer in any IDE
GitHub / OpenAI · Code Assistance
Launched Jun 29, 2022
Quick Answer
GitHub Copilot is your ai pair programmer in any ide, made by GitHub / OpenAI. It is a paid product. Key uses: Code completion, Test generation, Documentation.
Last updated:
Users
20M+ users (Apr 2026)
Revenue
$2B+ ARR (2026 est.)
Growth
1M (2023) → 10M (2024) → 20M (Apr 2026)
Employees
~3,500 (GitHub total)
What is GitHub Copilot?
GitHub Copilot uses OpenAI Codex to suggest code completions, entire functions, and documentation as you type. Supports 20+ languages and integrates with VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim, and more.
How did GitHub Copilot get started?
Technical preview Jun 2021. GA Jun 2022. Grew to 1M users within first year — fastest Microsoft product to reach $100M ARR. Business tier 2023. Expanded to multi-model (GPT-4o, Claude, Gemini) 2024. Free tier launched late 2024. Agent mode with autonomous multi-step tasks 2025. Usage-based AI Credits billing Jun 1 2026. Copilot Pro+ ($39) and Max ($100) tiers introduced.
What's new in GitHub Copilot in 2026?
Usage-based AI Credits billing launched Jun 1 2026 (pay per request); Copilot Pro+ $39/mo; Copilot Max $100/mo with advanced reasoning; 20M+ users (Apr 2026); Copilot coding agent embedded in GitHub.com; SWE-bench top performer via Claude Opus 4.8
How much does GitHub Copilot cost?
Free
$0/mo
- 2,000 code completions/month
- 50 chat requests/month
- Multi-file edits
- All editors
Pro
$10/mo
- Unlimited completions
- Unlimited chat
- Multiple AI models
- Copilot Edits
- PR summaries
Pro+
$39/mo (Jun 2026)
- All Pro features
- Copilot coding agent (unlimited)
- Access to premium models incl. Claude Opus 4.8
- Priority queue
Business
$19/user/mo
- Everything in Pro
- Org management
- Audit logs
- IP indemnity
- Policy controls
Enterprise
$39/user/mo
- Custom AI models
- Copilot in GitHub.com
- Security scanning
- Fine-tuning on your codebase
Copilot Max
$100/mo (Jun 2026)
- Advanced reasoning models
- Unlimited premium requests
- Early access to new features
- Highest SWE-bench performance
What can you do with GitHub Copilot?
- Code completion
- Test generation
- Documentation
- Boilerplate generation
Pros
- Deep IDE integration
- Wide language support
- GitHub integration
Cons
- Monthly cost
- Occasional incorrect suggestions
- Requires internet
What are the best alternatives to GitHub Copilot?
Compare GitHub Copilot Head-to-Head
Frequently Asked Questions about GitHub Copilot
How much does GitHub Copilot cost?
GitHub Copilot pricing: Free at $0/mo; Pro at $10/mo; Pro+ at $39/mo (Jun 2026); Business at $19/user/mo; Enterprise at $39/user/mo; Copilot Max at $100/mo (Jun 2026).
Is GitHub Copilot free?
GitHub Copilot is a paid product with no permanent free tier.
What is GitHub Copilot used for?
GitHub Copilot is used for: Code completion, Test generation, Documentation, Boilerplate generation.
What are the best alternatives to GitHub Copilot?
Top alternatives to GitHub Copilot include Cursor, Tabnine, Windsurf (formerly Codeium), Windsurf, Cursor.
What platforms does GitHub Copilot support?
GitHub Copilot is available on: VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Visual Studio, Vim/Neovim, Azure Data Studio, GitHub.com, Xcode.
Details
Vendor
GitHub / OpenAI
Category
Code Assistance
Pricing Model
Launched
Jun 29, 2022
Website
github.com/features/copilotUnderlying Models
Platforms
Integrations
Ideal For
- Individual developers
- Enterprise engineering teams
- GitHub-centric workflows