How much does GitHub Copilot cost?

Updated 2026-07-15Asked across Reddit, Quora & Google· GitHub Copilot
Short answer

As of 2026-07, GitHub Copilot has a free tier ($0) plus paid plans: Pro is $10/month, Pro+ is $39/month, and Max is $100/month for individuals. For teams, Business is $19/user/month and Enterprise is $39/user/month. Paid plans include monthly GitHub AI Credits (1 credit = $0.01) for advanced features.

Why — the first-principles explanation

Copilot's price reflects a simple economic reality: running large AI models costs real money per request. GitHub's answer is a two-part pricing model — a flat subscription that unlocks the product, plus a metered budget of AI Credits for the expensive stuff. Basic code completions are cheap enough to be unlimited on paid plans, while chat, agents, and premium models draw down your credit balance.

On June 1, 2026, GitHub switched from counting 'premium requests' to counting AI Credits, where 1 credit equals $0.01 USD. Each paid plan comes with a monthly credit allotment: Pro includes $15 in credits, Pro+ includes $70, and Max includes $200. When you use pricier models or agent runs, you spend from that pool; run out, and you either wait for next month or enable pay-as-you-go overage.

The tiers map to how heavily you lean on AI. Free ($0) is a trial-sized taste — 2,000 completions and 50 chat requests a month. Pro ($10) removes completion limits for solo developers. Pro+ ($39) and Max ($100) buy dramatically larger credit budgets for people who live in agent mode all day. For organizations, Business ($19/user) and Enterprise ($39/user) add admin controls, policy management, and (for Enterprise) deeper GitHub integration.

Because pricing is credit-metered, your real cost depends on usage. A light user may never exhaust Pro's $15 credits; a heavy agent user on Max can still hit the $200 ceiling and pay overage. Read the plan as 'subscription + a tank of gas,' not a flat all-you-can-eat buffet.

An example that makes it click

Imagine a phone plan. You pay a flat monthly fee that includes unlimited texts (that's your code completions) plus a bucket of data (that's your AI Credits) for the heavier browsing — video calls and streaming stand in for chat and agent mode. Pro is the $10 plan with a small $15 data bucket; Max is the $100 plan with a huge $200 bucket.

If you only text, the cheap plan is plenty. If you stream all day, you'll blow through the small bucket and want the big one — or pay for extra data. Same with Copilot: a student writing homework barely dents Pro's credits, while a developer running dozens of AI agents daily needs Pro+ or Max.

How to do it

  1. Go to github.com/features/copilot/plans to compare current tiers.
  2. Start on the Free plan ($0) to test 2,000 completions and 50 chat requests per month.
  3. Upgrade to Pro ($10/month) if you want unlimited completions and $15 in monthly AI Credits.
  4. Choose Pro+ ($39) or Max ($100) if you rely heavily on agents and premium models.
  5. For a team, have an admin set up Business ($19/user/month) or Enterprise ($39/user/month) with policy controls.

Key facts

Infographic: How much does GitHub Copilot cost — short answer and key facts
Visual summary — How much does GitHub Copilot cost?
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▶ The 60-second explainer (script)

How much does GitHub Copilot cost? As of 2026, there's a free tier at zero dollars, and paid plans start at ten dollars a month. Here's the full picture. For individuals: Free is $0 with 2,000 completions a month. Pro is $10 a month and includes fifteen dollars of AI Credits. Pro+ is $39 with seventy dollars of credits. And Max is $100 a month with two hundred dollars of credits. For teams: Business is $19 per user per month, and Enterprise is $39 per user. Here's the key thing to understand. In June 2026, GitHub switched to usage-based billing. You pay a flat subscription, and it comes with a bucket of AI Credits — one credit equals one cent. Basic code completions are unlimited on paid plans, but chat, agents, and premium models spend those credits. So your real cost depends on how hard you use it. A light user never empties the Pro bucket. A heavy agent user on Max can still hit the ceiling and pay overage. And don't forget — verified students, teachers, and top open-source maintainers can get Pro for free. Start free, then upgrade only when you feel the limits.

What authoritative sources say

GitHub — Copilot Plans & Pricingofficial — Copilot Free is $0, Pro is $10/month, Pro+ is $39/month, and Max is $100/month, each with a monthly AI Credit budget. source ↗
The GitHub Blog — Copilot is moving to usage-based billingofficial — On June 1, 2026, GitHub Copilot moved to usage-based billing using GitHub AI Credits; Business is $19/user and Enterprise is $39/user per month. source ↗
GitHub Docs — What is GitHub Copilotofficial — Students, teachers, and open-source maintainers can access Copilot at no cost through GitHub Education. source ↗

People also ask

Is there a free version of Copilot?

Yes. Copilot Free costs $0/month and includes 2,000 code completions and 50 chat requests per month.

What are AI Credits?

AI Credits are Copilot's usage currency as of June 2026, where 1 credit equals $0.01. Paid plans include a monthly credit budget for chat, agents, and premium models.

How much is Copilot for a company?

Copilot Business is $19 per user per month, and Copilot Enterprise is $39 per user per month, both with admin controls and policy management.

Can I pay yearly?

Yes. Individual plans can be billed annually, which typically works out to about ten months' cost for a year of Pro; check the plans page for current annual rates.

Will I be charged extra beyond the subscription?

Only if you exceed your monthly AI Credit allotment and have overage or pay-as-you-go usage enabled; basic completions on paid plans do not draw credits.

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