GitHub Copilot pricing explained (2026): the real cost
verified 2026-05-31Pro at $10/mo includes $10 of AI Credits = 1,000 credits (1 credit = $0.01). Code completions are free and unlimited, so credits only burn on agent mode, chat, code review, and the cloud agent, billed by token usage at each model's API rate. A cheap model like GPT-5 mini ($0.25/1M input tokens) lets a single chat costing ~10k input + 2k output tokens consume well under 1 credit; a Claude Opus 4.8 Prices verified 2026-05-31 against github.com. prices change often, verify live
The tiers
Monthly and annual. The unit you pay against, per plan.
| tier | monthly | annual | what's included | unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 2,000 code completions + 50 agent/chat requests per month; access to Haiku 4.5, GPT-5 mini and other models; Copilot CLI | per user / month |
| Pro | $10verify live | $100 | Everything in Free plus unlimited completions, code review, Copilot cloud agent; ~$10 in monthly AI Credits (legacy: 300 premium requests, ~1,000 base + 500 flex credits) | per user / month |
| Pro+ | $39verify live | $390 | Everything in Pro plus all models incl. Claude Opus, GitHub Spark, third-party agent delegation; ~$39 in monthly AI Credits (~7,000 incl. 3,900 base + 3,100 flex; legacy 1,500 premium requests) | per user / month |
| Max | $100verify live | n/a | Highest individual allowance: ~$100 base + ~$100 flex AI Credits (~20,000 credits total); priority access to newest models and features | per user / month |
| Business | $19verify live | n/a | Org management, policy controls, pooled credits; ~$19 in monthly AI Credits (promo boost to ~$30 Jun-Aug 2026) | per user / month |
// pools and per-unit rates are volatile · verified 2026-05-31 · cells flagged verify live link to the live vendor page
Billing changed on June 1, 2026: flat "premium request" counting is gone, replaced by token-metered AI Credits priced at each model's real API rate, so heavy use of expensive models (Claude Opus, GPT-5) can burn through your included pool far faster than the old fixed-request model suggested, and the old cheaper-model "fallback" when you ran out is being removed, so once credits are spent work simply stops unless you allow overage at published rates.
Billing changed on June 1, 2026: flat "premium request" counting is gone, replaced by token-metered AI Credits priced at each model's real API rate, so heavy use of expensive models (Claude Opus, GPT-5) can burn through your included pool far faster than the old fixed-request model suggested, and the old cheaper-model "fallback" when you ran out is being removed, so once credits are spent work simply stops unless you allow overage at published rates. Code completions stay free, but chat, agent mode, and code review all meter tokens (including cached and output tokens), and Copilot code review also eats GitHub Actions minutes. Also, since April 20, 2026, new sign-ups for the Pro, Pro+, and Student individual plans were paused, and Opus models were pulled from Pro and now require Pro+ or higher.
See live pricing on GitHub Copilot →Worth it if
- You want an AI coding agent that lives directly inside VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, the CLI, and GitHub itself, completing code as you type, running multi-step tasks autonomously in agent mode, and delegating whole pull requests to a cloud agent that codes and reviews on your behalf.
- Your usage stays inside the included allowance.
- You value in-IDE coding over raw lowest cost.
Look elsewhere if
- Billing changed on June 1, 2026: flat "premium request" counting is gone, replaced by token-metered AI Credits priced at each model's real API rate, so heavy use of expensive models (Claude Opus, GPT-5) can burn through your included pool far faster than the old fixed-request model suggested, and the old cheaper-model "fallback" when you ran out is being removed, so once credits are spent work simply stops unless you allow overage at published rates. Code completions stay free, but chat, agent mode, and code review all meter tokens (including cached and output tokens), and Copilot code review also eats GitHub Actions minutes. Also, since April 20, 2026, new sign-ups for the Pro, Pro+, and Student individual plans were paused, and Opus models were pulled from Pro and now require Pro+ or higher.
- You're highly cost-sensitive at scale.
- A cheaper tool in the comparison covers your use case.
Ready to try GitHub Copilot?
Start on the free tier (Free plan: 2,000 completions + 50 agent/chat requests/mo, no card), then size your plan with the numbers above.
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Questions
How much does GitHub Copilot really cost?
Pro at $10/mo includes $10 of AI Credits = 1,000 credits (1 credit = $0.01). Code completions are free and unlimited, so credits only burn on agent mode, chat, code review, and the cloud agent, billed by token usage at each model's API rate. A cheap model like GPT-5 mini ($0.25/1M input tokens) lets a single chat costing ~10k input + 2k output tokens consume well under 1 credit; a Claude Opus 4.8
Does GitHub Copilot have a free tier?
Free tier: Free plan: 2,000 completions + 50 agent/chat requests/mo, no card.
What's the catch with GitHub Copilot's pricing?
Billing changed on June 1, 2026: flat "premium request" counting is gone, replaced by token-metered AI Credits priced at each model's real API rate, so heavy use of expensive models (Claude Opus, GPT-5) can burn through your included pool far faster than the old fixed-request model suggested, and the old cheaper-model "fallback" when you ran out is being removed, so once credits are spent work simply stops unless you allow overage at published rates. Code completions stay free, but chat, agent mode, and code review all meter tokens (including cached and output tokens), and Copilot code review also eats GitHub Actions minutes. Also, since April 20, 2026, new sign-ups for the Pro, Pro+, and Student individual plans were paused, and Opus models were pulled from Pro and now require Pro+ or higher.
Is GitHub Copilot worth it?
GitHub Copilot is worth it if you specifically need in-IDE coding. That's where it beats the alternatives. Pro at $10/mo includes $10 of AI Credits = 1,000 credits (1 credit = $0.01). Code completions are free and unlimited, so credits only burn on agent mode, chat, code review, and the cloud agent, billed by token usage at each model's API rate. A cheap model like GPT-5 mini ($0.25/1M input tokens) lets a single chat costing ~10k input + 2k output tokens consume well under 1 credit; a Claude Opus 4.8 If your usage is high-volume or budget is the priority, a cheaper tool in the comparison will do the same work for less.