GitHub Copilot

What is GitHub Copilot?

GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant that completes code, answers questions about your repository and runs agent tasks that end in pull requests. It is built by GitHub, which is owned by Microsoft, and works inside VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs, Eclipse, Xcode, Neovim, the terminal through the Copilot CLI, GitHub.com and GitHub Mobile. It is one of the most widely used AI developer tools, and every plan, including the free one, gives access to models from several providers such as Anthropic, OpenAI and Google.

What sets Copilot apart is how closely it is tied to GitHub itself. You can assign an issue to the Copilot cloud agent, let it work in the background and review the pull request it opens, or ask Copilot to review someone else's pull request. Paid plans can also hand tasks to third party agents such as Claude and Codex. Day to day, developers use it for inline completions, explaining unfamiliar code, writing tests, refactoring and running multi-step edits in agent mode.

Main Features

• Suggest inline code completions as you type in supported editors.
• Chat about your code, files and repository in the IDE, on GitHub.com or on mobile.
• Run agent mode to plan and apply multi-file changes from a single prompt.
• Assign GitHub issues to the cloud agent, which works in the background and opens a pull request.
• Review pull requests and leave suggested changes.
• Switch between models from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and others.
• Use the Copilot CLI to work with an agent directly in the terminal.
• Delegate tasks to third party agents such as Claude and Codex on Pro+ and above.

How to Get Started with GitHub Copilot

1. Sign in to GitHub and enable Copilot Free from your account settings, or pick a paid plan.
2. Install the GitHub Copilot extension in VS Code, a JetBrains IDE or another supported editor and sign in.
3. Start typing to see inline suggestions, then open Copilot Chat to ask about your code.
4. Switch to agent mode for larger changes, or assign an issue to Copilot on GitHub.com to get a pull request back.

GitHub Copilot Pricing

Copilot Free costs nothing and includes 2,000 inline completions and 50 chat requests per month plus agent mode and CLI access. Pro costs $10 per month and adds unlimited completions, code review and the cloud agent, Pro+ costs $39 per month and adds third party agent delegation, and Max costs $100 per month with the highest usage allowance. Business and Enterprise plans for organizations are priced through GitHub sales.

Who Should Use It?

• Professional developers who want completions and chat inside their existing IDE.
• Teams already hosting code on GitHub who want agents to turn issues into pull requests.
• Students and hobbyists who can start on the free plan.
• Engineering managers looking for AI code review on pull requests.
• Companies that need admin controls and policy settings through Copilot Business or Enterprise.

GitHub Copilot Alternatives

• Cursor AI: a full AI-first editor rather than an extension
• Claude Code: terminal-first agent for larger autonomous coding tasks
• Windsurf By Codeium: AI IDE with its own agent, good for solo developers

Frequently Asked Questions

Is GitHub Copilot free?

Yes, there is a free plan. Copilot Free includes 2,000 completions and 50 chat requests a month, while Pro starts at $10 per month for unlimited completions and the cloud agent.

What is GitHub Copilot used for?

GitHub Copilot is used to write, explain and refactor code with AI. Developers also use it to review pull requests and to hand issues to an agent that opens a pull request.

GitHub Copilot vs Cursor: which is better?

It depends on your setup. Copilot works as an extension in many editors and integrates deeply with GitHub, while Cursor is a standalone editor built around AI features.

Does GitHub Copilot work with JetBrains?

Yes. Copilot supports JetBrains IDEs as well as VS Code, Visual Studio, Eclipse, Xcode, Neovim and the terminal.