GitHub Copilot

GitHub Editors & IDE helpers Free way to start

AI assistant inside VS Code/JetBrains and a Copilot CLI. The Free plan is a genuine zero-cost way to keep editing code.

Verified against official sources · Last checked: 2026-09-20

Capabilities

Read local project Supported Workspace context in the IDE.
Edit files Supported Copilot Edits and agent mode.
Run commands Supported Agent mode runs commands with approval; Copilot CLI included.
Image input Conditional Vision in chat depends on model/IDE support.
Long autonomous tasks Conditional Agent usage counts against premium request quotas.

Working experience

Code quality Good
Works on its own Conditional
Speed Good
Stability Good

Editorial assessment based on official documentation and publicly known behavior — not a field-test score. Sources and check date on this page.

🧪 ResetDog field notes

TaskTake over a frozen 60%-complete Astro project and fix the fixed 360px overflow without losing the pending diff.
ResultCompleted
ProtocolTest v1.0
Run typeFirst validation run · 1 fixed task
Read projectYes
Edit filesYes
Ran testsYes
Manual help needed0
Independent verificationYes
EnvironmentGitHub Copilot CLI 1.0.86 / Copilot Free / Auto → gpt-5.6-luna
Test date2026-09-20
Known issuesOne fixed task only; this does not establish stability, a success rate, or superiority over other agents.

🎯 Good for

Change pages / UI · Fix a bug · Read and understand a project · Continue from a screenshot · Let an agent run · Quick code question · Hand off my project

🧭 How you use it

Inside your IDE · In the terminal
Works on: macOS / Windows / Linux

💰 Cost & quota

Freemium · Free tier

Included quota
Free: 2,000 completions + 50 chats/mo; paid plans meter premium requests
Billing note
Not billed per token.

🆓 Free / trial access

Copilot Free: 2,000 completions/month and 50 chat requests/month (including Edits), plus Copilot CLI with agent mode. Just needs a GitHub account.

🤝 Invite benefits

Current status
No public program found
What the referrer gets
No public personal referral reward confirmed
What the new user gets
No public invite-only benefit confirmed
Who qualifies
Free and education eligibility are available without a referral link

🏷️ Pricing notes

Free $0; Pro $10/user/mo; Pro+ $39/user/mo; Max $100/user/mo (higher limits). Business/Enterprise seats are sold separately.

See pricing page ↗

🚀 Setup

Install the GitHub Copilot extension in VS Code (or your IDE), sign in with a GitHub account.

⚠️ Main limitations

  • Free plan: 50 chat requests/month runs out quickly for agentic work.
  • Paid plans use a premium-request quota; heavy agent use may need Pro+ or Max.

🔒 Privacy & data

Code snippets are processed per GitHub Copilot terms; public code match and training settings can be adjusted. Official privacy policy ↗

🧾 What is official vs ours

Facts like pricing, plans, and capability limits come from the official pages linked below, checked on the date shown. Summaries and task-fit notes are written by ResetDog. Anything marked “conditional” or “unknown” was not fully confirmed — treat it as unverified.