GitHub is making its Copilot AI coding tool easier to try by launching a free plan and placing it directly inside Microsoft’s VS Code editor by default. The move changes Copilot from a product that most developers had to pay for into one that many can start using without a subscription.
The free version does not replace the paid plans. Instead, it gives occasional users a limited path into code completions, Copilot Chat, Copilot Extensions and skills across several developer environments.
What GitHub is offering for free
Microsoft-owned GitHub announced on Wednesday that Copilot now has a free version. Until this change, most developers needed to pay a monthly fee starting at $10 per month, while verified students, teachers and open source maintainers could already get free access.
The new free Copilot plan is designed for lighter use. GitHub is giving developers on the free plan 2,000 code completions per month. A GitHub spokesperson said each Copilot code suggestion counts toward that limit, whether or not the developer accepts it.
Copilot Chat is also included, with a limit of 50 chat messages. Beyond those caps, the source article says there are no major limitations to the free service. Developers also keep access to all Copilot Extensions and skills.
The free version will work in multiple places where developers already spend time:
- VS Code
- Visual Studio
- JetBrains
- GitHub.com
The default inclusion in VS Code is especially important because it puts Copilot in front of developers at the moment they are already writing software, rather than requiring them to seek out a separate tool first.
The limits define who the plan is for
GitHub is positioning the free version for occasional users, not for intensive work on a large project. That distinction matters because the limits are not only about cost; they also shape how the product is likely to be used.
A developer experimenting with AI-assisted coding, learning a new workflow or working on smaller tasks may be able to get value from the free tier. A professional developer relying on Copilot throughout the workday could reach the monthly limits more quickly, especially because every suggestion counts against the completion allowance.
GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke said the team looked at Copilot usage data from recent years to understand where occasional use ends and professional use begins. That data informed the thresholds for the new free SKU.
The free plan also has a narrower model selection. Users can access Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet and OpenAI’s GPT-4o. Paid plans add Google’s Gemini 1.5 Pro and OpenAI’s o1-preview and -mini.
That makes the free tier a real entry point, but not the full version of Copilot’s paid model menu. For developers comparing plans, the practical question is whether they need broader model choice and higher usage, or whether limited monthly access is enough.
Why GitHub is making the shift now
Copilot has been one of the most visible AI coding tools since it launched in 2021. But the market around it has become more crowded. The source article names Tabnine, Qodo, previously known as Codium, and AWS among competitors offering rival services.
Those competitors typically provide a free plan. Against that backdrop, GitHub’s decision to offer Copilot Free brings its pricing model closer to the broader market while leaning on its existing distribution through VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains and GitHub.com.
The announcement also fits GitHub’s wider history of adding free access to developer products. Dohmke pointed to free private repositories, launched very early in 2019 after work that began in 2018, free private organizations in 2020, free GitHub Actions entitlements and free Codespaces.
In that context, a free Copilot plan is not a standalone change. It is part of GitHub’s broader pattern of lowering barriers around core developer workflows, then reserving heavier or more advanced use for paid plans.
A broader push toward more developers
GitHub also said it now has 150 million developers on its platform, up from 100 million in early 2023. The free Copilot plan arrives alongside that growth and connects directly to GitHub’s larger ambition around expanding software creation.
Dohmke described GitHub’s mission in global terms, pointing to Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, India, Indonesia and Pakistan as examples of places where $10 has a different weight relative to average income. The argument is straightforward: a monthly price can be a bigger barrier in some countries than in others.
The free plan may also simplify access for students. GitHub has offered students a free version before, but Dohmke said they had to go through certification steps to prove eligibility. Copilot Free removes that extra process for anyone who can use the limited plan.
The result is a simpler funnel into AI coding assistance. A developer can log in, open an editor or GitHub.com, and begin using Copilot within the free allowance. For GitHub, that supports its one-billion-developer aspiration. For users, it makes the first experience with Copilot less dependent on payment status, certification or professional need.
The tradeoff is clear: Copilot Free lowers the starting cost, while usage limits and model availability still leave room for paid plans. That makes the announcement less about replacing subscriptions and more about making Copilot a default starting point for a wider developer audience.