GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is the code-completion assistant built by GitHub and Microsoft, living directly inside editors like VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs, and Neovim. It completes whole lines and blocks as you type, answers questions about your codebase in chat, and can carry out multi-file changes through its agent mode.

The free tier is a real working plan, not a token trial: it includes a monthly allowance of completions and chat requests at no cost with a GitHub account, which covers genuine personal projects and learning. Paid Pro removes completion limits and raises model and agent allowances.

It fits students and hobbyist programmers who want in-editor AI without paying, developers evaluating AI coding workflows before committing, and anyone already living in GitHub's ecosystem. The editor integration is the product — this is AI where you actually write code, not a chat window beside it.

To begin, install the Copilot extension in your editor, sign in with a GitHub account, and choose the Free plan. Type a comment describing a function and watch the completion appear; press Tab to accept.

The honest limits. The free tier's monthly caps run out on heavy use, and 2026 brought a shift toward token-based metering, so exact limits change more often than they used to — check GitHub's plans page. Completions can be wrong or dated, and code suggestions always need review and tests. Some features (model choice, agent mode depth) sit on paid plans.