PE Collective
GitHub Copilot Pricing: All Plans Compared
GitHub Copilot now has four tiers, including a free option that didn't exist a year ago. The pricing is competitive, especially compared to Cursor, but the feature differences between tiers matter. Here's what you get at each level and whether the upgrades are worth it.
Free
- ✓ 2,000 code completions per month
- ✓ 50 chat messages per month
- ✓ Access to GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet
- ✓ Works in VS Code and JetBrains
- ✓ Multi-file editing (limited)
Pro
- ✓ Unlimited code completions
- ✓ Unlimited chat messages
- ✓ Access to all models (GPT-4o, Claude, Gemini)
- ✓ Agent mode for multi-step tasks
- ✓ Full multi-file editing
- ✓ Custom instructions
Business
- ✓ Everything in Pro
- ✓ Organization-wide policy management
- ✓ Audit logs
- ✓ IP indemnification
- ✓ Exclude specific files from Copilot
- ✓ SAML SSO
Enterprise
- ✓ Everything in Business
- ✓ Fine-tuned models on your codebase
- ✓ Knowledge bases from your docs
- ✓ Advanced security features
- ✓ Dedicated support
Hidden Costs & Gotchas
- ⚠ The free tier's 50 chat messages per month is very limiting. You'll hit it in a single day of active use.
- ⚠ Pro at $10/mo is half the price of Cursor Pro, but the AI capabilities (especially multi-file editing) aren't as polished.
- ⚠ Business tier's main value is IP indemnification and audit logs. If you don't need those, Pro is sufficient.
- ⚠ Enterprise requires a GitHub Enterprise Cloud subscription, which adds another $21/user/mo to the total cost.
Which Plan Do You Need?
Individual developer
Pro at $10/mo is the best value in AI coding tools right now. Half the price of Cursor with unlimited completions and chat. The tradeoff is slightly less capable multi-file editing.
Small team (under 20)
Business at $19/user/mo if you need audit logs or IP indemnification. Otherwise, individual Pro licenses work fine.
Enterprise
Enterprise at $39/user/mo only if you need fine-tuned models on your codebase. The $21/user/mo GitHub Enterprise Cloud prerequisite makes the true cost $60/user/mo.
The Bottom Line
GitHub Copilot Pro at $10/mo is the best value in AI coding assistants. It's half the price of Cursor Pro with solid capabilities. Cursor still wins on multi-file editing quality, but Copilot's GitHub integration and lower price make it the right choice for many developers.
Related Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GitHub Copilot free?
Yes, GitHub Copilot now has a free tier with 2,000 completions and 50 chat messages per month. It's enough to try the tool but not for daily professional use. The free tier includes access to GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet.
Is GitHub Copilot worth $10 a month?
For most developers, absolutely. Unlimited completions and chat at $10/mo is the cheapest unlimited AI coding plan available. If you write code daily, it'll save you hours per week.
What's the difference between Copilot Business and Enterprise?
Enterprise adds fine-tuned models trained on your company's codebase, knowledge bases from internal docs, and advanced security features. It costs $39/user/mo but also requires a GitHub Enterprise Cloud subscription ($21/user/mo extra).
How does Copilot pricing compare to Cursor?
Copilot Pro ($10/mo) is half the price of Cursor Pro ($20/mo). Both offer unlimited completions. Cursor has better multi-file editing (Composer) and codebase-wide context. Copilot has better GitHub integration. For pure value, Copilot wins on price.