Yes, GitHub Copilot has a free plan. Copilot Free gives individual developers limited access to Copilot features without upgrading, including up to 2,000 code completions each month and an allowance of AI credits. Verified students get Copilot Student free, and verified teachers and maintainers of popular open source projects may get Copilot Pro free.
GitHub Copilot is the AI pair programmer that suggests code as you type and answers questions in chat. It works in VS Code, JetBrains IDEs and other editors, plus the Copilot CLI and the Copilot app. The free plan is a real working plan rather than a trial, but it has limits that matter once you lean on it every day. Here's what GitHub's own documentation says.
The free GitHub Copilot plans
| Plan | Who it's for | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Copilot Free | Individual developers | Limited features, up to 2,000 completions each month, an allowance of AI credits, auto model selection only |
| Copilot Student | Verified students | Copilot features free, an allowance of AI credits, auto model selection only, excludes third-party agents |
| Copilot Pro (free for some) | Verified teachers and popular open source maintainers | A selection of models and a base of 1,000 AI credits |
All plans include Copilot CLI and the Copilot app, according to GitHub's plans page.
The limits on Copilot Free
- 2,000 completions each month. GitHub's docs say inline suggestions are limited to 2,000 completions a month on Copilot Free. On upgraded plans, completions and next edit suggestions are unlimited.
- Auto model selection only. On Free and Student plans you can't pick a specific model; Copilot chooses for you.
- No Copilot Chat skills in IDEs. GitHub lists these as not available in Copilot Free.
- Code review is limited. GitHub's table shows only Review selection in VS Code on the free tier.
For a hobby project or the odd script for your website, 2,000 completions goes a long way. If you code for a living, you'll likely see the cap before the end of the month.
The catch: Free is for individuals only
GitHub says Copilot Free plans are only available to individual developers who don't already have access to Copilot through an organisation or enterprise. If your employer or client gives you Copilot Business or Enterprise, that's the plan you'll use, and you won't see the free one on that account.
It's also worth knowing that Copilot isn't currently available for GitHub Enterprise Server.
How AI credits work now
GitHub has moved Copilot to usage measured in GitHub AI Credits. Each plan comes with an allowance, and the free plans have a smaller allowance than Copilot Pro, which has a base of 1,000. Higher plans, Pro+ and Max, come with larger allowances and access to premium models.
The practical upshot: completions on the free plan are capped, and chat and agent work draws on your AI credit allowance. When it's gone, you wait for the next month or upgrade.
How to get Copilot Student or free Pro
- Sign in to GitHub and open the Copilot settings for your account.
- If you're a student, apply for Copilot Student and complete GitHub's verification.
- If you're a teacher or maintain a popular open source project, check whether you're eligible for free access to Copilot Pro.
- If neither applies, turn on Copilot Free and connect it to your editor.
If you're starting from scratch, my page on whether GitHub itself is free explains what the free GitHub account includes, which you'll need first.
Getting more from a free allowance
With a monthly cap, be deliberate. Write a clear comment describing the function you want before you start typing, keep related files open so Copilot has context, and use chat for explaining errors rather than for rewriting whole files. My list of GitHub Copilot prompts has wording that gets better answers in fewer tries.
Copilot Free vs the upgraded plans
If you outgrow the free plan, GitHub's ladder is clear. Copilot Pro is designed for individuals who want a selection of models and a monthly allowance of AI credits. Pro+ includes everything in Pro with a higher allowance and access to the most advanced capabilities. Max sits above that for sustained, high-volume use, with GitHub's highest individual allowance.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
For businesses, Copilot Business gives centralised management and policy control for organisation members, and Copilot Enterprise adds a larger pool of AI credits and enterprise-grade features for companies on GitHub Enterprise Cloud. If you hire developers, that's usually the better route than everyone signing up for Copilot Free on personal accounts, because you keep control of policies and access.
A tip before you upgrade: track how often you hit the completion cap in a normal month. If it's only in the last few days, the free plan may still be enough.
Does Copilot Free work in my editor?
Yes, in the common ones. Copilot works in VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs and other supported editors, and GitHub says every plan, including the free ones, comes with Copilot CLI and the Copilot app. If you use VS Code, my page on whether VS Code is free covers how the editor and Copilot fit together. Sign in with the same GitHub account in each place and your free allowance is shared across them, so a busy afternoon in the terminal counts towards the same monthly cap as your editor.
My verdict
GitHub Copilot is free for individuals, and the free plan is useful, not a gimmick. If you're a student, teacher or open source maintainer, check the free routes to Student or Pro first, because they're far more generous. Everyone else can live on Copilot Free for light coding and upgrade only when the 2,000 completions or the credit allowance run out regularly.
Frequently asked questions
Is GitHub Copilot free for individuals?
Yes. GitHub offers Copilot Free to individual developers who don't have Copilot through an organisation or enterprise.
How many completions do you get on Copilot Free?
GitHub's docs say inline suggestions are limited to 2,000 completions a month on Copilot Free.
Is GitHub Copilot free for students?
Yes. Verified students can get Copilot Student, which GitHub says gives access to Copilot's features for free, with auto model selection only.
Can teachers get GitHub Copilot Pro free?
GitHub says verified teachers and maintainers of popular open source projects may be eligible for free access to Copilot Pro.
Can I choose the AI model on Copilot Free?
No. GitHub says Copilot Free and Copilot Student use auto model selection only.
