GitHub Copilot Free is GitHub's no-cost Copilot plan for individual developers. It includes up to 2,000 code completions per month, a monthly allowance of GitHub AI Credits for Copilot Chat and agent mode, Copilot CLI and MCP, with models chosen for you by auto model selection. It leaves out Copilot cloud agent, full code review and the option to buy more credits.
GitHub's plans page sums it up as "limited access to a selection of Copilot features allowing you to try AI-powered coding assistance at no cost." This guide covers what that means in practice, as documented on 26 October 2026, plus the separate free plan for students.
What does GitHub Copilot Free include?
From GitHub's plan comparison tables, as of October 2026:
| Feature | Copilot Free |
|---|---|
| Inline suggestions and next edit suggestions | Yes, up to 2,000 completions per month |
| Copilot Chat in IDEs, on GitHub.com, GitHub Mobile and Windows Terminal | Yes |
| Inline chat and slash commands | Yes |
| Agent mode | Yes |
| Model Context Protocol (MCP) | Yes |
| Copilot CLI and the Copilot app | Yes |
| Repository and personal custom instructions, prompt files | Yes |
| Model choice | Auto model selection only |
| Copilot code review | Only "Review selection" in VS Code |
| Copilot cloud agent | No |
| Pull request summaries | No |
| Third-party agents | No |
| Copilot Chat skills in IDEs | No |
| Buying additional AI credits | No |
GitHub's marketing plans page describes the Free plan's credits as "Limited chat and agent usage" and adds: "Free plan supports CLI and agent mode." So you can try agent mode and Copilot CLI for real tasks, within the allowance.
What are the limits of Copilot Free?
There are three limits to plan around.
Completions. GitHub's individual billing docs state: "Copilot Free includes 2000 code completions per month." On paid plans, completions and next edit suggestions are unlimited and not billed in credits.
AI credits. Chat, agent mode and Copilot CLI draw on a monthly allowance of GitHub AI Credits. GitHub says only that Copilot Free has "an allowance of GitHub AI Credits"; it doesn't publish the number. Credits are priced per token by model, at 1 AI credit = $0.01 USD, so a quick chat question uses far less than a long agent session. GitHub's billing docs say included credits don't carry over and the allowance resets at 00:00:00 UTC on the first day of each calendar month.
Models. GitHub: "Copilot Student and Copilot Free users have access to models through auto model selection only." Auto picks from a pool of supported models based on the task and availability. You can't pin a specific model such as Claude Opus 5.5; see GitHub Copilot models for which plans can.
When you hit a limit, GitHub's getting started guide says what happens:
- In Visual Studio, VS Code or on GitHub.com, "You'll receive a message with your reset date and a link to upgrade to Copilot Pro or Copilot Pro+."
- In other IDEs, you see an error and can start a paid plan from your Copilot settings.
- In GitHub Mobile, you're prompted to upgrade through an in-app purchase.
Paid plans can set a budget to keep working past the allowance. On Copilot Free, your choices are to wait for the reset or upgrade.
Who can use Copilot Free?
Most individual developers can start with no setup. GitHub lists the cases where Copilot Free isn't available:
- You have a managed user account.
- You are assigned a Copilot seat through an organization.
- You have an existing Copilot Pro, Pro+ or Max plan.
- You have access to Copilot through Copilot Student.
- You have free access to Copilot Pro as a teacher or open source maintainer.
How do you start using Copilot Free?
GitHub gives a route for each place you work:
- VS Code or Visual Studio: click the Copilot icon at the top right, then Sign up for Copilot Free in the sidebar. You'll be asked to sign in to GitHub, or create an account.
- GitHub.com: go to github.com/copilot and start chatting.
- GitHub Mobile: tap the Copilot icon and use the "Ask Copilot" box.
- Other IDEs such as JetBrains, Xcode or Eclipse: open Copilot settings from your GitHub profile menu, click Start using Copilot Free, then pick your editor from the menu next to Download on the page that opens.
VS Code's inline suggestions guide confirms the same plan from the editor side: "You can set up Copilot Free to get a monthly allowance of inline suggestions and AI credits."
What is Copilot Student?
Copilot Student is a separate free plan for verified students. GitHub moved students with GitHub Education benefits onto it on 13 March 2026, according to its changelog. It gives more than Copilot Free:
| Feature | Copilot Free | Copilot Student |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free, for verified students |
| Code completions | 2,000 per month | Unlimited |
| AI credits | An allowance | An allowance |
| Models | Auto only | Auto only |
| Copilot cloud agent | No | Yes |
| Copilot code review | "Review selection" in VS Code only | Yes |
| Pull request summaries | No | Yes |
| Third-party agents | No | No |
To get it, GitHub's student setup guide says to go to github.com/settings/education/benefits, apply for verification if you haven't, then click Learn more under "Free GitHub developer resources for students and teachers" and follow the prompts. Some practical notes from GitHub:
- "GitHub reevaluates your eligibility every month."
- Approval and activation are separate steps, and the benefit "can take several days to finish applying after verification." If you see paid checkout options in the meantime, GitHub says not to complete a purchase.
- On 1 June 2026, GitHub made Copilot Max available as an upgrade for existing Student subscribers, per its billing changelog.
Can teachers and open source maintainers get Copilot for free?
Yes, and they get Copilot Pro rather than Free. GitHub: "Verified teachers, and maintainers of popular open source projects may be eligible for free access to Copilot Pro." Teachers verify through GitHub Education. Maintainers check eligibility in their Copilot settings, where eligible accounts see a page titled "GitHub Copilot Pro" with a Get access to GitHub Copilot button. Eligibility is reevaluated monthly, and GitHub notes that you can't cancel a plan granted this way.
Should you upgrade from Copilot Free to Pro?
Copilot Pro costs $10 USD per month as of October 2026, per GitHub's plans page, and the main differences are:
| Copilot Free | Copilot Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Code completions | 2,000 per month | Unlimited |
| AI credits | An allowance (amount not published) | 1,500 per month (1,000 base + 500 flex) |
| Model picker | No, auto only | Yes, a selection of models |
| Copilot cloud agent | No | Yes |
| Full code review | No | Yes |
| Extra credits when you run out | No | Yes, with a budget |
Staying on Free makes sense if you code occasionally, mostly want completions, or want to try agent mode before paying. Upgrading makes sense if you hit the 2,000 completion cap mid-month, want to pick models, or want Copilot code review and cloud agent on your pull requests. For every plan and price, see the GitHub Copilot pricing guide.
Make a limited allowance go further
On a capped plan, a prompt that gets the job done on the first try saves credits. Kipt keeps your prompts and Agent Skills as Markdown in a private GitHub repo you own, with {{name}} blanks and Cmd+K search, so you can reuse the prompts that already work instead of rewriting them.