Which editors does Copilot support?

VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs, Neovim, and more.

Can Copilot explain code, not just write it?

Yes, Copilot Chat can explain, refactor, and debug existing code.

Does Copilot use my code to train its models?

Business and Enterprise tiers exclude your code from training by default; check current settings for other tiers.

Can I choose which AI model Copilot uses?

Yes, on paid tiers you can pick between several available models for chat and completions.

CodingFree PlanGPT-4o / Claude Powered

GitHub Copilot

In-editor AI pair programmer from GitHub and OpenAI

GitHub Copilot is the most seamlessly integrated coding assistant, with fast, reliable autocomplete across every major editor.

Read full review

Overall score

9.2

out of 10

Price

$10/mo (Individual) · Free tier available

Free plan

Yes

API access

Languages

All major programming languages

Limits

Free tier: limited monthly completions and chat requests; paid tiers: much higher or unlimited completions.

Capabilities93%

Copilot's autocomplete is fast and often anticipates multi-line blocks correctly, especially in well-structured codebases with clear naming.

Quality of Output90%

Suggestion quality is strong for common patterns and boilerplate, and Copilot Chat closes the gap for anything that needs explanation or reasoning.

Ease of Use92%

Installing the extension and signing in takes minutes, and it works inline without changing your editing habits.

Pros

✓Deep integration into VS Code, JetBrains, and more

✓Strong autocomplete that learns your codebase patterns

✓Chat mode for explaining and refactoring code

✓Model choice (GPT-4o, Claude, and others) on paid tiers

Cons

–Free-tier request limits are easy to hit

–Autocomplete can suggest outdated patterns without guidance

–Full context awareness varies across editors

What’s included

Inline code completion

Copilot Chat

Multi-model selection

Pull request summaries

CLI assistant

Workspace-aware suggestions

Pricing

Individual is $10/mo with a genuinely useful free tier for light use; Business/Enterprise tiers add org-wide policy controls.

Limitations

The free tier's monthly completion and chat caps are easy to exhaust in a normal workday of heavy use.

How to start using GitHub Copilot

1
Install the extension
Add the GitHub Copilot extension to VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim, or your editor of choice.
2
Sign in with GitHub
Authenticate with your GitHub account to activate the free tier or your subscription.
3
Start typing code
Copilot suggests completions inline as you type — press Tab to accept a suggestion.
4
Use Copilot Chat
Open the chat panel to ask questions, request explanations, or refactor selected code.
5
Pick a model (paid tiers)
On paid plans, switch between available models depending on the task's complexity.

Reviewed by

Maya Chen · Lead AI Tools Analyst

Frequently asked questions

A free tier exists with limited monthly completions and chat requests; Individual is $10/mo for higher limits.