GitHub Copilot Review (2026): Plans, AI Credits, Features

The short version

GitHub Copilot is the AI assistant to pick if you don’t want to change editors. It runs in VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs, Vim, Neovim, Xcode and Eclipse, and on github.com (GitHub). Paid plans start at $10/month.

The big change this year: on June 1, 2026, Copilot moved to usage-based billing. Chat and agent use now draws from a monthly allowance of GitHub AI Credits (GitHub changelog).

What it does

• Code completions and Next Edit suggestions as you type. These stay included and don’t use AI credits.
• Chat in your editor and on github.com.
• Cloud agent: assign a task and let an agent work in the background. GitHub lets you pick agents “like Copilot, Claude by Anthropic, and OpenAI Codex.”
• Copilot code review on pull requests. Organizations can turn it on for pull requests even for users without a Copilot license.
• Models: the plans page lists models from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, xAI, Microsoft and Kimi (GitHub plans).

Plans and prices

One AI credit equals $0.01. Extra usage beyond your allowance is billed at that rate where your plan or admin allows it.

How AI credits change things

Under the old system, you had a number of “premium requests.” Now each request costs credits based on the tokens it uses, at each model’s listed API rate (GitHub changelog). In practice:

• Heavier models and longer tasks use more credits. Agent work burns through the allowance faster than quick chats.
• No more “fallback.” GitHub says “Fallback experiences will no longer be available.” When you run out, you stop, or you pay for more.
• Copilot code review also uses GitHub Actions minutes.

Read the full breakdown in GitHub Copilot AI credits explained.

Who it’s for

• Developers who want AI in the editor they already use, especially JetBrains, Visual Studio or Vim users
• Teams already on GitHub who want admin controls and pooled budgets

Who should skip it

• People who want an AI-first editor built around an agent. Compare Cursor.
• Heavy agent users on a tight budget, who should watch credit use closely first

Our verdict

Copilot is still the easiest way to add AI to the editor you already use. Since the move to AI credits, light users get good value at $10; heavy agent users should watch their usage closely or compare Cursor and Claude Code.

Visit GitHub Copilot

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Prices checked on October 18–19, 2026. Source: GitHub Copilot.