GitHub Copilot

What Is GitHub Copilot?

GitHub Copilot is the AI code assistant developed by GitHub (Microsoft) that provides real-time code suggestions, chat-based assistance, and increasingly agentic capabilities across multiple IDEs. Originally launched in 2021 as the first mainstream AI coding tool, Copilot pioneered the idea of AI-powered code completion and remains one of the most widely used developer tools in the world.

Copilot works directly inside your editor — VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Neovim, and more — suggesting code as you type, answering questions about your codebase, and helping debug issues. With the introduction of Copilot Workspace and Agent Mode, it has evolved from a suggestion engine into a more proactive development partner.

Who Is GitHub Copilot For?

Target audience:

• Enterprise teams already invested in the GitHub ecosystem
• Developers using JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm) where Cursor isn't available
• Beginners who want gentle AI assistance without changing their editor
• Multi-language developers working across diverse tech stacks
• Organizations with strict compliance requirements (SOC 2, HIPAA, etc.)
• Open-source maintainers — Copilot is free for popular open source projects
• Neovim/Vim users who want AI assistance in their terminal editor

Copilot's strength is its ubiquity: it works wherever you already code, without requiring you to switch editors.

Key Use Cases

1. Inline code completion — Get intelligent suggestions as you type, accepting with Tab
2. Code explanation — Highlight code and ask Copilot to explain what it does
3. Bug fixing — Describe an error and get fix suggestions in context
4. Test generation — Generate unit tests for existing functions
5. Code transformation — Convert code between languages, modernize syntax, or refactor patterns
6. PR summaries — Auto-generate pull request descriptions based on your changes
7. Code review — Copilot can review PRs and suggest improvements
8. Workspace planning — Copilot Workspace turns GitHub issues into implementation plans

What's New in 2026

GitHub Copilot has been evolving rapidly to keep up with Cursor and other AI-native editors:

• Agent Mode — Copilot in VS Code can now make multi-file changes, run terminal commands, and iterate autonomously
• Copilot Workspace — Turn GitHub issues into fully planned, implemented, and tested changes
• Copilot Code Review — AI-powered code reviews on GitHub pull requests
• Multi-model support — Choose between GPT-4o, Claude, and Gemini models
• Custom instructions — Configure Copilot's behavior with project-specific guidelines
• Extensions — Third-party Copilot extensions for specialized domains (databases, cloud, testing)
• Free tier expansion — GitHub now offers a free Copilot tier with limited monthly usage
• MCP support — Connect external tools and data sources via Model Context Protocol

Pricing Breakdown

Plan	Price	What You Get
Free	$0	2,000 completions/mo, 50 chat messages/mo
Individual	$10/mo	Unlimited completions, unlimited chat, agent mode
Business	$19/mo	Individual + org management, policy controls, IP indemnity
Enterprise	$39/mo	Business + fine-tuned models, knowledge bases, SAML SSO

Copilot's Individual plan at $10/mo is the cheapest paid option among major AI coding tools, making it accessible for budget-conscious developers.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Works in virtually every IDE (VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim, Xcode, etc.)
• Deeply integrated with GitHub (PRs, issues, code review)
• Most affordable paid plan at $10/mo
• Trusted by enterprises with compliance requirements
• Free tier and free for open source contributors
• Multi-model support (GPT-4o, Claude, Gemini)
• Largest installed base of any AI coding tool

Cons:

• Agent mode is less mature than Cursor's or Claude Code's
• Code completion quality can lag behind Cursor's context-aware suggestions
• Less effective at multi-file editing compared to purpose-built AI editors
• Chat experience is less deeply integrated than Cursor's codebase-aware chat
• Extension model limits what can be done compared to AI-native editors
• Can feel like an afterthought in JetBrains IDEs compared to VS Code

How to Get Started

1. Sign up at github.com/features/copilot
2. Install the GitHub Copilot extension in your IDE of choice
3. Sign in with your GitHub account
4. Start coding — Copilot will suggest completions as you type
5. Press Cmd+I (Mac) or Ctrl+I (Windows) in VS Code to open inline chat
6. Try Agent Mode in VS Code for multi-file changes and terminal commands
7. Use @workspace in chat to ask questions about your entire project

Video Resources

Get the most out of GitHub Copilot:

• GitHub Copilot in 2026 — Full Tutorial — Complete guide
• Copilot Agent Mode — Is It as Good as Cursor? — Feature comparison
• GitHub Copilot Workspace Explained — Issue-to-code workflow
• Copilot for JetBrains IDEs — IntelliJ/PyCharm setup
• Is GitHub Copilot Worth It in 2026? — Honest review

How GitHub Copilot Compares

Copilot competes with Cursor and Windsurf as an AI coding assistant, but takes a different approach as an IDE extension rather than a standalone editor. Compared to Cursor, Copilot works in more IDEs but offers a less deeply integrated AI experience. Compared to Windsurf, Copilot has a larger user base and better GitHub integration. Copilot's main advantage is flexibility — it meets you where you already work.

See our detailed comparisons:

• Cursor vs Copilot
• Windsurf vs Copilot

The Bottom Line

GitHub Copilot remains the most widely adopted AI coding tool in the world, and for good reason: it works everywhere, it's affordable, and it's backed by the GitHub ecosystem. While purpose-built AI editors like Cursor offer a deeper integration, Copilot is the pragmatic choice for developers who don't want to switch editors, teams that need enterprise compliance, and anyone working in JetBrains IDEs. Its Agent Mode and Workspace features are narrowing the gap with AI-native editors, making Copilot a tool that continues to evolve with the AI coding landscape.