GitHub Copilot Free vs Pro vs Pro+ vs Max: what the AI credits buy
By Quotadex Research Desk · Published 2026-10-21 · Last verified 2026-10-22
Correction: On Oct 22, 2026 we updated the Copilot Free line. GitHub's plans page and docs no longer list 50 chat requests; they now say Free includes 2,000 completions a month plus a limited allowance of GitHub AI Credits, with Auto model selection only. See the changelog.
Copilot Free costs $0 and includes 2,000 completions a month plus a limited allowance of AI credits for chat and agents (GitHub doesn't publish the amount). Paid plans come with GitHub AI Credits (1 credit = $0.01): Pro is $10/mo with $15 of credits ($10 base + $5 flex), Pro+ is $39/mo with $70 ($39 + $31 flex), and Max is $100/mo with $200 of credits ($100 base + $100 flex). Code completions don't use credits and are unlimited on every paid plan.
Every Copilot plan
| Tool | Plan | Price (USD) | Usage and limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Copilot | Free | $0/mo | 2,000 completions a month plus a limited allowance of GitHub AI Credits for chat and agents (GitHub doesn't publish the amount); Auto model selection only; supports CLI and agent mode |
| GitHub Copilot | Pro | $10/mo | $15/mo total AI credits ($10 base + $5 flex); cloud agent creates pull requests |
| GitHub Copilot | Pro+ | $39/mo | $70/mo total AI credits ($39 base + $31 flex) |
| GitHub Copilot | Max | $100/mo | $200/mo total AI credits ($100 base + $100 flex); for heavy agent use |
What uses credits and what doesn't
Chat, agent mode, code review, the Copilot cloud agent, Copilot CLI and Copilot apps such as Spaces and Spark all use GitHub AI Credits. Code completions and next edit suggestions don't, and they stay unlimited on every paid plan. How many credits a request uses depends on the model and the task: GitHub says a quick question to a lightweight model costs a fraction of a credit, while a long agent session on a frontier model costs more.
The flex part can change
Each paid plan's credits are a base amount equal to the plan price plus a flex allotment on top ($5 on Pro, $31 on Pro+). GitHub says flex allotments may change over time, so the base amount is the part to count on. On base credits alone, Pro+ gives 3.9x Pro's credits for 3.9x the price. With today's flex it gives about 4.7x ($70 vs $15).
A note on Max
GitHub's plans table lists $200 of total credits for Max ($100 base + $100 flex), while the FAQ on the same page still says Max includes $100/month. The flex part can change, so count on the $100 base.
When you run out
- Wait: your included credits reset every month.
- Pay as you go: set a dollar budget. Credits cost $0.01 each, so a $10 budget covers 1,000 credits. You get alerts at 75%, 90% and 100% of a budget you set.
- Switch models: lighter models use fewer credits per request.
Free Copilot Pro for some people
Verified students get Copilot Student for free, and verified teachers and maintainers of popular open-source projects get Copilot Pro for free. GitHub re-checks eligibility every month. Details are on our deals page.
One setting to check
On Free, Pro and Pro+, GitHub may use your Copilot interactions (prompts, suggestions and code snippets) to train its models unless you opt out in your Copilot settings. Business and Enterprise data isn't used for training, per GitHub's FAQ.
How it compares
Copilot Pro at $10/mo is one of the cheapest paid plans we track. Only Cursor Plus (Grok models only) and ChatGPT Go (Codex in the desktop app, subject to rollout) cost less, at $8/mo each. See GitHub Copilot vs Cursor pricing. Because Copilot's credits are priced in dollars, you can compare them directly with per-token API prices in API vs subscription.
FAQ
Is GitHub Copilot free?
Yes. Copilot Free costs $0 and includes 2,000 completions a month plus a limited allowance of GitHub AI Credits for chat and agents. GitHub doesn't publish the size of that allowance. Verified students, teachers and popular open-source maintainers can get more for free.
How many AI credits does Copilot Pro include?
$15 per month: $10 base plus $5 flex. 1 credit = $0.01, so that's 1,500 credits.
Do code completions use GitHub AI Credits?
No. Code completions and next edit suggestions don't use credits and are unlimited on paid plans.
What happens when I run out of Copilot credits?
Wait for the monthly reset, set a dollar budget for extra usage, or switch to a lighter model.
How much is Copilot Pro+?
$39/mo, with $70 of AI credits ($39 base + $31 flex).
All prices come from official pricing pages and match our live tracker. Some links are affiliate links (disclosure).