GitHub Copilot: Free vs. Pro vs. Business vs. Enterprise — Which Plan Is Right for You?

Stephen
Aug 14
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GitHub Copilot is more than just an AI coding assistant — it’s a productivity booster that can write code, generate tests, and explain snippets instantly. But before you dive in, you’ll need to choose the right subscription plan.

GitHub offers four main tiers: Free, Pro, Business, and Enterprise. Each comes with its own set of features, limitations, and pricing. Picking the right plan depends on whether you’re a student, an individual developer, part of a team, or running an enterprise.

In this article, we’ll break down each GitHub Copilot plan so you can make the smartest choice for your workflow.

1. GitHub Copilot Free

Best for: Students, open-source maintainers, and casual use.

Price: Free (for verified students, teachers, and maintainers of popular open-source projects)
Features:
- Code completions in supported IDEs
- Limited Copilot Chat access
- Basic inline suggestions
Limitations:
- Chat request limits per month
- No organization-level controls or policies
Ideal for: Those learning to code or using Copilot on side projects.

2. GitHub Copilot Pro

Best for: Individual developers and freelancers.

Price: $10/month or $100/year
Features:
- Everything in Free tier, plus:
  - Unlimited Copilot Chat
  - Full IDE integration (VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains)
  - Code generation, editing, and explanation
- Works across personal projects
Limitations:
- No centralized admin controls
Ideal for: Professionals who need Copilot daily to speed up their personal development work.

3. GitHub Copilot Business

Best for: Teams and organizations that need secure collaboration.

Price: $19/user/month
Features:
- Everything in Pro, plus:
  - Organization-wide policy management
  - Centralized billing
  - Enhanced privacy — suggestions are not retained
  - SAML single sign-on (SSO) support
Ideal for: Startups and small to medium teams prioritizing security and collaboration.

4. GitHub Copilot Enterprise

Best for: Large organizations with custom requirements.

Price: Contact GitHub for a custom quote
Features:
- Everything in Business, plus:
  - Deeper integration with internal codebases
  - Advanced code referencing and indexing
  - Custom AI model configurations
  - Dedicated support and onboarding
Ideal for: Enterprises that need Copilot tailored to their proprietary workflows and strict compliance rules.

Feature Comparison Table

Feature	Free	Pro	Business	Enterprise
AI code completions	✅	✅	✅	✅
Copilot Chat	Limited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Multi-IDE support	✅	✅	✅	✅
Centralized billing	❌	❌	✅	✅
Policy controls	❌	❌	✅	✅
Internal code integration	❌	❌	❌	✅

Which Plan Should You Choose?

Learning to code? Start with the Free tier.
Freelancer or solo developer? Pro is the sweet spot.
Team collaboration with security? Go for Business.
Enterprise-level needs? Enterprise is your match.

Conclusion

Choosing the right GitHub Copilot plan is about balancing your needs with the available features. Whether you’re just starting out or running a large development team, there’s a tier that can help you maximize productivity.

If you want to go beyond just choosing a plan and learn how to use GitHub Copilot effectively in real-world scenarios, check out our course:

👉 GitHub Copilot Training at LearnAI.C-SharpCorner.com

We’ll walk you through installation, setup, and advanced productivity tips for every plan.