GitHub makes AI Copilot free for VS Code developers, with limits

Microsoft’s code repository subsidiary, GitHub, has announced the launch of Free GitHub Copilotan accessible version of its popular AI-powered coding assistant, now integrated directly into the Visual Studio Code (VS Code) Integrated development environment (IDE).

Recall that Github first released its version of Copilot based on OpenAI’s Codex code completion model back in 2022, before the launch of ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, and has constantly updated it since then.

The new free tier for VS Code aims to expand the reach of the AI-powered code completion assistant to a broader audience of developers, namely those with light usage needs and tighter budgets.

This announcement coincides with GitHub surpassing the milestone of 150 million developers on its platform.

According to CEO Thomas Dohmke, this move builds on GitHub’s history of providing free tools to the developer community.

Previously, GitHub offered free repositories, continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) minutes, and Codespaces. Copilot Free adds another layer to these offerings aimed at casual users or smaller-scale projects.

Copilot Free also comes after GitHub provided free, unlimited access to the more feature-rich and less limited Copilot Pro ($10 per month per seat) to students, educators, and open source maintainers. The company says it will continue to offer Copilot Pro for free to these users.

Features of GitHub Copilot Free

GitHub Copilot Free provides users with 2,000 code completions and 50 chat messages per month, which can be accessed after signing in with a personal GitHub account.

The service leverages advanced AI models, including Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet and OpenAI’s GPT-4o.

These templates allow developers to seek help with coding questions, debug existing code, or implement edits to multiple files. However, those looking to use premium AI models like Google’s Gemini 1.5 Pro and OpenAI’s o1-preview will need to turn to Pro and other paid plans.

The new free tier includes:

• Editing multiple files: Users can make changes to multiple files through Copilot Edits, which combines conversational chat with code generation.

• Terminal assistance: Copilot can interpret errors, fix failed commands, and even suggest shell scripts via the terminal chat.

• Custom instructions: Developers can define coding preferences at the project or editor level, ensuring consistent code generation tailored to specific frameworks or guidelines.

• Voice commands: A built-in voice interface allows users to interact with Copilot hands-free, using voice commands to prototype applications or debug code.

• Project context awareness: Copilot’s AI participants can provide support based on a comprehensive understanding of an entire codebase.

Availability and future plans

GitHub Copilot Free is available immediately on VS Code and GitHub.com. Developers only need a GitHub account to get started.

In addition to these offerings, GitHub is previewing an advanced feature called Vision Copilot. This tool allows developers to generate user interfaces from screenshots or markups, streamlining the design-to-code workflow.

While still in preview, Vision Copilot requires users to provide their own API key to access AI services.

A commitment to developer empowerment

GitHub’s introduction of Copilot Free reflects its continued commitment to empowering developers. As part of the announcement, Dohmke highlighted the company’s mission to reduce barriers for the global developer community.

The free tier complements a growing set of AI-powered tools built into VS Code, offering practical solutions to everyday challenges like debugging, naming conventions, and commit message generation.

For those interested in exploring the capabilities of GitHub Copilot Free, the service can be enabled directly in VS Code or accessed through the GitHub dashboard.