GitHub Copilot Review 2026: The AI Assistant That Works Everywhere

What Is GitHub Copilot?

GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant developed by GitHub (Microsoft) and originally powered by OpenAI models. First released in 2021, it was the tool that introduced most developers to AI-assisted coding. In 2026, it has evolved into a multi-model platform — users can choose between GPT, Claude, and Gemini models depending on the task.

Copilot operates primarily as an editor extension rather than a standalone IDE. This means it works within your existing editor, which gives it broader editor support than any other AI coding tool.

What It Does

Code Completions

Copilot suggests lines and entire functions as you type. The completions are context-aware and draw from both your current file and the broader project. Quality is strong for popular languages — JavaScript, Python, TypeScript, Go — and weaker for niche or newer languages.

Copilot Chat

The chat panel lets you ask questions about your code, request refactors, generate tests, and get explanations. You can reference specific files with #file and use @workspace to query across the project. Chat quality varies by model — Claude tends to produce more concise answers than GPT in our experience.

CLI Integration

Copilot in the CLI helps compose shell commands, explains error output, and assists with git operations. It is a smaller feature but useful once it becomes part of your terminal workflow.

Pull Request Summaries

On GitHub.com, Copilot can generate PR descriptions and review summaries. For teams that produce a high volume of pull requests, this reduces the time spent writing descriptions.

Pricing

Plan	Price	Key Features
Free	$0	2,000 completions/mo, 50 chat messages/mo
Pro	$10/mo	Unlimited completions, unlimited chat, multi-model
Business	$19/mo	Pro features + IP indemnity, policy controls
Enterprise	$39/mo	Fine-tuned models, knowledge bases, Bing search

At $10/mo, the Pro plan is the most affordable premium AI coding tool available. The Business plan adds IP indemnity, which matters for companies concerned about code provenance.

Pricing verified February 2026. Check GitHub Copilot pricing for current pricing.

Strengths

Editor support is the broadest available. VS Code, JetBrains (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.), Neovim, Vim, Xcode, Visual Studio, Eclipse — Copilot works in all of them. If you use a non-VS Code editor, Copilot is likely the only full-featured AI coding assistant available to you.

GitHub integration is a real workflow advantage for GitHub-centric teams. PR summaries, code review suggestions, and issue references feel like native platform features. The value compounds when your entire CI/CD pipeline is on GitHub.

$10/mo with unlimited completions is hard to beat on price. For individual developers who want a paid AI tool at the lowest cost, Copilot Pro offers strong value.

Weaknesses

Multi-file agentic editing trails Cursor. Copilot can suggest code within a file, but orchestrating changes across many files simultaneously — the kind of thing Cursor’s Composer does — is not its strength. GitHub has been adding agentic features, but they are not yet at parity.

Suggestions can be verbose. Copilot sometimes generates more boilerplate than needed. You will find yourself trimming suggestions, especially with Java, Go, and other languages that have verbose conventions.

The free tier is too limited for regular use. 50 chat messages per month is roughly one afternoon of active development. It functions as a trial rather than a sustainable plan.

Who It’s For

Copilot fits well for:

• Teams already using GitHub for source control, CI/CD, and code review
• Developers who use JetBrains, Vim, Xcode, or other non-VS Code editors
• Enterprise teams that need IP indemnity and compliance controls
• Individual developers who want solid AI assistance at $10/mo

Copilot is a harder sell for:

• Developers who need agentic multi-file editing (Cursor is stronger here)
• Terminal-first developers who want autonomous code changes (Claude Code or Aider are better fits)
• Developers who need a fully free option (Windsurf offers more at no cost)

Sources

• GitHub Copilot
• GitHub Copilot Pricing
• GitHub Copilot Documentation