GitHub Copilot Free provides limited access to select features of Copilot, allowing you to experience AI-powered coding assistance without a subscription.
Copilot Free is not available if:
- You have a managed user account.
- You are assigned a Copilot seat through an organization.
- You have an existing Copilot Pro subscription or trial.
- You have free access to Copilot Pro as a student, teacher, or open-source maintainer.
What features are included in Copilot Free?
Copilot Free includes the following features:
- Code completion in Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDES, Vim/Neovim, Xcode, and Azure Data Studio
- Copilot Edits to make changes across multiple files (only in Visual Studio Code and Visual Studio)
- Copilot Chat in Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDES, and GitHub.com
- Block suggestions matching public code
- Access to Claude 3.5 Sonnet models
What are the limitations of Copilot Free?
Copilot Free has the following limitations:
- Code completions are limited to 2000 completions per month.
- Copilot Chat is limited to 50 chat messages per month. This limit includes both standard chats and multi-file editing chats in VS Code and Visual Studio.
When you reach these limits, you can upgrade to Copilot Pro to continue using Copilot.
Limitations for enterprises
Copilot Free is not suitable for enterprises, as it does not include the following features:
- Access management
- Audit logs
- Policy management
- File exclusion
- Usage data
- Indemnification coverage
How do I get access to Copilot Free?
There are a few ways to access Copilot Free.
VS Code
In VS Code you can access Copilot Free directly from the editor.
- In VS Code, click Sign up for Copilot Free in the sidebar.
- If you have a GitHub account, you will be prompted to sign in. If you don't have a GitHub account, you will be prompted to create one.
GitHub.com
With Copilot Free, you can ask Copilot questions within a chat interface on GitHub.
- To access your personal dashboard once you're signed in, click the in the upper-left corner of any page on GitHub.
- At the top of the dashboard, use the "Ask a question" box to start a chat with Copilot.
Other IDEs
To use Copilot Free in other IDEs, you first have to activate Copilot Free in your GitHub account settings.
- In the upper-right corner of any page on GitHub, click your profile photo, then click Your Copilot.
- Click Start using Copilot Free to activate Copilot Free and open a conversation thread.
- Click Use Copilot in other IDEs and follow the instructions for your IDE.
How can I upgrade to Copilot Pro?
If you use Copilot Free in VS Code or on GitHub.com and reach the usage limits, you'll receive a notification. The notification includes the reset date for your limits and a link to set up a 30-day free trial of Copilot Pro. After the trial ends, you'll need a paid subscription to keep using Copilot.
If you use Copilot Free in a different IDE and reach the limits, an error message will appear in your editor. To continue, you can start a 30-day free trial of Copilot Pro in your GitHub account settings. See Setting up GitHub Copilot for yourself.