GitHub Copilot vs Microsoft Copilot (2026): Which Is Better?
Winner
GitHub Copilot and Microsoft Copilot are different products. GitHub Copilot is a coding assistant in your editor, free for 2,000 completions a month and free for verified students; Pro costs $10 a month. Microsoft Copilot is a general assistant for chat, writing and images, free in its app, with Microsoft 365 plans from ₹689 a month.
We may earn a commission if you buy through our links. This doesn't affect our rankings. Learn more about our affiliate disclosure.
- Starting at
- $10/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Criteria won
- 3 of 8
- Starting at
- ₹689/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Criteria won
- 1 of 8
GitHub Copilot vs Microsoft Copilot: side-by-side
| Criterion | GitHub Copilot | Microsoft Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A coding assistant and agent for building software | A general AI assistant for chat, writing and images |
| Where it works | VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Visual Studio, Neovim and more | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Edge and the web |
| Free plan | 2,000 code completions a month, plus limited chat and agent use | Chat, web answers, images and voice; limits not published |
| Cheapest paid plan | Pro, $10 a month, priced in US dollars | Microsoft 365 Personal, ₹689 a month incl. GST |
| How paid usage is measured | Monthly AI credits at $0.01 each; Pro includes 1,500 | Usage tiers by plan, without published numbers |
| Works with your code | Uses your open files and repository as context | Chat only, not connected to your editor |
| Works inside Office documents | Not designed for documents | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote on Microsoft 365 plans |
| Our rating | 4.4 out of 5 | 4.0 out of 5 |
Microsoft owns both, and both are called Copilot, so people reasonably assume they're the same thing at different prices. They aren't. One writes software with you inside your code editor; the other answers questions, drafts text and makes images in a chat window and in Office. Pick by the job, not the name.
GitHub Copilot is for writing software
GitHub describes GitHub Copilot as "an AI coding agent that helps you write, understand, and ship software." It installs into the editor you already use, including VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Visual Studio and Neovim, suggests code as you type, answers questions about your project in chat, and can take on multi-step changes as an agent. It works with your open files and repository as context, which a chat window can't do.
The free plan is real rather than a trial. GitHub's plans page says free users are limited to 2,000 completions a month and entry-level models, with limited chat and agent use. Paid plans are Pro at $10 a month, Pro+ at $39 and Max at $100, and each includes a monthly allowance of AI credits, where one credit is $0.01; Pro's allowance is 1,500 credits. Our comparison with Cursor covers the main alternative for developers.
Microsoft Copilot is for everything else
Microsoft describes Microsoft Copilot as an AI companion that "provides direct answers, assists with writing, and even creates images." It runs on Windows, macOS, iOS and Android and in Edge, and the app is free; signing in adds chat history, image creation, voice and longer conversations.
Its paid version comes through Microsoft 365, which puts Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote. In India, Personal costs ₹689 a month or ₹6,899 a year, including GST, per Microsoft's India store on 2 November 2026. Our ChatGPT vs Microsoft Copilot comparison covers which assistant is worth paying for if you don't write code.
What each costs in India
| Plan | Price | Billed in |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub Copilot Free | $0 | – |
| GitHub Copilot Pro | $10 a month | US dollars |
| GitHub Copilot Pro+ | $39 a month | US dollars |
| Microsoft Copilot app | Free | – |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | ₹689 a month or ₹6,899 a year | Rupees, GST included |
| Microsoft 365 Premium | ₹1,999 a month or ₹19,999 a year | Rupees, GST included |
GitHub's prices are in US dollars, so your card is charged in dollars. GitHub's changelog says that since 10 August 2026, customers in India can use eligible saved credit cards for automatic recurring payments "in line with Reserve Bank of India requirements", which means your bank sends a notice before each charge.
Students get GitHub Copilot free
Verified students can use Copilot Student at no cost, and GitHub's billing docs say it "includes unlimited code completions." Verified teachers and maintainers of popular open-source projects may get Copilot Pro free. For an engineering student in India, that makes GitHub Copilot the obvious first coding assistant; our list of free AI coding tools has others to try alongside it.
Which GitHub Copilot plan to pick
Start free and upgrade only when you hit a wall. The free plan's 2,000 completions a month is enough to learn whether inline suggestions help you or get in the way. One limit to know: GitHub's docs say that on Copilot Free and Copilot Student, models are available "through auto model selection only", so you can't choose which model answers.
Paid plans differ mainly in how many AI credits they include each month: 1,500 on Pro, 7,000 on Pro+ and 20,000 on Max, per GitHub's plans documentation. If you mostly use completions and occasional chat, Pro at $10 is the sensible ceiling for an individual; Pro+ and Max are for people running the agent on long tasks every day. Check your usage in GitHub's billing settings after the first month before moving up.
How to tell which one you have open
If it sits in your code editor's sidebar and suggests the next line as you type, it's GitHub Copilot, signed in with a GitHub account. If it opens as an app on Windows, in Edge's sidebar or on your phone, and you signed in with a Microsoft account, it's Microsoft Copilot. Paying for one doesn't unlock the other.
Where the two meet
Microsoft is bringing them closer at work. In September 2026 it added a Code feature to its work Copilot, "powered by the same underlying technology as GitHub Copilot", while saying that software developers "continue to use GitHub Copilot for their day-to-day work." For an individual, the answer stays simple: GitHub Copilot in your editor if you write code, Microsoft Copilot for everything else.
Verdict: GitHub Copilot wins
If you write code, GitHub Copilot is the one built for it: it works in your editor with your project as context. For questions, writing, images and Office documents, Microsoft Copilot is the right tool, and its free app covers most of that.
Frequently asked questions
Is GitHub Copilot the same as Microsoft Copilot?+
No. They share a name and a parent company but are separate products with separate plans. GitHub calls its Copilot an AI coding agent that helps you write, understand and ship software; Microsoft calls its Copilot an AI companion that answers questions, helps with writing and creates images.
Is GitHub Copilot free?+
Yes, with limits. The free plan includes 2,000 code completions a month and limited chat and agent use. Verified students get Copilot Student free with unlimited completions, and verified teachers and maintainers of popular open-source projects may get Copilot Pro free.
How much does GitHub Copilot cost in India?+
GitHub lists Pro at $10 a month, Pro+ at $39 and Max at $100, in US dollars. Since August 2026, customers in India can use eligible saved credit cards for automatic recurring payments, in line with RBI rules.
Can Microsoft Copilot help with coding?+
Its chat can talk through code, but it isn't connected to your editor or repository. Microsoft's work Copilot gained a Code feature in September 2026 built on the same technology as GitHub Copilot, and Microsoft says developers continue to use GitHub Copilot day to day.
Do I need Microsoft 365 to use GitHub Copilot?+
No. GitHub sells Copilot plans on their own, from free to Max. Microsoft 365 plans add Copilot to Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook instead.