GitHub Copilot Free vs Pro vs Business: individual plans or Business for a small team?
Updated 2026-10-24 · 9 min read
| Tool | What it is | Pricing | Usage limits | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Copilot checked 2026-10-17 | AI assistant in VS Code/JetBrains + coding agent. Low-cost paid entry ($10 Pro) from a big vendor that works inside the editor you already use. | Free $0 (2,000 completions) · Pro $10 · Pro+ $39 · Max $100 per month; overage $0.01/AI credit source (opens in a new tab) | Free: 2,000 completions/mo + limited chat/agent. Pro: 1,500 AI credits/mo · Pro+: 7,000 · Max: 20,000. source (opens in a new tab) | Visit GitHub Copilot (opens in a new tab) |
This page compares GitHub's own plans for a small team. For GitHub Copilot Business against Claude Team, see GitHub Copilot Business vs Claude Team. For Claude's seat prices, see Claude Team plan pricing. For training, retention and DPA terms across tools, see AI coding tool data terms. GitHub has no affiliate programme with us, so every link here is a plain link.
Plans side by side (GitHub pages, checked 24 Oct 2026)
| Copilot Free | Copilot Pro | Copilot Pro+ | GitHub Copilot Business | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price, monthly | Free | “$10 USD per month” | “$39 USD per month” | “$19 USD per granted seat per month” |
| Price, annual | Not stated on public pages (checked 24 Oct 2026) | Not stated on public pages (checked 24 Oct 2026) | Not stated on public pages (checked 24 Oct 2026) | Not stated on public pages (checked 24 Oct 2026). The licenses page lists Business as “(billed monthly)”. |
| Who it's for | “Intended for individual use only (not suitable for organizations or enterprises)” | Individuals | Individuals | “Made for organizations and enterprises” |
| Included AI credits a month | “An allowance of GitHub AI Credits”. The amount: Not stated on public pages (checked 24 Oct 2026) | 1,500 (base 1,000 + flex 500) | 7,000 (base 3,900 + flex 3,100) | 1,900 per user, pooled across the organization |
| Code completions | “Limited to 2000 completions per month” | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Models | “Auto model selection only” | “A selection of models” | “Access to premium models” | “Access to premium models” |
| Past the included credits | Upgrade to Pro | $0.01 per AI credit with a budget you set | $0.01 per AI credit with a budget you set | $0.01 per AI credit. Admins decide whether extra usage is allowed. |
| Pooled usage | No | No | No | Yes |
| User management in github.com | No | No | No | Yes |
| Organization-wide policy management | No | No | No | Yes |
| Content exclusion | No | No | No | Yes |
| Audit logs | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| IP indemnity | No | No | No | Yes |
| SAML SSO authentication | No | No | No | Yes |
| Usage metrics | No | No | No | Yes |
Sources: prices, credits, models, policy management, content exclusion and audit logs come from Plans for GitHub Copilot (GitHub Docs) (opens in a new tab). Pooled usage, user management, IP indemnity, SAML SSO and usage metrics come from the plan comparison on GitHub Copilot plans and pricing (opens in a new tab). The “individual use only” and “billed monthly” wording comes from GitHub Copilot licenses (GitHub Docs) (opens in a new tab). Overage comes from Usage-based billing for individuals (GitHub Docs) (opens in a new tab) and Usage-based billing for organizations and enterprises (GitHub Docs) (opens in a new tab). “Yes” and “No” mirror GitHub's own tick marks, and the audit-log row is shown exactly as the docs table has it.
Also listed, for context: Copilot Max is $100 a month with 20,000 AI credits (10,000 base + 10,000 flex). Copilot Enterprise is “$39 USD per granted seat per month” with 3,900 AI credits per user, and is “Designed for enterprises using GitHub Enterprise Cloud”. GitHub Docs (opens in a new tab)
Credits: per person on Pro, one pool on Business
- Pro and Pro+: credits belong to one account. “Your base credits are used first.” The flex allotment “is a variable part of your included usage”, and GitHub's pricing page adds “Flex allotments may change over time.” When credits run out, you can upgrade, “pay for more usage” with a budget, or wait for the monthly reset. GitHub: billing for individuals (opens in a new tab)
- Business: “Each license contributes AI credits to a shared enterprise pool, and usage beyond the pool is charged at $0.01 USD per AI credit.” On Business and Enterprise, “admins set usage limits and decide whether additional paid usage is allowed. If it isn't, Copilot pauses until the next cycle.” GitHub plans FAQ (opens in a new tab)
- Both: 1 AI credit = $0.01 USD, and “Code completions and next edit suggestions are not billed in AI credits and remain unlimited for all paid plans.” Allowances reset “at 00:00:00 UTC on the first day of each calendar month”.
Models: Pro gets a subset
In GitHub's docs model table, Copilot Pro is unticked for several models that Pro+, Max, Business and Enterprise are ticked for. These include Claude Opus 4.8, Claude Opus 5 and 5.5, Claude Fable 5 and 5.1, Gemini 4 Argon, GPT-5.6 Sol, GPT-6 Sol, GPT-6 Astra and GPT-6.1 Sol. Free and Student get “auto model selection only”. GitHub Docs model table (opens in a new tab) GitHub's pages differ here: the pricing page at github.com/features/copilot/plans shows the same model list for every plan, including Free. This page follows the docs table, so check with GitHub if one model matters to you.
What Business adds that individual plans don't
- Central billing and seats: “Individual plans are tied to a single account and can’t include additional seats. To license multiple users, upgrade to an organizational plan.” On Business, “Organizations and enterprises are billed for the number of assigned seats at the end of each monthly billing cycle”, and added seats “are billed immediately on a prorated basis”. GitHub Copilot licenses (opens in a new tab)
- Policy and admin controls: organization custom instructions, organization-wide policy management and excluding specified files from Copilot are ticked for Business and not for Free, Pro, Pro+ or Max. User management and usage metrics are listed for Business only.
- IP indemnity and SAML SSO: GitHub's plan comparison marks both as Business and Enterprise only.
- Data and training terms: GitHub's FAQ treats individual and Business data differently, and individual users can opt out of model training. We cover the details, with links to the terms, in AI coding tool data terms rather than repeating them here.
- Switching over: if someone with Pro, Pro+ or Max is given a Business seat, “your personal Copilot plan will be automatically canceled. You will receive a prorated refund for any remaining portion of your personal plan's current billing cycle.” GitHub Copilot licenses (opens in a new tab)
- Not stated for any plan: a seat minimum or maximum for Business. Not stated on public pages (checked 24 Oct 2026).
Worked example: 5 and 15 developers
Uses only the list prices and credit totals quoted above. Excludes taxes and any usage beyond the included credits. GitHub publishes no annual price for these plans, so the 12-month figures are simply 12 × the monthly price.
| 5 developers | 15 developers | |
|---|---|---|
| Copilot Pro, per month | 5 × $10 = $50 | 15 × $10 = $150 |
| GitHub Copilot Business, per month | 5 × $19 = $95 | 15 × $19 = $285 |
| Difference, per month | $95 − $50 = $45 (5 × $9) | $285 − $150 = $135 (15 × $9) |
| 12 months, Pro vs Business | 12 × $50 = $600 vs 12 × $95 = $1,140 | 12 × $150 = $1,800 vs 12 × $285 = $3,420 |
| Included AI credits a month | Pro: 5 × 1,500 = 7,500, held per person. Business: 5 × 1,900 = 9,500, in one pool. | Pro: 15 × 1,500 = 22,500, held per person. Business: 15 × 1,900 = 28,500, in one pool. |
| For context: Copilot Pro+, per month | 5 × $39 = $195 | 15 × $39 = $585 |
The arithmetic shows list prices only. It doesn't show which plan costs your team less overall, because that depends on how many credits each developer actually uses beyond the included amount, and on whether you need Business's controls.
If you already pay for Copilot or other AI tools across a team and want someone to go through the actual invoices, that's what our AI bill review does. To price several tools side by side yourself, use the team plan cost calculator.
Related comparisons
- GitHub Copilot Business vs Enterprise
- GitHub Copilot Business vs Claude Team
- AI coding team plans: seat costs and minimums
- Claude Team plan pricing explained
- AI coding tool data terms
- Best free AI coding tools
- Not sure? Select your class in 3 questions
FAQ
Is GitHub Copilot Free enough for a team?
GitHub describes Copilot Free as intended for individual use only, not suitable for organizations or enterprises. It's limited to 2,000 completions a month with auto model selection only. GitHub also says Free is only available to developers who don't get Copilot through an organization or enterprise (checked 24 Oct 2026).
What's the difference between Copilot Pro and GitHub Copilot Business?
Pro is $10 a month for one account with 1,500 AI credits. Business is $19 per seat a month with 1,900 AI credits per user, pooled across the organization. GitHub lists pooled usage, user management, organization-wide policy management, content exclusion, IP indemnity, SAML SSO and usage metrics for Business and not for Pro.
How much does GitHub Copilot Business cost for 5 or 15 developers?
At the list price of $19 per granted seat per month: 5 × $19 = $95 a month and 15 × $19 = $285 a month, before any usage beyond the pooled credits (charged at $0.01 per AI credit). The same teams on Pro would be 5 × $10 = $50 and 15 × $10 = $150 a month. GitHub's public pages don't state an annual price for either plan.
Do Pro and Business include the same models?
Not according to GitHub's docs table. Business is ticked for several models that Pro isn't, including the Claude Opus models, Claude Fable 5 and 5.1, Gemini 4 Argon and GPT-6 Sol. GitHub's pricing page shows a single model list for every plan, so the two GitHub pages differ (checked 24 Oct 2026).
Does Copilot Pro include IP indemnity or SSO?
No. GitHub's plan comparison marks IP indemnity and SAML SSO authentication as available on GitHub Copilot Business and Enterprise, and not on Free, Pro, Pro+ or Max.
What happens to a developer's Pro plan if they're given a Business seat?
GitHub says that if you have an active Copilot Pro, Pro+ or Max plan and are then assigned a Business or Enterprise seat, your personal plan is canceled automatically, with a prorated refund for the rest of its current billing cycle.
Not sure? Select your class in 3 questions.
Get a main pick plus a backup for limit days.
Select your class