Is GitHub Copilot Free?
Is GitHub Copilot free in 2026? Copilot Free gives anyone 2,000 completions a month, and verified students get Copilot Student at $0. Checked 2026-11-12.
- Time
- 5 minutes (students: a few days for verification)
- You need
- A personal GitHub account · For Copilot Student: verification through GitHub Education (school email or proof of enrollment)
- Last checked
The short answer
4 offers in this guide are live today, 4 of them with no card required. Start with GitHub Copilot free for students: Copilot Student plan free while you're a student.
- GitHub Copilot free for students - Copilot Student plan free while you're a student · verified
- Cursor Free Plan - Cursor Agent with limited agent and chat requests, $0/month · verified
- Devin Free Plan - Unlimited tab completions and inline edits plus a light agent quota · verified
- Cline Free Models - Try select models free in Cline via rotating promotions with a usage quota · verified
Last checked
Yes, GitHub Copilot Free costs $0 for anyone with a GitHub account, with 2,000 code completions a month and entry-level models (checked on GitHub's plans page on 2026-11-12). Verified students get more at no cost through the Copilot Student plan, while Copilot Pro costs $10 a month.
What is free in GitHub Copilot #
- Copilot Free (anyone): 2,000 code completions a month, limited chat and agent use, access to entry-level models such as Haiku 4.5 and GPT-5 mini, and Copilot CLI. No credit card. It is not available if you already get Copilot through an organization or enterprise.
- Copilot Student (verified students): unlimited code completions plus an allowance of GitHub AI Credits for chat and agents, free while you are enrolled. Models are picked for you (auto model selection only) and third-party agents are excluded.
- Copilot Pro: $10 a month per user. There is no free Pro plan for everyone.
Copilot Free is not yet in our verified catalog, so the table below lists Copilot Student and free alternatives that are.
How students get Copilot free #
- Add and verify your school email on your GitHub account.
- Apply on GitHub Education benefits with proof of enrollment (school ID, transcript or enrollment letter). You must be at least 13.
- Once approved, activate Copilot Student from the same page.
Approval can take several days. If you see a checkout page meanwhile, do not pay: wait and try again. GitHub re-checks eligibility every month. Full steps and other student tools are in free AI coding tools for students.
Free alternatives to Copilot #
- Cursor Free: limited agent and chat requests, no card. See is Cursor free.
- Devin Desktop Free (formerly Windsurf): unlimited Tab completions and a light agent quota.
- Cline with free models: an open-source agent in VS Code. See free AI coding agent.
Offers in this guide
| Offer | Free part | Who can claim | Card | Ends | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Copilot free for students | Student program | Students verified via the GitHub Student Developer Pack | No card | No end date | |
| Cursor Free Plan | Free tier | Anyone | No card | No end date | |
| Devin Free Plan | Free tier | Anyone | No card | No end date | |
| Cline Free Models | Free credits | Anyone | No card | No end date |
Frequently asked questions
- Is GitHub Copilot free?
- Yes. Copilot Free costs $0 for any individual GitHub user: 2,000 code completions a month, limited chat and agent use and entry-level models. Copilot Pro costs $10 a month.
- Is GitHub Copilot free for students?
- Yes. Students verified through GitHub Education get Copilot Student at $0 while enrolled: unlimited completions and an allowance of GitHub AI Credits, with auto model selection only.
- Do I need a credit card for Copilot Free?
- No. Copilot Free and Copilot Student need only a GitHub account; students also need verification.
- Can I pick the model on a free Copilot plan?
- Copilot Free gives entry-level models such as Haiku 4.5 and GPT-5 mini. Copilot Student uses auto model selection only, so you cannot choose premium models.
Sources
Steps and limits were checked against these official pages.
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