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GitHub Copilot Review 2026

"AI pair programmer built into your existing IDE"

Updated February 2026 Coding Reviewed by the AI Tools Intel editorial team
4.4
out of 5 · Overall score Best for: Enterprise devs who can't leave their IDE
Quick Verdict

Copilot is the safe, enterprise-ready choice for AI coding assistance. It's slightly behind Cursor on raw capability, but its IDE depth, privacy controls, and GitHub integration make it the go-to for corporate environments.

Try GitHub Copilot →

What Is GitHub Copilot?

GitHub Copilot is the original AI code assistant — deeply integrated across every major IDE and backed by Microsoft and OpenAI. For developers who don't want to switch editors, it's the most seamless AI upgrade.

Who Is GitHub Copilot Best For?

Professional developers who want AI coding assistance without switching editors, enterprise teams with compliance requirements, and open source contributors already in the GitHub ecosystem.

Key Specs

Starting Price $10/mo
Category Coding
Free Plan ❌ No free plan
Best For Enterprise devs who can't leave their IDE

Pros & Cons

What we liked
Deeply integrated into VS Code, JetBrains, Vim, Neovim
Backed by GitHub's massive code training data
Copilot Chat handles full code conversations
Enterprise data privacy controls available
Available in students for free
Watch out for
Cursor outperforms it on agentic tasks
Suggestions sometimes suggest deprecated code patterns
Requires GitHub account and subscription
Less context-aware than Cursor for large codebases
Can suggest code with open-source license conflicts

Pricing & Plans

Individual $10/mo, Business $19/mo/user
Pricing verified February 2026. Check the official site for current rates and promotions.

Our Hands-On Experience with GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot was the first AI coding assistant to achieve mainstream adoption, and it remains the market leader by user count. The product has evolved significantly from its original line-completion origins. Copilot Chat provides a full conversational coding interface inside VS Code and JetBrains IDEs. Copilot Workspace is a more agentic feature that can plan, write, and test code changes from a single issue description. Enterprise features include organization-wide policy controls, IP indemnification (you're protected if it reproduces copyrighted code), and private model fine-tuning options. For organizations with compliance requirements, Copilot Business and Enterprise tiers provide the controls needed for production adoption.

Ready to try GitHub Copilot?

Most plans include a free trial or free tier — no commitment to get started.

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See How GitHub Copilot Stacks Up

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