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GitHub Launches Free Version of AI-Powered Copilot, Expanding Access for 150 million Developers
- By John K. Waters
- December 18, 2024
GitHub, the Microsoft-owned code collaboration platform, today announced the launch of GitHub Copilot Free, offering a no-cost version of its AI-powered coding assistant to developers worldwide. Integrated by default into Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code (VS Code), the move underscores GitHub’s push to democratize AI tools and reach a billion developers globally.
"GitHub has a long history of offering free products and services to developers," said GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke in a blog post. "Starting with free open source and public collaboration, we added free private repos, free minutes for GitHub Actions and GitHub Codespaces, and free package and release storage."
The free version of Copilot provides 2,000 code completions and 50 chat messages per month for individual developers using personal GitHub accounts. While limitations exist for heavy usage, the plan is still suitability for occasional users, hobbyists, and those learning to code, the company said.
Developers using Copilot Free can access two AI foundation models: OpenAI’s GPT-4o and Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet. The tool allows users to ask coding questions, debug issues, execute edits across multiple files, and leverage third-party agents or custom extensions. Copilot Chat, a popular feature, is also included, now accessible directly from GitHub’s dashboard.
The move comes as GitHub’s developer community surpasses 150 million users, up from 100 million in early 2023. Copilot, first launched in 2021, has quickly become a leader in AI-powered code assistance, although competition from startups like Tabnine and Qodo, as well as cloud giants like AWS, has grown.
GitHub has a longstanding tradition of offering free tools to developers, starting with free private repositories in 2019 and expanding to GitHub Actions, Codespaces, and storage options. With Copilot Free, GitHub is returning to its "freemium roots" while laying the groundwork for future growth.
GitHub Copilot Free works across major code editors, including VS Code, Visual Studio, and JetBrains, as well as on GitHub.com. Students, educators, and open-source maintainers will retain their free access to the more advanced Copilot Pro tier, which includes unlimited usage.
As competition in AI code assistance heats up, GitHub’s freemium strategy leverages the widespread adoption of VS Code to maintain its edge.
About the Author
John K. Waters is the editor in chief of a number of Converge360.com sites, with a focus on high-end development, AI and future tech. He's been writing about cutting-edge technologies and culture of Silicon Valley for more than two decades, and he's written more than a dozen books. He also co-scripted the documentary film Silicon Valley: A 100 Year Renaissance, which aired on PBS. He can be reached at [email protected].