GitHub makes AI Copilot free for VS Code developers — with limits

Microsoft code repository GitHub has announced the launch of… GitHub Copilot is freean accessible version of the popular AI-powered coding assistant, which is now integrated directly into Visual Studio Code (VS Code) Integrated development environment (IDE).

Recall that Github first launched its version of Copilot based on OpenAI’s Codex completion model Again in 2022before the launch of ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, and has been steadily updating it since then.

VS Code’s new free tier aims to expand… Powered by artificial intelligence Code Completion Assistant reaches a broader audience of developers—those with only light usage needs and limited budgets.

This announcement coincides with GitHub exceeding the barrier of 150 million developers on its platform.

According to CEO Thomas Domke, the move builds on GitHub’s history of providing free tools to the developer community.

Previously, GitHub offered free repositories, continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) minutes, and code spaces. Copilot Free adds another layer to these offerings aimed at casual users or small-scale projects.

Copilot Free also comes after GitHub offered free, unlimited access to the more complete and less limited Copilot Pro software ($10 per month per seat) for students, educators, and open source maintainers. The company says it will continue to offer Copilot Pro for free to these users.

Features of the free GitHub Copilot program

GitHub Copilot Free offers users 2,000 code completions and 50 chat messages per month, which can be accessed after logging in with their personal GitHub account.

The service benefits Advanced artificial intelligence modelsincluding Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet and OpenAI’s GPT-4o.

These forms allow developers to request help with programming questions, debug existing code, or implement modifications across multiple files. However, for those seeking to use premium AI models like Google’s Gemini 1.5 Pro and OpenAI’s O1-preview, they’ll need to turn to Pro and other paid plans.

The new free tier includes:

• Edit multiple files: Users can make changes across multiple files via Copilot Edits, which combines conversational chat with code generation.

• Terminal help: Copilot can explain errors, fix failed commands, and even suggest scripts through terminal chat.

• Custom Instructions: Developers can specify programming preferences at the project or editor level, ensuring the creation of consistent code tailored to specific frameworks or guidelines.

• Voice commands: The built-in speech interface allows users to interact with Copilot hands-free, using voice commands to prototype applications or debug software.

• Awareness of the project context: Copilot’s AI participants can provide assistance based on a comprehensive understanding of the entire code base.

Availability and future plans

GitHub Copilot Free is available immediately on VS Code and GitHub.com. Developers only need a GitHub account to get started.

In addition to these offerings, GitHub is previewing an advanced feature called Vision Copilot. This tool allows developers to create user interfaces from screenshots or tags, streamlining the design-to-code workflow.

During preview, Vision Copilot requires users to provide their API key to access AI services.

Commitment to empowering developers

GitHub’s introduction of Copilot Free reflects its ongoing commitment to empowering developers. As part of the announcement, Domke highlighted the company’s mission of lowering barriers for the global developer community.

The free tier complements a growing suite of AI-powered tools built into VS Code, providing practical solutions to everyday challenges like debugging, naming conventions, and creating commit messages.

For those interested in exploring the capabilities of GitHub Copilot Free, the service can be enabled directly in VS Code or accessed via the GitHub dashboard.

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