Quick Verdict
GitHub Copilot is an AI pair programmer that suggests code completions, entire functions, and even tests as you type. Powered by OpenAI Codex and trained on billions of lines of code, it integrates into VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, and other editors.
Best for: Professional developers, Coding learners, Enterprise dev teams, Polyglot programmers
GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot is an AI pair programmer that suggests code completions, entire functions, and even tests as you type. Powered by OpenAI Codex and trained on billions of lines of code, it integrates into VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, and other editors.
Best for: Professional developers • Coding learners • Enterprise dev teams • Polyglot programmers
Key Features
- Real-time code suggestions
- Multi-line completions
- Chat interface (Copilot Chat)
- Code explanation
- Test generation
- Documentation generation
- Multi-IDE support
- Enterprise security features
Pros
- Excellent code completion
- Supports many languages
- Great IDE integration
- Continuous improvement
- Enterprise features available
Cons
- Monthly subscription cost
- Sometimes suggests wrong code
- Privacy concerns for some
- Can encourage copy-paste coding
Pricing
| Plan | Details |
|---|---|
| Free | Free for verified students, teachers, and open source maintainers |
| Enterprise | $39/user/month - fine-tuning, security features, SSO |
30-day free trial for Individual plan.
Tips & Best Practices
Review all suggestions before accepting
Use chat for complex multi-step problems
Enable suggestions for comments to get docstrings
Use /explain command for unfamiliar code
Features
- Real-time code suggestions
- Multi-line completions
- Chat interface (Copilot Chat)
- Code explanation
- Test generation
- Documentation generation
- Multi-IDE support
- Enterprise security features
Best for: Professional developers • Coding learners • Enterprise dev teams • Polyglot programmers
Pros
- Excellent code completion
- Supports many languages
- Great IDE integration
- Continuous improvement
- Enterprise features available
Cons
- Monthly subscription cost
- Sometimes suggests wrong code
- Privacy concerns for some
- Can encourage copy-paste coding
Final Recommendation
GitHub Copilot is a freemium AI tool best suited for Professional developers and Coding learners.