GitHub Copilot Unveils New Pricing and Features for Premium AI Models
GitHub Copilot, the innovative AI coding assistant owned by Microsoft, is set to become more expensive for certain users. This change comes as a part of GitHub’s new pricing strategy, which introduces “premium requests” for accessing advanced AI models.
New Pricing Structure for GitHub Copilot
On Friday, GitHub officially announced the implementation of a new system that will introduce rate limits when users opt for AI models that go beyond the base model. This is particularly relevant for tasks requiring “agentic” coding and multi-file edits.
Details on Premium Requests
According to a blog post by GitHub, the following changes will take effect:
- Copilot Pro ($20 per month) users will receive 300 premium requests each month starting from May 5.
- Copilot Business users will also get 300 premium requests, while Copilot Enterprise users will have 1,000 premium requests available starting between May 12 and May 19.
- Additional premium requests can be purchased at a rate of $0.04 per request.
- For those looking for enhanced features, GitHub has introduced the Copilot Pro+ plan, starting at $39 per month, which offers 1,500 premium requests and access to the most advanced models, including OpenAI’s GPT-4.5.
Reasons Behind the Price Increase
The decision to implement these new rates appears to be influenced by the rising computing costs associated with more capable AI models. As models like Anthropic’s 3.7 Sonnet demand more processing power due to their extensive fact-checking capabilities, the costs for users are also expected to rise.
Performance and Profitability
Despite the increased pricing, GitHub Copilot remains a profitable venture. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella highlighted that Copilot was responsible for over 40% of GitHub’s revenue growth in 2024. In fact, it has become a more substantial business than GitHub itself at the time Microsoft acquired the platform seven years ago.
For more details on GitHub Copilot’s features and pricing, visit the official GitHub Copilot page.
As these changes take effect, users will need to evaluate whether the benefits of the new pricing model align with their coding needs.
