AI coding assistant built into the editor: autocomplete, chat and code agents.
Updated: July 2026
GitHub Copilot was one of the first AI coding assistants to go mainstream, and it remains the most integrated into the real day-to-day development workflow: it autocompletes code as you type, answers questions about the repository, and can carry out tasks more autonomously with its agent features.
Its strong point is integration: it lives directly in VS Code, JetBrains and GitHub, without you having to switch tools. For teams already using GitHub as their base, adding Copilot is a natural step rather than a migration.
It has a limited free plan and paid subscription plans with more usage and agent features included, plus team and enterprise plans. Verified students can access it for free through GitHub’s education program.