GitHub Copilot Licenses - Overview

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Last updated: 2025-10-07

Note

GitHub areas:

GitHub Enterprise Cloud
GitHub Enterprise Server
GitHub Advanced Security (Code Scanning, Secret Scanning)
GitHub Copilot For Business
GitHub Copilot for Enterprise
GitHub Actions
GitHub Code Quality (coming soon)

List of References (Click to expand)

Table of Content (Click to expand)

GitHub Copilot Personal vs. Businesses Use
Pricing Details
Custom LLM Scenario
VS code vs Visual Studio
How to setup GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot with GitHub Enterprise – Setup Procedure

Important

The information provided and any document (such as scripts, sample codes, etc.) is provided AS-IS and WITH ALL FAULTS. Pricing estimates are for demonstration purposes only and do not reflect final pricing. Microsoft assumes no liability for your use of this information and makes no guarantees or warranties, expressed or implied, regarding its accuracy or completeness, including any pricing details. Please note that these demos are intended as a guide and are based on my personal experiences. For official guidance, support, or more detailed information, please refer to Microsoft's official documentation or contact Microsoft directly: Microsoft Sales and Support

GitHub Copilot Personal vs. Businesses Use

Section	Details
Free Version (Personal Use Only)	- GitHub Copilot Free is designed only for individual developers. - It cannot be enabled on a managed organization account. - When using the free version, your code may be used to train GitHub’s AI models. This is a key privacy consideration for anyone working with sensitive or proprietary code.
Organization Use (Paid Plans)	- For companies or teams, GitHub offers Copilot for Business and Copilot for Enterprise. - These plans are built for enterprise compliance and do not use your code for training. - They include additional features like policy controls, audit logs, and enterprise-grade security.

Pricing Details

Important

These are the prices as of today. Please make sure to check the current prices here in case anything has changed.

Github Copilot - features and plans
GitHub Enterprise pricing - Table
Visual Studio subscriptions pricing - plans
Pricing calculator

Copilot for Business: $19 per user/month.
Copilot for Enterprise: $39 per user/month.

GitHub.Copilot.Plans.mp4

Tip

To use these, each user typically needs a GitHub Enterprise license (around $20 per user/month). When: code to be available on GitHub; but, this is not a requirement. Click here to read more about GHC standaone Quickstart for GitHub Copilot
Visual Studio subscribers can often add GitHub Enterprise for $0.12 per user/month, then add Copilot for $19. Bundle with VS Studio license and GHE applies whether it's an Enterprise or Professional license, as today. More details here Visual Studio subscriptions pricing, GitHub Enterprise pricing, Github Copilot EA or SCE -> Onboard to the Microsoft Customer Agreement (MCA)
For large deals, GitHub sometimes offers a 1-month free trial.

VS.license.-.options.as.today.mp4

Custom LLM Scenario

If an organization deploys its own LLM (e.g., in Azure AI Foundry) and integrates it with GitHub Copilot, the assumption is that code would not be sent to GitHub for training.
However, this depends on the integration method and data flow, so it’s important to verify GitHub’s documentation and your LLM’s data-handling policies.

e.g How to deploy an AI Foundry instance:

How.to.deploy.an.AI.Foundry.instance.-.UI.approach.mp4

e.g How to deploy an LLM within AI Foundry:

e.g.How.to.deploy.a.LLM.in.AI.Foundry.mp4

e.g How to integrate LLMs from AI Foundry within GitHub Copilot

How.to.use.GH.Copilot.with.AI.Foundry.LLMs.mp4

Note

Free Copilot = personal use only + code may be used for training.
Org use requires paid plans (Business or Enterprise) = code is not used for training.
Pricing varies, but expect $19–$39 per user/month, with possible discounts for Visual Studio subscribers.
For privacy-sensitive environments, confirm data policies when integrating custom LLMs.

VS code vs Visual Studio

Aspect	Visual Studio Code (VS Code)	Visual Studio (IDE)
Product Type	Lightweight, cross-platform code editor (Windows, macOS, Linux)	Full-featured Integrated Development Environment (Windows, Mac version available)
Primary Use Cases	Web development, scripting, multi-language projects (JavaScript, Python, Go, etc.)	Enterprise development, .NET, C#, C++, large-scale applications
Copilot Installation	Install GitHub Copilot extension from VS Code Marketplace (Ctrl+Shift+X → search “GitHub Copilot”)	Enable GitHub Copilot via Visual Studio Installer → Modify → Individual Components → GitHub Copilot
Supported Features	- Inline code completions - Chat view & Quick Chat - Slash commands - MCP (Model Context Protocol) - Agent Mode	- Inline completions - Copilot Chat integrated into IDE - Agent Mode - Deep .NET/C++ integration
Customization	Highly extensible with extensions and custom tool sets	Limited to built-in .NET productivity tools and Copilot defaults
Language Focus	Multi-language (JS, TS, Python, Go, PHP, etc.)	Primarily .NET, C#, C++, with strong debugging and refactoring tools
Platform Support	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows (full), macOS (Visual Studio for Mac – different feature set)
Pricing	Requires GitHub Copilot Pro/Business/Enterprise subscription ($19–$39 per user/month)	`Visual Studio subscribers can often add GitHub Enterprise for $0.12 per user/month, then add Copilot for $19.`

How to setup GitHub Copilot

Install Visual Studio Code:
- Download and install VS Code from: https://code.visualstudio.com/
- Open VS Code once installation is complete.
Create a GitHub account (if you don’t have one yet):
- Visit: https://github.com/join
- Sign up for a free account and verify your email address.
Subscribe to GitHub Copilot Pro:
- Log in at https://github.com
- Go to: https://github.com/features/copilot
- Click Start my free trial or subscribe to Copilot Paid Plan. Choose the appropriate plan for individual or business use.
Add the GitHub Copilot extension in VS Code:
- Open VS Code.
- Search for the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X).
- Search for GitHub Copilot and select Install.
Sign in to GitHub within VS Code:
- After installing the extension, sign in when prompted.
- Authorize VS Code to access your GitHub account through your browser.
- You’re now ready to use GitHub Copilot in VS Code.

GitHub Copilot with GitHub Enterprise – Setup Procedure

This process enables secure, enterprise-managed deployment of GitHub Copilot

Create a GitHub account for your organization.
Please go here Start your premium free trial by choosing an enterprise type, and start a GitHub Enterprise trial (includes Copilot and advanced security).
Select the Enterprise Managed Users option.
Enter required organization details and a short code for user management.
Set up Single Sign-On (SSO) with your identity provider. Click here to read the steps: GitHub Enterprise Cloud Enterprise Managed Users - Microsoft Entra ID / Azure AD Single Sign-On (SSO) Integration Guide
Link your Azure subscription for billing (optional during trial). Click here to read the steps: How to link Azure subscription to your GitHub's enterprise account
Add users to the enterprise and assign Copilot seats. Click here to read how: GitHub Copilot Business - Setup Guide
Users install the Copilot extension in their IDE.
Users activate their accounts and Copilot access is enabled automatically.