Key Takeaways:
- GitHub Copilot is now free for VS Code users.
- Free tier offers 2,000 code completions and 50 chat messages monthly.
- Uses advanced AI models like Claude 3.5 Sonnet and GPT-4o.
- Paid Pro plan provides unlimited access and more features.
- Aims to reach 1 billion developers, expanding AI accessibility.
GitHub Copilot is now available for free for developers using Visual Studio Code. This groundbreaking announcement integrates the AI-powered coding assistant directly into the VS Code experience. GitHub Copilot a powerful autocomplete for developers is now a core part of the VS Code experience.
With this free tier, users get 2,000 code completions and 50 chat messages per month. Developers can leverage powerful AI models, including Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet and OpenAI's GPT-4o. It helps with coding questions, debugging, and multi-file edits.
This initiative builds on GitHub's history of providing free tools to the developer community. Previously, GitHub offered free repositories, CI/CD minutes, and Codespaces. For more details on how to access Copilot, see understanding GitHub Copilot: what it is and how to access it.
"With Copilot Free, you can use chat to explain code in entirely natural language," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. He called the free offering "a real game changer" for developers.
The free tier includes several key features. Multi-file editing allows changes across multiple files via Copilot Edits. Terminal assistance helps interpret errors and suggest shell scripts.
Custom instructions let developers define coding preferences. Voice commands enable hands-free interaction. Project context awareness provides comprehensive assistance based on the entire codebase. For instance, you can use the create your chatbot with low-code NLP solutions: a simple how-to guide to build a chatbot.
GitHub Copilot Free is available now in VS Code and GitHub.com. Developers only need a GitHub account to start. GitHub Copilot Free aims to expand AI accessibility to a broader audience.
GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke highlighted the company's mission to lower barriers for developers. This free tier complements other AI-powered tools in VS Code. It offers practical solutions for debugging and commit message generation.
For users who need more, the paid Pro plan offers unlimited access and additional models. These include Google's Gemini 1.5 Pro and OpenAI's o1-preview. Unlocking the benefits of ChatGPT's new $200 Pro Plan: O1 mode and beyond provides a detailed look at these advanced features.
GitHub is also previewing Vision Copilot. This tool generates user interfaces from screenshots, streamlining the design-to-code workflow. It requires users to supply their own API key for AI services.
GitHub's move to offer Copilot Free reflects its commitment to empowering developers. The company aims to reach 1 billion developers through AI. This initiative makes advanced coding assistance more accessible than ever.