GitHub Copilot New Limits & Pricing: AI Model Changes

GitHub Copilot Pricing Adjustments Announced

GitHub Copilot, the AI-powered coding assistant developed by GitHub and owned by Microsoft, is potentially facing price increases for certain users.

On Friday, GitHub unveiled a new system called “premium requests” for Copilot. This system introduces rate limits when users opt for AI models beyond the standard base model for complex operations.

Details of the New System

These complex operations include “agentic” coding workflows and edits spanning multiple files. While subscribers to GitHub Copilot will continue to have unlimited access to the base model – currently powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4o – usage of newer models will now be subject to limitations.

Specifically, models like Anthropic’s 3.7 Sonnet will have capped usage. The number of premium requests allocated varies based on the subscription tier:

• Copilot Pro ($20/month): 300 monthly premium requests, starting May 5.
• Copilot Business: 300 monthly premium requests, starting between May 12 and May 19.
• Copilot Enterprise: 1,000 monthly premium requests, starting between May 12 and May 19.

Options for Increased Access

Users requiring more premium requests have several options. Additional requests can be purchased individually at a cost of $0.04 per request. Alternatively, subscribers can upgrade to GitHub’s newly introduced Copilot Pro+ plan.

The Copilot Pro+ plan, priced at $39 per month, provides 1,500 premium requests and access to the most advanced models available, including OpenAI’s GPT-4.5.

Reasons Behind the Change

This adjustment in pricing for Copilot’s more powerful models follows a similar move by AI coding platform Devin. The increase likely reflects the elevated computational expenses associated with running these advanced models.

Models such as 3.7 Sonnet require more processing time for thorough answer verification, enhancing their reliability but simultaneously increasing operational costs.

Copilot’s Financial Performance

Despite these changes, Copilot remains a significant revenue driver for GitHub. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reported last August that Copilot contributed to over 40% of GitHub’s revenue growth in 2024.

Furthermore, Copilot has already surpassed the entire revenue of GitHub at the time of its acquisition by Microsoft approximately seven years ago, demonstrating its substantial financial success.