How to Get GitHub Copilot for Free in 2026: Free Plan, Students, Teachers and Open Source

GitHub Copilot is free in three ways in 2026: the Free plan, the Student plan for verified students, and Copilot Pro for teachers and maintainers of popular open source projects who qualify. Copilot Free gives 2,000 completions and 50 chat requests a month. Pro lists at $10 a month, so a free Pro grant is worth $120 a year at that price.

One caveat comes before the steps. GitHub's June 1 changelog paused new sign-ups for the Student, Pro, Pro+ and Max plans and said sign-ups would reopen "in the coming weeks", with no date. The plans page we read on October 10 shows sign-up buttons for Free, Pro, Pro+ and Max and no pause notice, so the pause may have ended. The changelog does not say whether it covers the free Pro grant for teachers and maintainers. Confirm the sign-up status on GitHub before you plan around a route.

Which free route fits you

Start with the row that matches your account. The limit column is what the route caps, and the claim column is where GitHub sends you.

On Free and Student you cannot choose the model. The plan picks the model for each request.

Copilot Free: a small allowance you can use

Free gives 2,000 completions a month, which is about 67 a day in a 30-day month. The 50 chat requests come to fewer than two a day. GitHub's plans FAQ states both limits in one sentence. Agent mode is listed as limited in the plan table, and the page prints no cap for it.

Free is for individual developers. Anyone assigned a Copilot Business or Enterprise seat is excluded.

With a chat cap and limited agent use, Free is enough to judge the editor experience and to answer the occasional question. It will not carry a full day of agent work.

Count your own usage before you decide. At ten chat questions a day, the monthly chat allowance runs out in five days. Track one normal week of chat: if it stays under eleven requests, the monthly allowance should hold. Heavier users should look at the paid steps first.

If you outgrow it, the upgrade to Pro happens on the Copilot settings page. The paid tiers, the usage-based billing rules and the monthly cost scenarios are on our GitHub Copilot pricing page. This page covers only the free routes.

Students: unlimited completions, with a sign-up question

Verified students get Copilot Student. It includes unlimited code completions, which the Free plan does not, so it suits someone who writes code for hours and rarely opens chat. Like Free, it runs on auto-selected models. Its allowance of AI credits is not printed as a number.

To verify, you must be at least 13 years old and enrolled in a degree or diploma-granting course. Proof is a school-issued email address, official dated proof of enrollment, or both. The student page sends you to a "Get verified" button in your education benefits settings.

The open question is the sign-up pause. The changelog that paused new Student sign-ups gives no reopening date, and the plans page we read in October lists Free, Pro, Pro+ and Max with no Student row. Before you plan around the route, confirm on GitHub's plans page that new Student sign-ups are open. If they are closed, Copilot Free is the fallback. Cursor's student options work differently, and its paid plans are priced in our Cursor pricing explainer. The Cursor student discount guide covers its free Hobby tier, and the Cursor review covers the product.

Teachers and maintainers: free Pro, checked every month

GitHub's teacher page calls the benefit Copilot Pro, free for verified educators. You must be a currently employed educator at an accredited educational institution. Apply through the Teacher Application with your academic email and proof of current employment, such as a faculty ID or an employment verification letter. Rejections cite insufficient proof or a non-degree-granting institution. You can update your details and reapply.

The maintainer route covers maintainers of popular open source projects. GitHub's docs do not define "popular," so you find out by checking. Open your profile picture menu, choose Copilot settings, and look for a GitHub Copilot Pro page. If it appears, choose the option, set your Copilot use policies, and save. If you do not qualify, the page lists the paid plans or Copilot Free instead.

Both routes are rechecked every month. GitHub says you cannot cancel the plan once free access is granted, so read what you are accepting before you click. A granted Pro plan saves the $10 monthly list price, which is $120 a year if you would otherwise pay for it. The grant lasts only as long as the monthly check passes, so treat it as a benefit that can lapse, not a fixed discount.

Gotchas before you claim

• Credits reset on the first of the month. Included credits go back to the full monthly amount at 00:00 UTC on the first day of each month, and unused credits do not carry over.
• Spending past the included credits needs a budget. GitHub's changelog says extra spending past the included credits needs an additional budget that you set.

If none of the routes fits

Toolradar data: our AI coding ranking evaluated 156 tools in October 2026, and eight of its ten top picks have a free plan. Claude Code is one of the two without one. Its Toolradar record and Cursor record are the next stop for tool detail. The Claude Code pricing explainer shows what its paid plans cost, and the Claude Code review covers the product.

If you need a paid step anyway, Pro at $10 a month is the entry point, and it carries the same 1,500 credits a granted teacher receives. Pro+ at $39 a month adds $70 of usage. Our GitHub Copilot pricing page runs the monthly cost scenarios, and our GitHub Copilot review gives the product verdict.

For a full field of options, start with the AI coding assistants ranking. If you are choosing between an editor and a plugin, Cursor against GitHub Copilot weighs the two side by side.

FAQ

Is GitHub Copilot free in 2026?

Yes, in limited form. Copilot Free includes a monthly allowance of completions and chat requests, with limited agent use. Verified students, teachers and some open source maintainers can also get free access, subject to GitHub's current sign-up status for the Student plan.

How do students get GitHub Copilot for free?

Verify your student status through GitHub Education. You need to be 13 or older and enrolled in a degree or diploma-granting course, with a school-issued email or dated proof of enrollment. Verified students get the Copilot Student plan, which includes unlimited code completions. Check the sign-up status first.

Can teachers get GitHub Copilot for free?

Yes, if you are a currently employed educator at an accredited educational institution. Apply with proof of current employment, such as a faculty ID or an employment verification letter, sent from your institutional email. Verified educators get Copilot Pro free, which includes 1,500 credits a month.

Do open source maintainers get GitHub Copilot for free?

Some do. GitHub may grant free Copilot Pro to maintainers of popular open source projects, and it rechecks eligibility every month. Open Copilot settings from your profile menu to see whether you qualify. If you do not, the paid plans or Copilot Free are the options.

How many completions does GitHub Copilot Free include?

2,000 a month, which is about 67 a day in a 30-day month. Free also includes 50 chat requests a month, including Copilot Edits, according to GitHub's plans FAQ.

Can I choose the model on Copilot Free?

No. Free and Student use auto model selection only, so the plan picks the model for each request.

Cite this: Devshot, "How to Get GitHub Copilot for Free in 2026: Free Plan, Students, Teachers and Open Source", October 2026.

How we checked these facts

Louis Corneloup, founder of Dupple and Toolradar, wrote this page. On October 10, 2026, we read GitHub's Copilot plans page, its individual plans docs, its usage-based billing docs, the June 1 billing changelog, GitHub Education's student and teacher pages, and the free access docs. The 156-tool count comes from Toolradar's AI coding ranking, updated October 2026.

Eligibility and sign-up rules change, so read GitHub's claim page on the day you apply. Devshot covers the tools and bill changes developers have to act on, in one daily brief. Join at devshot.co.

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