GitHub · 2026-04-27 · major
GitHub Copilot Moves to Usage-Based Billing — Token-Metered AI Credits Starting June 1
GitHub replaces premium-request quotas with token-metered AI Credits across every Copilot plan starting June 1, 2026. Pro stays $10, Pro+ $39, Business $19, Enterprise $39. Credits drain at published API rates by input/output/cached tokens.
Copilot abandons premium-request budgeting for raw token meters, mirroring direct API consumption.
Key specs
| Pro plan | $10/mo |
|---|---|
| Cutover date | 2026-06-01 |
What is it?
An overhaul of Copilot's billing model announced on April 27, 2026. Premium requests are replaced by GitHub AI Credits, which deplete based on input, output, and cached tokens at the same per-million rates as direct API access to each underlying model.
How does it work?
Every plan keeps its existing monthly fee but ships with a credit allotment (Pro+ gets $39 in credits matching the $39 fee). Tokens consumed by chat, code completions, agent runs, and reviews count against the same pool. Annual plan holders stay on the legacy premium-request system until renewal; monthly Pro/Pro+ users are migrated automatically on June 1. A May preview-bill experience will show projected costs before the cutover. Code-review usage starts consuming GitHub Actions minutes the same day.
Why does it matter?
Copilot's evolution into multi-hour autonomous agents broke the flat-rate economics. The change pushes per-developer cost variance up sharply for heavy agent users and ties Copilot pricing directly to inference cost — a model used by every API-first competitor (Cursor, Cline, Aider). Expect engineering managers to see real bills, not seat fees.