This change reflects the increasing cost of running agentic AI models. For engineers, it introduces a metered cost structure, requiring better management of AI consumption while enabling access to high-compute agentic features without the previous hard gates on usage.
TL;DR: Today, we are announcing that all GitHub Copilot plans will transition to usage-based billing on June 1, 2026.
Instead of counting premium requests, every Copilot plan will include a monthly allotment of GitHub AI Credits, with the option for paid plans to purchase additional usage. Usage will be calculated based on token consumption, including input, output, and cached tokens, using the listed API rates for each model.
This change aligns Copilot pricing with actual usage and is an important step toward a sustainable, reliable Copilot business and experience for all users.
To help customers prepare, we are also launching a preview bill experience in early May, giving users and admins visibility into projected costs before the June 1 transition. This will be available to users via their Billing Overview page when they log in to github.com.
Copilot is not the same product it was a year ago.
It has evolved from an in-editor assistant into an agentic platform capable of running long, multi-step coding sessions, using the latest models, and iterating across entire repositories. Agentic usage is becoming the default, and it brings significantly higher compute and inference demands.
Today, a quick chat question and a multi-hour autonomous coding session can cost the user the same amount. GitHub has absorbed much of the escalating inference cost behind that usage, but the current premium request model is no longer sustainable.
Usage-based billing fixes that. It better aligns pricing with actual usage, helps us maintain long-term service reliability, and reduces the need to gate heavy users.
Starting June 1, premium request units (PRUs) will be replaced by GitHub AI Credits.
Credits will be consumed based on token usage, including input, output, and cached tokens, according to the published API rates for each model.
A few important details:
Last week, we also rolled out temporary changes to Copilot Individual plans, including Free, Pro, Pro+, and Student, and paused self-serve Copilot Business plan purchases. These were reliability and performance measures as we prepare for the broader transition to usage-based billing. We will loosen usage limits once usage-based billing is in effect.
Copilot Pro and Pro+ monthly subscriptions will include monthly AI Credits aligned to their current subscription prices:
Users on a monthly Pro or Pro+ plan will automatically migrate to usage-based billing on June 1, 2026.
Users on annual Pro or Pro+ plans will remain on their existing plan with premium request-based pricing until their plan expires. Model multipliers will increase on June 1 (see table) for annual plan subscribers only. At expiration, they will transition to Copilot Free with the option to upgrade to a paid monthly plan. Alternatively, they may convert to a monthly paid plan before their annual plan expires, and we will provide prorated credits for the remaining value of their annual plan.
Copilot Business and Copilot Enterprise monthly seat pricing remains unchanged:
To support the transition, existing Copilot Business and Copilot Enterprise customers will automatically receive promotional included usage for June, July, and August:
We are also introducing pooled included usage across a business, which helps eliminate stranded capacity. Instead of each user’s unused included usage being isolated, credits can be pooled across the organization.
Admins will also have new budget controls. They will be able to set budgets at the enterprise, cost center, and user levels. When the included pool is exhausted, organizations can choose whether to allow additional usage at published rates or cap spend.
Plan prices aren’t changing. You’ll have full control over what you spend, tools to track your usage, and the option to purchase more AI Credits if and when you need them.
If you have questions, visit our documentation for individuals and for businesses and enterprises, and our FAQ and related discussion.
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