GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot is a proprietary IDE plug-in for AI-assisted coding, built by GitHub (Microsoft) (released 2021-06). GitHub Copilot integrates with 8 verified models, including Claude Sonnet 4.6, Claude Opus 4.6, and Gemini 2.5 Pro. It runs as an extension in VS Code and JetBrains IDEs, pairing editor context with chat, completions, multi-file edits, and code review workflows for daily development.
Overview
AI pair programmer from GitHub with inline code completions, chat, and autonomous multi-step coding agent across VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim, and web. Supports multi-model selection including Claude, GPT, and Gemini.
Featured Model Specs
| Model | Lab | Released | Context | Reasoning | Open source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Anthropic | 2026-02-17 | 1M | Yes | No |
| Claude Opus 4.6 | Anthropic | 2026-02-05 | 1M | Yes | No |
| Gemini 2.5 Pro | Google DeepMind | 2025-06-17 | 1M | No | No |
| o4-mini | OpenAI | 2025-04-16 | — | Yes | No |
| GPT-4.1 Mini | OpenAI | 2025-04-01 | 1M | No | No |
Model Compatibility Matrix
| Model | Lab | Default | Access tier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-4o (2024-11-20) | OpenAI | Yes | Free | Default model |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Anthropic | No | Pro | Premium request model |
| Claude Opus 4.6 | Anthropic | No | Pro+ | Premium request model |
| Gemini 2.5 Pro | Google DeepMind | No | Pro | Premium request model |
| o4-mini | OpenAI | No | Pro | — |
| GPT-4.1 | OpenAI | No | Pro | — |
| GPT-4.1 Mini | OpenAI | No | Free | — |
| o3 | OpenAI | No | Pro+ | Premium request model |
Underlying Models
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FAQ
What is GitHub Copilot?
GitHub Copilot is a proprietary IDE plug-in for AI-assisted coding, built by GitHub (Microsoft) (released 2021-06). It runs as an extension in VS Code and JetBrains IDEs, pairing editor context with chat, completions, multi-file edits, and code review workflows for daily development. It is primarily used for pair programming, code review, and repository-aware edits inside an editor.
What models does GitHub Copilot support?
GitHub Copilot runs Claude Sonnet 4.6, Claude Opus 4.6, Gemini 2.5 Pro, o4-mini, GPT-4.1, and 3 more.
Is GitHub Copilot open source?
No, GitHub Copilot is a proprietary IDE plug-in.
What are alternatives to GitHub Copilot?
Alternatives include JetBrains AI Assistant, Cursor, and Windsurf.
When was GitHub Copilot released?
GitHub Copilot was released in 2021-06.