Introduction
GitHub has announced a fundamental shift in how Copilot is priced, moving from a flat-rate premium request model to a usage-based system centered on GitHub AI Credits. Beginning June 1, 2026, all Copilot plans will transition to this new structure, with the goal of aligning costs with the actual computational resources consumed by each user. This change reflects the evolution of Copilot from a simple code completion tool into an agentic platform that can run complex, multi-step coding sessions.
Why GitHub Is Making This Change
GitHub explains that Copilot has grown beyond its original design. A year ago, it was an in-editor assistant that handled straightforward prompts; today, it can execute autonomous coding tasks that span entire repositories, iterating over long sessions with the latest models. The resource demands of these agentic workflows are far higher than those of a quick chat query.
Under the old premium request model, both a short question and a multi-hour development session cost the same. GitHub has been absorbing the escalating inference costs, but the company states this approach is no longer sustainable for long-term reliability and growth. Usage-based billing addresses this by charging for actual token consumption—input, output, and cached tokens—using the listed API rates for each model. This ensures that heavy users pay proportionally more, while lighter users are not subsidizing intensive workloads.
What Will Change for Users
Replacing Premium Requests with AI Credits
Starting June 1, 2026, the current premium request units (PRUs) will be completely replaced by GitHub AI Credits. Each plan will receive a monthly allotment of credits. Paid plan users can purchase additional credits as needed. Credits are consumed based on token usage—including input, output, and cached tokens—according to the published API rates specific to each model. This makes costs transparent and directly tied to the work performed.
Base Plan Prices Remain Unchanged
GitHub emphasizes that the monthly subscription prices for Copilot will not increase with this transition:
- Copilot Pro: $10/month
- Copilot Pro+: $39/month
- Copilot Business: $19/user/month
- Copilot Enterprise: $39/user/month
Code Completions and Next Edit Suggestions Stay Free
An important detail is that code completions and Next Edit suggestions will continue to be included in all plans without consuming AI Credits. These features are considered essential to Copilot’s core value and will not be metered.
Fallback Experiences Eliminated
Currently, when a user exhausts their premium requests, Copilot can automatically downgrade to a lower-cost model so work continues uninterrupted. Under the new billing model, this fallback will no longer exist. Instead, usage will be governed by the available credits and any admin-defined budget controls. Users will need to monitor their credit balance or purchase more to avoid interruptions.
Copilot Code Review Also Consumes Actions Minutes
In addition to AI Credits, the Copilot code review feature will now also consume GitHub Actions minutes. These minutes are billed at the same per-minute rates as other GitHub Actions workflows. This means teams should account for both credit and minute costs when planning their usage.
Preparing for the Transition
To help customers adjust, GitHub will launch a preview bill experience in early May 2025. This tool will give users and administrators visibility into projected costs before the June 1 switch takes effect. The preview will be accessible from the Billing Overview page when logged into github.com. It will show how many credits the current usage pattern would consume, allowing teams to budget and potentially modify their behavior in advance.
GitHub also rolled out temporary changes to Copilot Individual plans—including Free, Pro, Pro+, and Student—and paused self-serve purchases for Copilot Business plans last week. These measures were taken to improve reliability and performance as the platform prepares for the broader billing overhaul. Once usage-based billing is in place, GitHub expects to loosen current usage limits.
Conclusion
The move to usage-based billing marks a significant milestone for GitHub Copilot. By tying costs directly to token consumption, GitHub aims to create a more sustainable and reliable service that can support the increasing complexity of agentic coding workflows. For users, the change means greater transparency—but also a need to monitor usage more closely. With base prices unchanged and a preview period available, developers have time to understand how the new model will affect their monthly bills. As always, keeping an eye on credit consumption and admin budget settings will be key to a smooth transition.