GitHub Copilot has announced a shift to a pay-as-you-go model, where users will consume 'AI Credits' based on the amount of processing performed.

GitHub has announced that its AI coding assistance tool, 'GitHub Copilot,' which previously used a subscription-based billing model, will switch to a pay-as-you-go model starting June 1, 2026.

GitHub Copilot is moving to usage-based billing - The GitHub Blog

https://github.blog/news-insights/company-news/github-copilot-is-moving-to-usage-based-billing/

GitHub Copilot usage has been increasing at an accelerating pace since the beginning of 2026, and in order to 'maintain the quality of service for existing users,' measures were taken to stop new subscriptions to paid plans on April 20, 2026.

GitHub Copilot restrictions may be implemented after weekly operating costs nearly double from January 2026 onwards, potentially leading to a gradual shift to a token-based billing model - GIGAZINE

According to GitHub's announcement, all GitHub Copilot plans will switch to a pay-as-you-go model starting June 1, 2026. This means that using Copilot will consume credits called 'GitHub AI Credits.' Previously, Copilot operated on a model where users paid a monthly fee for unlimited use within a certain range, but going forward, costs will fluctuate depending on how much AI is actually used.

GitHub cited the continued increase in AI usage and the need to provide a more flexible and equitable pricing structure as the reasons for this change. Previously, a simple chat question and several hours of automated coding sessions were charged at the same rate, which was considered unfair.

Under the new system, when using GitHub Copilot, credits are consumed each time a request is made, such as 'large-scale code generation' or 'chat-based questioning,' depending on the nature of the request. Similar to the common 'cost varies depending on the processing load' design of cloud AI services, it appears that larger processing tasks consume more credits.

However, the 'code completion' feature, which automatically suggests what to do next while you're writing code, and the 'Next Edit suggestions' feature, which suggests the next changes you might want to make, are provided as basic features of GitHub Copilot and do not consume credits.

Starting in early May 2026, a preview feature will be available that will allow users and companies to check the actual costs involved beforehand. This will enable them to understand their usage and prepare for cost management before migrating. Furthermore, GitHub plans to provide administrators with tools such as 'budget setting' and 'usage visualization' to prevent unexpected cost increases.

The monthly fees remain unchanged from the previous plans: the Pro plan is $10 per month (approximately 1600 yen), and the Pro+ plan is $39 per month (approximately 6220 yen). Each plan comes with the same amount of AI credits, and additional charges will be required once these credits are used up.