GitHub Copilot, the AI coding assistant backed by Microsoft, has been an invaluable tool for many developers—including me. But starting this May, some changes are rolling out that might affect how you use the service, especially if you rely on the most powerful AI models.
Let’s break down what’s new, why it’s happening, and whether the added cost is really worth it.
Premium Requests Are Coming to GitHub Copilot
GitHub has officially introduced a new system called “premium requests.” This system basically limits how many times you can use high-performance AI models—like Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 Sonnet or OpenAI’s GPT-4.5—each month, unless you're willing to pay extra.
The base AI model, OpenAI's GPT-4o, remains unlimited across all plans. But if you’re someone like me who often experiments with multi-file edits or agent-like coding assistance, you’ll now be working within a cap.
Here’s the breakdown of the new limits:
- Copilot Pro ($20/month): 300 premium requests/month
- Copilot Business: 300 premium requests/month
- Copilot Enterprise: 1,000 premium requests/month
- Copilot Pro+ (New Plan – $39/month): 1,500 premium requests/month + access to the best models
- Need more than that? You can buy additional premium requests for $0.04 each.
Why GitHub Is Doing This (And It Makes Sense—Sort Of)
From a tech and business perspective, I get it. Premium AI models like Claude 3.7 Sonnet and GPT-4.5 require significantly more compute power. These models don’t just spit out code; they reason, evaluate, and even fact-check responses. That comes with increased cloud costs, which GitHub—and by extension Microsoft—needs to manage.
Interestingly, this comes right after AI coding platform Devin also raised prices, signaling a broader trend across the industry.
GitHub Copilot Is Still a Major Win for Microsoft
Even with these limits, GitHub Copilot is far from a burden on Microsoft’s balance sheet. According to CEO Satya Nadella, Copilot made up over 40% of GitHub’s revenue growth in 2024 and is already outperforming the entire business GitHub was when Microsoft acquired it.
That's huge. And it shows that despite the new pricing structure, there's still strong value being delivered.
My Thoughts as a Developer Who Relies on Copilot
Personally, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I appreciate the access to smarter models—they’ve genuinely helped me ship better code faster. On the other hand, the idea of counting "premium requests" feels like a step backward in developer experience.
Still, I see the value in the new Copilot Pro+ plan. For those of us who use Copilot as more than just a glorified autocomplete tool, $39 a month isn’t unreasonable for the added capability.
That said, I’ll be closely watching how these changes play out. If the model performance continues to justify the cost, I’m on board. If not, I might have to rethink my stack.
GitHub Copilot's new pricing isn’t just a revenue move—it reflects the growing demand (and cost) for truly intelligent AI tools. While it adds friction for power users like me, it could also mean more reliable and context-aware assistance in the long run.
If you're a developer who values precision and flexibility, it’s time to reevaluate your Copilot plan. Whether you upgrade to Pro+ or stick to the basics, knowing how to get the most out of your premium requests will be key going forward.
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