GitHub Copilot vs OpenAI: Pricing Comparison 2026
Side-by-side pricing comparison of GitHub Copilot and OpenAI. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.
Bottom line: OpenAI starts at $0.2/mo, making it $10/mo cheaper than GitHub Copilot ($10/mo). GitHub Copilot offers a free plan.
Last updated: March 16, 2026
GitHub Copilot vs OpenAI: Quick Pricing Facts
| Feature | GitHub Copilot | OpenAI |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $10/mo | $0.2/mo |
| Number of Plans | 3 | 14 |
| Free Tier | Yes | No |
| Pricing Model | per-seat | usage-based |
| Annual Discount | N/A | N/A |
OpenAI is the more affordable option, starting at $0.2/mo compared to GitHub Copilot's $10/mo. Both are AI & ML tools with 17 combined pricing plans and 16 features compared.
GitHub Copilot stands out with a free plan for getting started. GitHub Copilot uses per-seat pricing while OpenAI uses usage-based pricing, which may affect your total cost at scale.
Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your AI & ML needs.
| Pricing Plans |  GitHub Copilot Try it free |  OpenAI Try it free |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Free $0/monthCheapest Includes
| GPT-5.4 $3/month |
| Tier 2 | ProPopular $10/month $8 / year Includes
| GPT-5 mini $0/monthCheapest |
| Tier 3 | Pro+ $39/month $33 / year Includes
| GPT-4.1 $3/monthCheapest |
| Tier 4 | — | GPT-4.1 mini $1/monthCheapest |
| Tier 5 | — | GPT-4.1 nano $0/monthCheapest |
| Tier 6 | — | o4-mini $4/monthCheapest |
| Tier 7 | — | Realtime API $2/monthCheapest |
| Tier 8 | — | Sora Video API Custom pricing |
| Tier 9 | — | Image Generation API $2/monthCheapest |
| Tier 10 | — | Responses API Custom pricing |
| Tier 11 | — | Chat Completions API Custom pricing |
| Tier 12 | — | Assistants API Custom pricing |
| Tier 13 | — | Built-in tools Custom pricing |
| Tier 14 | — | AgentKit Custom pricing |
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What Reviewers Say
GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot offers a free plan.
Based on pricing data only. Review the full comparison below for your specific needs.
Best value: GitHub Copilot
Try GitHub Copilot freeWhich Should You Choose?
Choose GitHub Copilot if:
- •You need a free plan with 50 agent mode or chat requests per month, 2,000 completions per month—GitHub Copilot offers no-cost access with no credit card required
- •You want more features built-in—GitHub Copilot offers 16 additional features across its plans
- •GitHub Copilot's per-seat pricing lets you match exact team size without tier gaps
Choose OpenAI if:
- •You want lower per-user costs—OpenAI starts at $0.2/mo, saving $9.8/mo compared to GitHub Copilot at $10/mo
- •You need 14 pricing tiers for flexible team sizing—more options mean less overpaying for features you don't need
- •Your team needs custom enterprise pricing—OpenAI offers negotiated terms for large deployments
GitHub Copilot offers a free plan [1], eliminating the cost barrier for evaluation, while OpenAI requires paid subscription from the start. This gives GitHub Copilot a significant advantage for teams with budget constraints or extended trial periods. Once you outgrow GitHub Copilot's free tier, upgrading to a paid plan at approximately $10/mo provides substantial additional functionality. Compare this pricing path against OpenAI's tiering starting at $0.2/mo to assess total cost of ownership over 12 months. GitHub Copilot's 3 tiers provide flexibility at different budgets, while OpenAI's 14 tiers structure may force you into higher-cost plans than necessary for your use case. If evaluation cost matters to your decision, GitHub Copilot is the obvious starting point with zero financial commitment. Use the free tier to validate core functionality before committing to paid plans from either tool.
Frequently Asked Questions: GitHub Copilot vs OpenAI
Which is cheaper, GitHub Copilot or OpenAI?
How many pricing plans does GitHub Copilot have vs OpenAI?
Does GitHub Copilot or OpenAI offer a free plan?
Can I save money by paying annually for GitHub Copilot or OpenAI?
What is the most popular GitHub Copilot plan?
Does GitHub Copilot or OpenAI offer custom enterprise pricing?
What pricing models do GitHub Copilot and OpenAI use?
Sources
- GitHub Copilot Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page
- OpenAI Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page
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