JetBrains AI vs GitHub Copilot: pricing and usage limits (Oct 2026)
Both start at $10/mo. Both have a free plan. Every plan from both vendors, the limits each one actually publishes, and what changed recently, with a source on every line.
The short answer
- Cheaper to start
- A tie: JetBrains AI AI Pro and GitHub Copilot Pro both cost $10/mo.
- Free plan
- Both have one. What each includes is quoted under Free plans below.
- Top of the ladder
- JetBrains AI AI Ultimate at $30/mo vs GitHub Copilot Max at $100/mo.
- Paying yearly
- JetBrains AI takes up to 17% off (AI Pro); GitHub Copilot shows no yearly discount on the plans we track.
- Latest move
- GitHub Copilot, 1 Jun 2026: GitHub Copilot switches to usage-based GitHub AI Credits; Max plan ($100) launches.
Beyond price and free access, the deciding factor is which models and features you need; we track the money, not the model quality.
Head to head
| Fact | JetBrains AI | GitHub Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free tier | Free tier |
| Cheapest plan | AI Pro · $10/mo | Pro · $10/mo |
| Top plan | AI Ultimate · $30/mo | Max · $100/mo |
| Plans tracked | 2 | 3 |
| Yearly discount | up to 17% | None shown |
| Allowance periods | Monthly | Monthly |
| Latest change | None logged | billing model |
| Last checked |
Closest price match: JetBrains AI AI Pro vs GitHub Copilot Pro
Pro
Every plan side by side
| Tool | Plan | Price | Limits as stated & source |
|---|---|---|---|
| JetBrains AI | AI Pro | $10/mo | 10 monthly AI credits (1 credit = $1); unlimited completion; Junie, Claude Agent, Codex, Gemini. 30-day free trial. Source: jetbrains.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| JetBrains AI | AI Ultimate | $30/mo | 35 monthly AI credits (incl. 5 bonus). Source: jetbrains.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| GitHub Copilot | Pro | $10/mo | Unlimited completions/next-edit suggestions; $15/month total GitHub AI Credits ($10 base + $5 flex). Chat, agent mode, code review, cloud agent and CLI consume credits. Source: github.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| GitHub Copilot | Pro+ | $39/mo | $70/month total AI Credits ($39 base + $31 flex); premium models incl. Opus; '4x+ included usage than Pro'. Source: github.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| GitHub Copilot | Max | $100/mo | $200/month total AI Credits ($100 base + $100 flex); '2.9x+ included usage than Pro+'; priority access to new models. Source: github.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
Free plans
| Tool | Free? | What you get for $0 & source |
|---|---|---|
| JetBrains AI | Free tier | AI Free: unlimited AI code completion in JetBrains IDEs; 3 monthly AI credits (1 credit = $1 USD). Source: jetbrains.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| GitHub Copilot | Free tier | Free $0: 2,000 completions per month; 'limited chat and agent usage'; Haiku 4.5, GPT-5 mini and more; Copilot CLI. No credit card. Verified students get a free Copilot Student plan; verified teachers and popular OSS maintainers may get Pro free. Source: github.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
Recent price and limit changes
-
billing modelGitHub Copilot switches to usage-based GitHub AI Credits; Max plan ($100) launches
Premium requests replaced by AI Credits billed at model API rates. Pro $10 includes $15 total ($10 base + $5 flex), Pro+ $39 includes $70, new Max $100 includes $200. Flex allotments may change over time.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, JetBrains AI or GitHub Copilot?
Neither at the entry level: JetBrains AI AI Pro and GitHub Copilot Pro both cost $10/mo. The top plans are JetBrains AI AI Ultimate at $30/mo and GitHub Copilot Max at $100/mo.
Is JetBrains AI or GitHub Copilot free?
JetBrains AI: Yes. AI Free: unlimited AI code completion in JetBrains IDEs; 3 monthly AI credits (1 credit = $1 USD). GitHub Copilot: Yes. Free $0: 2,000 completions per month; 'limited chat and agent usage'; Haiku 4.5, GPT-5 mini and more; Copilot CLI. No credit card. Verified students get a free Copilot Student plan; verified teachers and popular OSS maintainers may get Pro free.
How do the usage limits compare at the closest price?
JetBrains AI AI Pro ($10/mo): 10 monthly AI credits (1 credit = $1); unlimited completion; Junie, Claude Agent, Codex, Gemini. 30-day free trial. GitHub Copilot Pro ($10/mo): Unlimited completions/next-edit suggestions; $15/month total GitHub AI Credits ($10 base + $5 flex). Chat, agent mode, code review, cloud agent and CLI consume credits.
Is it cheaper to pay yearly?
JetBrains AI: up to 17% off when billed yearly (AI Pro: $8.33/mo instead of $10). GitHub Copilot: no yearly discount on the plans we track.
When did JetBrains AI and GitHub Copilot last change their pricing?
1 Jun 2026, GitHub Copilot: GitHub Copilot switches to usage-based GitHub AI Credits; Max plan ($100) launches.