The key difference
These two started from opposite ends and now overlap.
GitHub Copilot started as autocomplete and grew into a full assistant: completions and next-edit suggestions, chat, an agent mode in the editor, a CLI, a desktop app, AI code review, and a cloud agent that works on GitHub issues and opens pull requests. It runs models from several companies.
Claude Code started as an agent. You hand it a task in the terminal, IDE, desktop app or browser, and it reads the codebase, edits files and runs commands until it’s done. It runs Claude only.
In practice:
- If you want help while you type in your existing editor, with a choice of models, Copilot is built for that.
- If you want to delegate a task and review the result, Claude Code is built for that.
- If you want both, they work side by side, and Copilot’s higher plans can even hand tasks to Claude’s agent.
Pricing in practice
| Plan | Claude Code (Claude plans) | GitHub Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Not available | Free: limited chat and agent usage, auto model selection |
| $10 | — | Pro: $10 base + ~$5 flex in AI credits; unlimited completions |
| $20 | Pro: $20/month ($17/month billed yearly) | — |
| $39 | — | Pro+: $39 base + ~$31 flex; delegate to third-party agents (preview) |
| $100 | Max 5x | Max: $100 base + ~$100 flex; priority access to premium models |
| $200 | Max 20x | — |
| Teams | Team: Standard seat $25/user ($20 billed yearly), Premium seat $125 ($100 billed yearly) | Business $19/seat, Enterprise $39/seat |
Prices are from the official Claude pricing and Copilot plans pages, checked October 22, 2026. GitHub says flex allotments may change over time.
How metering differs:
- Copilot turns most AI use into credits (1 credit = $0.01), at rates that depend on the model. Completions are free on paid plans.
- Claude Code gives you a usage allowance on your Claude plan that resets over time. There’s no per-request price to watch, but there is a ceiling.
Features side by side
| Claude Code | GitHub Copilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Code completions as you type | Not offered: it’s an agent (the IDE extension shows inline diffs of its edits) | Yes, unlimited on paid plans |
| Agent in the editor | VS Code (and Cursor), JetBrains | VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, Xcode, Neovim, Eclipse and more |
| Terminal agent | Claude Code CLI | Copilot CLI |
| Cloud agent | Cloud sessions in the browser | Cloud agent that works on GitHub issues and opens pull requests |
| Code review | Pull request reviews, local reviews, Ultrareview and security scans | Included on paid plans |
| Models | Claude | Claude, GPT, Gemini and others, plus your own key (including local models) |
| Extensibility | MCP, hooks, subagents, skills, plugins | Custom instructions, prompt files, agent skills, custom agents, subagents, hooks, plugins, MCP |
Who should pick which
Choose GitHub Copilot if:
- you want AI in the editor you already use, including Visual Studio, Xcode or Neovim
- you want unlimited completions and a choice of models for $10/month
- your team works in GitHub and wants an agent that picks up issues and opens pull requests
Choose Claude Code if:
- you mostly delegate whole tasks rather than get help while typing
- you want to work with Claude on a flat subscription rather than metered credits
- you want one agent across terminal, IDE, desktop app and browser
Use both if: you like Copilot’s completions and want a stronger agent for bigger jobs. Run Claude Code’s extension next to Copilot, or, on Copilot Pro+, delegate tasks to Claude from GitHub.
Hands-on test
We haven’t run a hands-on test of this pair yet. This comparison is based on each vendor’s documentation and pricing pages, linked on the Claude Code and GitHub Copilot pages. When we add a test, this page will name the task, the tool and model versions, and the date it was run.
