ChatGPT vs GitHub Copilot
ChatGPT
GitHub CopilotWe may earn a commission from links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It never changes our picks. How we make money.
Quick verdict
ChatGPT edges it overall, winning 3 of 4 rating categories. ChatGPT is cheaper to start ($8 vs $10).
Choose ChatGPT if…
You’re most people: the best all-round AI assistant. The most popular AI assistant, with the broadest feature set: chat, deep research, image generation, voice, agent mode and custom GPTs. Plans now run from $8 Go to $200 Pro.
Visit ChatGPTChoose GitHub Copilot if…
You’re developers who want AI inside their existing editor. The most widely used AI coding assistant, inside the editors developers already use, with agent mode and code review on GitHub.
Visit GitHub CopilotSide by side
| ChatGPT | GitHub Copilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 4.7/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Value | 4.5/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Features | 4.9/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Ease of use | 4.7/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Output quality | 4.6/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Category | AI assistant | AI coding |
| Free plan | Yes: limited messages, image generation and deep research | Yes: limited completions and chat |
| Cheapest paid plan (monthly) | $8/mo | $10/mo |
| Same plan billed yearly | - | $8.33/mo |
| Top plan | Pro (max): $200/mo | Pro+: $39/mo |
| Seats | Individual plans; Business per user | Individual; Business/Enterprise per user |
| Trial / refund | No trial; cancel any time | Free tier; trials on paid plans |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows | VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, Xcode, GitHub, CLI |
| Best for | Most people: the best all-round AI assistant | Developers who want AI inside their existing editor |
ChatGPT: pros & cons
- Widest range of features in one app
- Strong free plan and an $8 Go tier
- Image generation, voice and agent mode built in
- Business plan doesn’t train on your data
- The best models and limits sit behind $100-$200 Pro plans
- Feature overload for some users
- Go tier may show ads
GitHub Copilot: pros & cons
- Works in all major IDEs
- $10 Pro plan is excellent value
- Deep GitHub integration
- Premium-model requests are metered
- Less “AI-native” than Cursor
Questions from readers
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