GitHub Copilot is the most widely adopted AI coding tool with over 20 million users and adoption by 90% of Fortune 100 companies. It works as a plugin in your existing IDE (VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, Neovim, and others), suggesting code inline as you type without requiring you to switch editors or learn a new interface.
The core experience is inline completion: Copilot watches what you type and predicts the next line, block, or function. It handles boilerplate generation, test scaffolding, documentation, and pattern completion with low latency and high accuracy for common patterns. The chat interface adds conversational interaction for questions about your codebase.
Copilot Workspace (expanding through 2026) brings agentic capabilities for multi file planning and editing, but it operates more conservatively than Claude Code or Cursor Composer. It proposes changes with explicit approval gates at each step rather than executing autonomously. This conservative approach is deliberate: it prioritizes safety and predictability for enterprise adoption.
The IP indemnity on Business ($19 per user per month) and Enterprise ($39 per user per month) tiers is a genuine differentiator that no competing tool offers. For any organization where AI generated code creates potential copyright liability, this protection alone can justify the Copilot subscription regardless of capability comparisons.
Pricing starts with a free tier for all users and verified students. Individual is $10 per month, making it the cheapest paid AI coding tool available. Business at $19 per user per month adds organizational features and IP indemnity. Enterprise at $39 per user per month adds advanced security, compliance, and fine tuning capabilities.