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GitHub Copilot

A Tier · 8.3/10

**MAI-Code-1-Flash was retired on schedule 2026-09-10** (migrate to MAI-Code-1.1-Flash). Auto model selection now has **efficiency / balance / intelligence tiers** (9/14), enterprise admins can centrally block or gate agent shell/file/network operations (9/09), Copilot code review resolves its own addressed comments and runs shell tools plus an ensemble of agents (9/11), and the Copilot app got Jira, the CLI got HydraFusion routing and VS Code 1.137 got scheduled agent automations and a voice mode (9/10). AI code assistant that lives in your editor -- autocomplete on steroids, now with the broadest model picker of any coding tool. **Three frontier models landed in four days: Claude Fable 5.1 (2026-09-01), Gemini 3.8 Flash (2026-09-03) and GPT-6 Astra (2026-09-04)** -- Astra and Gemini auto-enable under default model enablement, but **Fable 5.1 is OFF by default because it requires data retention** to run Anthropic's safety classifiers. **A four-model deprecation slate hits 2026-10-02** (Gemini 3.5/3.6 Flash, Kimi K2.7 Code, Claude Opus 4.7), and **Business/Enterprise card/PayPal customers move to upfront per-seat charging on 2026-10-01**. **Gemini 3.7 Flash landed 2026-08-13 and Grok 4.6 on 2026-08-14**, both across Pro, Pro+, Max, Business and Enterprise and both still off by default for orgs. **Claude Opus 5 landed 2026-07-24** (Pro+, Max, Business, Enterprise) and **Grok 4.5 on 2026-07-28** (all five paid SKUs, up to 500K context, text and image input, low/medium/high reasoning effort). Both bill usage-based at provider list price, and both are off by default for Business/Enterprise until an admin enables the policy -- though that posture flips on **2026-08-26**, when new GA models covered by GitHub's data-retention agreement start auto-enabling for orgs. **MAI-Code-1.1-Flash landed 2026-08-11** (native vision, 0.25x premium-request multiplier, 73% below the model it replaces; automatic for Free/Student, manual elsewhere, off by default for orgs) and **MAI-Code-1-Flash retires 2026-09-10**. **GitHub Models (the separate free playground) was fully retired 2026-07-30.** Usage-based billing went live 2026-06-01 with AI Credits and token metering; code completions are still free; new signups for Student/Pro/Pro+/Max remain PAUSED

Last updated: 2026-09-14Free tier availablePowered by Multi-model picker: Grok 4.6 (all paid SKUs, added 2026-08-14), Gemini 3.7 Flash (all paid SKUs, added 2026-08-13, Preview policy), MAI-Code-1.1-Flash (added 2026-08-11), Kimi K3 (Pro/Pro+/Max/Business/Enterprise, added 2026-08-06, GitHub-hosted on Fireworks AI), Claude Opus 5 (Pro+/Max/Business/Enterprise, added 2026-07-24), Grok 4.5 (all paid SKUs, added 2026-07-28), Kimi K2.7-Code, plus the GPT-5.x line

Score Breakdown

9.0
Ease of Use
8.0
Output Quality
8.0
Value
8.0
Features

The Good and the Bad

What we like

  • +Inline code completions feel magical -- it predicts what you're about to type with scary accuracy
  • +Works directly in VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim -- no context switching
  • +Copilot Chat is great for explaining code, writing tests, and debugging
  • +Free tier is functional enough for personal projects

What could be better

  • Suggestions can be confidently wrong -- it'll autocomplete plausible-looking code that has subtle bugs
  • Sometimes suggests code that's clearly copied from public repos, raising licensing questions
  • Context window for chat is smaller than standalone tools like Claude
  • Multi-file refactoring understanding is limited compared to Cursor

Pricing

Free

$0
  • 2,000 completions/mo
  • 50 chat messages/mo
  • VS Code + JetBrains
  • Still open to new signups (2026-04-20)

Pro

$10/month
  • NEW SIGNUPS PAUSED 2026-04-20
  • Claude Opus REMOVED (Opus 4.7 now Pro+ only)
  • Effective 2026-06-01: $10 in monthly AI Credits replaces premium-request quota

Pro+

$39/month
  • NEW SIGNUPS PAUSED 2026-04-20
  • Claude Opus access (Pro+ only)
  • Full frontier-model picker
  • Live 2026-06-01: $39 in monthly AI Credits

Copilot Max (NEW 2026-06-01)

Upgrade tier
  • Upgrade for existing Student/Pro/Pro+ subscribers
  • Higher included usage + higher spending limits
  • NEW SIGNUPS PAUSED (reopen in coming weeks)
  • Usage-based AI Credits + token metering

Business

$19/user/month
  • Organization management
  • Policy controls
  • Audit logs
  • Effective 2026-06-01: $19 in monthly AI Credits per user

Enterprise

$39/user/month
  • Org-wide governance + SSO
  • Effective 2026-06-01: $39 in monthly AI Credits per user
  • Standard token metering above the allotment

Known Issues

  • MAI-CODE-1-FLASH RETIRED ON SCHEDULE, AUTO MODEL SELECTION GETS COST/QUALITY TIERS, AND ENTERPRISE GUARDRAILS ARRIVE FOR AGENT OPERATIONS -- SEVEN COPILOT CHANGELOG ENTRIES 2026-09-08 THROUGH 2026-09-14 (all vendor-primary): **(1) DATED FLIP EXECUTED -- MAI-Code-1-Flash deprecated 2026-09-10** 'across all GitHub Copilot experiences (including Copilot Chat, inline edits, ask and agent modes, and code completions)', suggested alternative **MAI-Code-1.1-Flash**; Enterprise admins may need to enable the alternative via model policies. This closes the one-month forced migration flagged on this page since 8/11 and is the second model in the 9/01-10/02 retirement run. **(2) Auto model selection tiers (9/14):** auto now offers **efficiency, balance and intelligence** tiers that set how cost, quality and latency are weighed per prompt; all three draw from the same model set and 'usage is charged based on the model auto selects, regardless of tier', with the **10% discount for paid subscribers on auto-billed usage retained**. Rolling out in VS Code, Copilot CLI and the Copilot app. GitHub calls it 'the first step' toward user-customisable selection. **(3) Enterprise managed permissions for agent operations (9/09, GA):** Copilot Business/Enterprise admins can now centrally set which agent operations are **blocked, require human approval, or proceed without a prompt**, covering **shell commands, file reads/edits and network domains**; managed restrictions 'can't be weakened by user or workspace settings, auto-approval, or previously saved approvals', with per-team policies. Applies to the Copilot app, CLI and VS Code sessions using Agent Host. **(4) Enterprise-managed sandbox in Copilot for JetBrains (9/08, public preview):** managed policies for sandbox enablement, filesystem/network access, proxy, developer-tool and macOS Keychain access; same release adds cross-file cursor jumps in next-edit suggestions, global project context in chat, enterprise policy diagnostics, subagent model selection, and **`/ide` in Copilot CLI to bind a terminal session to the JetBrains IDE context** (public preview). **(5) Copilot code review (9/11):** it now **auto-resolves its own comments** once a later commit addresses them, writes smart commit messages when you apply a suggestion, runs **the full Copilot SDK shell toolset behind the agent firewall** to validate code under review (builds, tests, scripts), and the **Lite effort level now uses an ensemble of agents** -- GitHub's own experiment numbers: addressed comments up 47% (high severity), 31% (medium), 11% (low) at ~8% lower review cost. **(6) Weekly release, Sept 7 (9/10):** **Jira integration in the Copilot app** (bring issues into a shared canvas and carry context through investigation, implementation and PR prep); **Project HydraFusion in Copilot CLI `/experimental`** -- 'automated semantic routing between local, cloud, and compound models', selected like any other model; **VS Code 1.137**: scheduled recurring agent tasks (hourly/daily/weekly or on demand, public preview), an experimental **voice mode** to talk to and redirect Copilot mid-task, and issue/PR review inside the Agents window without the repo open. **(7) Usage metrics (9/11):** the Copilot usage metrics API now reports dedicated VS Code Agents-window activity (`daily_active_vscode_agent_users`, `totals_by_vscode_agent`) separately from editor Agent Mode. **Also 9/09, adjacent:** bulk **agentic autofix** for GitHub Code Quality findings -- assign up to 25 findings to Copilot at once, it fixes on a branch and opens a PR; consumes AI credits (Team and Enterprise Cloud). **NET READ:** the model roster is stable this week (no additions; MAI-Code-1-Flash out), and the shipping emphasis has moved to enterprise control surfaces -- centrally managed agent permissions and sandboxes are what unblocks agent mode in regulated shops. **Still ahead on this page's calendar:** no earlier than 9/28 the unified Copilot experience defaults on; 10/01 upfront per-seat charging for existing card/PayPal customers; 10/02 the four-model deprecation slate.Source: GitHub Changelog (2026-09-10-mai-code-1-flash-deprecated; 2026-09-14-configure-cost-and-quality-in-copilot-auto-model-selection; 2026-09-09-enterprise-managed-permissions-for-github-copilot-agent-operations; 2026-09-08-enterprise-managed-sandbox-in-copilot-for-jetbrains; 2026-09-11-auto-resolution-and-analysis-updates-in-copilot-code-review; 2026-09-10-github-copilot-weekly-releases-september-7; 2026-09-11-add-vs-code-agents-to-copilot-usage-metrics; 2026-09-09-remediate-code-quality-findings-with-agentic-autofix) -- all fetched 2026-09-14 via curl · 2026-09-14
  • THREE FRONTIER MODELS LANDED IN COPILOT IN FOUR DAYS -- AND THE ENABLEMENT POSTURE SPLITS EXACTLY ALONG DATA-RETENTION LINES (2026-09-01 to 2026-09-04, vendor-primary): GitHub added **Claude Fable 5.1 (2026-09-01)**, **Gemini 3.8 Flash (2026-09-03)** and **GPT-6 Astra (2026-09-04)**, each within a day or two of its vendor launch. **THE IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE IS NOT THE MODELS, IT IS WHICH ONES TURN THEMSELVES ON.** For Astra and Gemini 3.8 Flash, GitHub's wording is identical and automatic: '**Under default model enablement, new models are enabled automatically unless an administrator has turned off the global default or explicitly disables this model.**' For Claude Fable 5.1, it is the opposite: '**Copilot Enterprise and Copilot Business plan administrators must enable the Claude Fable 5.1 policy in Copilot settings. The policy is off by default.**' **The stated reason is data retention, not capability:** '**Unlike other Claude models in GitHub Copilot, Claude Fable 5.1 requires data retention by default to operate Anthropic's safety classifiers.**' Zero data retention is available only 'for certain eligible enterprise customers'. **This confirms the dividing line this page identified on 2026-08-26: default-on enablement in enterprise Copilot is gated by licensing and data-retention posture, not by how good the model is.** Anthropic's newest and strongest model is the one that has to be switched on by hand, precisely because its safeguards require retaining data. **AVAILABILITY AND TIERS:** Astra and Fable 5.1 are **Pro+, Max, Business and Enterprise** (note: **not** Pro); Gemini 3.8 Flash reaches **Pro, Pro+, Max, Business and Enterprise**. All three appear across VS Code, Visual Studio, Copilot CLI, the coding/cloud agent, the Copilot app, JetBrains, Xcode and Eclipse; Astra and Fable 5.1 also on github.com and GitHub Mobile. Rollout is gradual in every case. **BILLING:** Astra and Fable 5.1 bill at **provider list pricing** under usage-based billing; Gemini 3.8 Flash bills at **introductory provider pricing through 2026-12-31** -- so the Copilot cost of that model doubles on 2027-01-01 along with Google's rate card. **GitHub's own testing note on Astra is about process rather than output: it 'plans and validates as it goes, batches diagnosis with verification, and independently confirms its results before declaring a task done.'**Source: GitHub Changelog (2026-09-04-gpt-6-astra-is-generally-available-in-github-copilot, 2026-09-03-gemini-3-8-flash-is-now-available-in-github-copilot, 2026-09-01-claude-fable-5-1-generally-available-in-github-copilot) -- all fetched 2026-09-05 · 2026-09-04
  • A FOUR-MODEL DEPRECATION SLATE DATED 2026-10-02 -- INCLUDING CLAUDE OPUS 4.7 AND TWO GEMINI FLASH VERSIONS (2026-09-03, vendor-primary): GitHub will remove the following '**across all GitHub Copilot experiences (including Copilot Chat, inline edits, ask and agent modes, and code completions) on October 2nd, 2026**': **Gemini 3.5 Flash** and **Gemini 3.6 Flash** (both -> Gemini 3.8 Flash), **Kimi K2.7 Code** (-> Kimi K3), and **Claude Opus 4.7** (-> Claude Opus 5). **READ THE GEMINI PAIR TOGETHER WITH THE 3.8 LAUNCH: Google shipped 3.8 Flash on 9/02 and GitHub scheduled the retirement of two older Flash versions the next day.** The Flash line is now turning over faster inside Copilot than most teams re-pin their model choices -- three Flash releases in six weeks upstream, two Flash retirements downstream. **THE ADMIN TRAP GITHUB FLAGS EXPLICITLY:** the suggested alternatives are not automatically usable. '**Copilot Enterprise and Copilot Business administrators may need to enable access to the alternative models through their model policies in Copilot settings.**' So an org that is not paying attention can lose Opus 4.7 on October 2 and find Opus 5 not enabled behind it. Verify the policy is on before the date, not after. **No action is required to remove the models after deprecation, and GitHub directs Enterprise customers with concerns to their account team.**Source: GitHub Changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-09-03-upcoming-deprecation-of-selected-github-copilot-models/) -- fetched 2026-09-05 · 2026-09-03
  • COPILOT BUSINESS AND ENTERPRISE SIGNUPS REOPEN -- WITH UPFRONT PER-SEAT CHARGING THAT HITS EXISTING CUSTOMERS ON 2026-10-01 (2026-09-03, vendor-primary; the dated flip this page has tracked since 8/28, and it landed two days late): GitHub is '**gradually reopening sign-ups for Copilot Business and Copilot Enterprise customers paying by credit card or PayPal over the next couple of weeks**', alongside '**strengthening account vetting and updating billing experiences**' for those customers. **THE BILLING CHANGE IS THE PART THAT COSTS MONEY AND IT IS NOT LIMITED TO NEW CUSTOMERS.** Two changes apply to card/PayPal Business and Enterprise accounts: '**All new Copilot Business or Copilot Enterprise seat assignments will require payment for each seat before users gain Copilot access**', and '**At the start of the next billing cycle, all Copilot Business and Copilot Enterprise seats assigned will incur an upfront charge. This includes existing customers starting October 1, 2026.**' **So an established org that has been billed in arrears switches to paying for every assigned seat upfront on October 1** -- a working-capital change, not a price change. Included usage 'may be prorated across the month to align with the seat cost proration.' **WHAT IS EXPLICITLY NOT CHANGING:** plan pricing, seat prorations, and the ability to buy usage beyond included allowances. **One trap worth knowing: 'Fully canceling Copilot and returning later may trigger updated account vetting and billing behaviors'** -- so churning out and back in is not a way to keep the old billing treatment. Invoiced enterprise customers are outside the scope of this notice.Source: GitHub Changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-09-03-reopening-copilot-business-and-enterprise-signups/) -- fetched 2026-09-05 · 2026-09-03
  • ENTERPRISE-MANAGED SETTINGS CAN NOW PIN ANY MODEL AS THE DEFAULT, INCLUDING PER-TEAM (2026-09-02, vendor-primary): GitHub made model defaults in enterprise-managed settings generally available -- '**You can now set your preferred GitHub Copilot model as the default for new conversations through enterprise-managed settings**', and '**customize the default by enterprise team, assigning a different default model based on team membership**' by marking the model key overridable and updating `team-mappings.json`. Users not covered by a team mapping inherit the enterprise default. **WHY THIS MATTERS THIS WEEK SPECIFICALLY:** it lands in the same window as three model additions and a four-model deprecation slate, and it is the control that makes those manageable -- an org can pin Gemini 3.8 Flash for a cost-sensitive team and Fable 5.1 or Astra for a team doing long-horizon work, rather than accepting one global default. **It also partially offsets the default-enablement asymmetry above:** Fable 5.1 will not enable itself, but once an admin turns the policy on, it can be made a team's default rather than something each developer selects. GA on **Copilot Business and Copilot Enterprise**, in the GitHub Copilot app, Copilot CLI and Visual Studio Code.Source: GitHub Changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-09-02-enterprise-managed-settings-support-any-default-model/) -- fetched 2026-09-05 · 2026-09-02
  • COPILOT CODE REVIEW CAN NOW APPROVE PULL REQUESTS, AND CONTENT EXCLUSIONS REACHED GA IN THE APP AND CLI (2026-09-01 / 2026-09-02, vendor-primary): two smaller changes that matter for governance. **Copilot code review can now approve pull requests (2026-09-01)** -- following the 2026-08-27 removal of the 300-file / 20,000-LOC cap, the reviewer has gone from commenting to being able to register an approval. **Treat this as a branch-protection question, not a feature:** if your repository counts Copilot's approval toward a required-reviewers rule, an automated reviewer can now satisfy a human gate. Check the setting before assuming it cannot. **Content exclusions are generally available in the Copilot app and Copilot CLI (2026-09-02)**, closing a real gap -- exclusions that already applied in the IDE now also apply on those two surfaces, so files you had excluded from Copilot in VS Code are no longer reachable through the CLI. **The standing double-billing caveat on code review still applies.**Source: GitHub Changelog (2026-09-01-copilot-code-review-can-now-approve-pull-requests, 2026-09-02-content-exclusions-generally-available-in-copilot-app-and-cli) -- fetched 2026-09-05 · 2026-09-02
  • THE COPILOT CODE REVIEW SIZE CAP IS GONE, AND IT NOW REVIEWS BOT-AUTHORED PRs (2026-08-27, vendor changelog): three changes shipped together, and the first is the one that actually changes what the product can do. **(1) THE 300-FILE / 20,000-LINE LIMIT HAS BEEN REMOVED.** Copilot code review previously refused pull requests above **300 files or 20,000 lines of code**; that ceiling is lifted, so large refactors, dependency sweeps and generated-code PRs -- exactly the reviews a human is least willing to do carefully -- are now in scope for the first time. **(2) BOT-AUTHORED PULL REQUESTS ARE NOW REVIEWED**, including PRs opened by **Copilot cloud agent**, when reviews are requested automatically. GitHub is explicit that the cloud agent's PRs now get '**a full agentic review**' rather than the previously limited experience. **This closes a real loop: Copilot's own agent writes the PR, and Copilot reviews it.** Whether you regard that as useful automation or as marking your own homework is a judgement call the changelog does not make for you, and there is no second-model review option. Billing detail worth catching: organizations with the '**Allow members without a Copilot license to use Copilot code review**' policy enabled can **bill that usage directly to the organization**. **(3) RESOLUTION REASONS:** when you resolve a Copilot comment you can now pick **Addressed**, **Won't fix**, or **Incorrect** from a dropdown beside the resolve button -- the first structured signal GitHub collects on whether its review comments were actually right, and the 'Incorrect' option is the one to use if you want that feedback to mean anything. **THE COST WARNING ON THIS PAGE APPLIES DOUBLE NOW:** since 2026-06-01 Copilot code review bills **twice** -- the premium request plus GitHub Actions runtime -- so removing the size cap removes the thing that was implicitly capping your spend on runaway PRs. **A 5,000-file migration PR is now reviewable, and now billable.** The changelog does not state which plans or tiers these three changes apply to.Source: GitHub Changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-08-27-copilot-code-review-resolution-reasons-and-expanded-capabilities/, dated 2026-08-27) -- fetched 2026-08-31 · 2026-08-27
  • COPILOT MOVES INTO SLACK AND MICROSOFT TEAMS -- AGENT SESSIONS BECOME MULTIPLAYER (2026-08-21, vendor-primary): GitHub shipped two chat-surface integrations in **public preview** on the same day. **Slack:** the GitHub integration now brings '**the agentic capabilities of GitHub Copilot CLI and the GitHub Copilot app into Slack**'. Mention **@GitHub** in a DM, channel or thread to start an agent session that can answer questions about code and GitHub activity, triage bug reports, create/update/label issues, and investigate failures then implement and validate changes. **GitHub is also a launch partner for Slack Code, a new Slack channel type designed for agents** -- worth watching as a category, not just a Copilot feature. **Microsoft Teams:** mention **@GitHub** to turn a discussion into a **shared Copilot cloud agent session that everyone in the conversation can see and steer**; anyone can ask questions and add context, but **only participants with write access to the repo can trigger Copilot to make changes** -- the governance boundary that makes this safe to enable. GitHub's framing is meeting-to-work: hand an action item to Copilot during standup and have it investigating before the meeting ends. **THE STRATEGIC POINT FOR RANKINGS: Copilot's agent is no longer editor-bound, and 'shared, observable agent session' is a collaboration primitive no editor-only assistant currently matches.** Both are previews, so treat durability as unproven.Source: GitHub Changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-08-21-the-new-github-copilot-experience-in-slack/ and github.blog/changelog/2026-08-21-shared-agentic-work-with-github-copilot-in-microsoft-teams/) -- both fetched 2026-08-28 via curl · 2026-08-21
  • COPILOT HARNESS GA IN JETBRAINS, PLUS A BUILT-IN JETBRAINS MCP SERVER (2026-08-24, vendor-primary): **Copilot harness reached general availability in Copilot for JetBrains**, which GitHub credits with faster feature delivery and better code quality. Shipping alongside: **built-in JetBrains MCP server support in public preview**, exposing IDE capabilities to MCP-driven agent workflows **without requiring an external server setup** -- the friction that has kept most IDE MCP usage to early adopters. Also **/review harness integrations directly inside JetBrains**, and a What's New tab after plugin updates. **Read alongside the 2026-08-18 enterprise-managed-settings release for JetBrains: GitHub is closing the gap between its VS Code flagship and the JetBrains plugin on both agent capability and enterprise governance in the same fortnight.**Source: GitHub Changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-08-24-copilot-harness-generally-available-in-copilot-for-jetbrains/) -- fetched 2026-08-28 via curl · 2026-08-24
  • GLOBAL MODEL POLICY GOES GA -- AND THE 8/17 WARNING NOT TO ASSUME IT AUTO-ENABLES EVERYTHING WAS CORRECT (2026-08-26, vendor-primary): The default model policy announced in July for Copilot Business/Enterprise began **gradual enforcement on 2026-08-26, rolling out through 2026-09-01**, so it takes effect at different times per enterprise. **We flagged on 2026-08-17 that this date should not be assumed to auto-enable Gemini 3.7 Flash and Grok 4.6. That caution is now confirmed, and the exclusion rule is broader and more interesting than model-by-model defaults:** GitHub excludes from default enablement (a) **all open-weight models -- it names DeepSeek and Kimi K2** and (b) **any model not covered by GitHub's data retention agreement -- it names Fable 5**, regardless of what an admin's policy is set to. **So the dividing line is licensing and data-retention posture, not capability or vendor prestige** -- an Anthropic frontier model and an open-weight Chinese model are excluded for different reasons but land in the same bucket. Unconfigured and newly-GA models inherit a **'Delegate to default policy'** state, a live setting that tracks the policy rather than freezing a value. **Explicit admin choices are preserved** -- deliberately enabled or disabled models are untouched. Four resulting states: Enabled, Disabled, Delegate to enterprise teams/apps or organizations, Delegate to default policy. **GitHub is consulting on removing 'Delegate to default policy' later** so every policy is an explicit decision.Source: GitHub Changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-08-26-global-model-policy-generally-available/, on-page 'August 26, 2026') -- fetched 2026-08-28 via curl · 2026-08-26
  • COPILOT BUSINESS/ENTERPRISE SIGNUPS REOPEN 9/1 -- BUT SEATS MUST NOW BE PAID FOR BEFORE THEY WORK (2026-08-28, vendor-primary): GitHub published a slate of upcoming policy and billing changes. **The headline is that self-serve signups had been closed and are coming back: 'Starting September 1, 2026, GitHub will start reenabling sign-ups for new Copilot Business and Copilot Enterprise customers paying by credit card or PayPal,' with 'strengthened account vetting'** -- an anti-abuse measure, and an implicit admission the previous flow was being abused. **THE CHANGE THAT COSTS EXISTING CUSTOMERS MONEY IS THE SECOND ONE, AND IT IS NOT A PRICE RISE:** all new Business/Enterprise seat assignments will **require payment for each seat before users gain Copilot access**, and at the start of the next billing cycle **all assigned seats incur an upfront charge**. For existing credit-card/PayPal customers this begins **2026-10-01**. GitHub states plainly '**Copilot Business and Copilot Enterprise prices are not changing**' -- so this is a **cash-flow and provisioning change, not a rate change**, and anyone reading only the headline will get that backwards. **Retained terms:** mid-cycle seats still prorate; included usage may be prorated to match seat proration; overage still purchasable; spend controls, usage tracking and AI credits unchanged. **Retained sting: revoking a seat still yields no prorated refund**, which matters more now that seats are charged upfront. **SEPARATE DATED ITEM -- 'no earlier than September 28, 2026': Copilot cloud agent, Copilot Chat on github.com and Copilot Chat in GitHub Mobile converge into a single unified Copilot experience under one policy, enabled by default after launch**, with cloud agent moving onto Sandbox. Three separate admin policies collapse into one, and it defaults on -- worth flagging to anyone who had deliberately disabled just one of the three.Source: GitHub Changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-08-28-upcoming-changes-to-github-copilot-policies-and-billing/) -- fetched 2026-08-28 via curl · 2026-08-28
  • ENTERPRISE MANAGED SETTINGS LAND IN COPILOT FOR JETBRAINS -- INCLUDING AN MCP ALLOWLIST AND A KILL SWITCH FOR AUTOPILOT (2026-08-18, vendor changelog): admin governance that had been VS Code-shaped now reaches JetBrains IDEs, and one of the four controls is more consequential than the changelog's flat tone suggests. **THE FOUR CONTROLS:** (1) **Plugin governance** -- `enabledPlugins` to force a plugin on or off, `extraKnownMarketplaces` to approve additional sources, `strictKnownMarketplaces` to limit installation to approved sources only. (2) **MCP server allowlist** -- `allowedMcpServers` and `deniedMcpServers` centrally control which MCP servers developers may connect to, which GitHub says '**prevents connections to servers outside the enterprise allowlist**'. (3) **Managed OpenTelemetry** -- admins set the collector endpoint, protocol, service name, resource attributes and content-capture policy, and '**managed values take precedence over developer settings**'. (4) **Organization-controlled permission modes** -- `permissions.disableBypassPermissionsMode` **prevents the Copilot agent in JetBrains from using Bypass Approvals or Autopilot**. **WHY (2) AND (4) ARE THE ONES TO CARE ABOUT:** an MCP server is arbitrary third-party code with tool access inside a developer's editor, and until now a JetBrains shop had no central way to bound which ones were reachable -- this closes a real supply-chain gap rather than adding a convenience toggle. And `disableBypassPermissionsMode` is the first documented way for an org to stop Copilot's agent from running unattended in JetBrains, which is the control a security review actually asks for. **SCOPE:** applies to enterprises on a Copilot plan, via the enterprise managed settings reference; requires the latest JetBrains plugin. No pricing changeSource: GitHub Changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-08-18-enterprise-managed-settings-in-github-copilot-for-jetbrains/, date-prefixed slug, fetched 2026-08-20) · 2026-08-18
  • MAI-CODE-1.1-FLASH ARRIVES AND MAI-CODE-1-FLASH IS ALREADY SCHEDULED TO DIE (both 2026-08-11, GitHub changelog) -- A ONE-MONTH FORCED MIGRATION. **(1) The new model.** MAI-Code-1.1-Flash, 'Microsoft's latest small-tier coding model', is rolling out in Copilot with **native vision support for image understanding**, improved coding quality and tool use. **Entitlement differs by plan in a way that matters: Free and Student users get it by automatic selection, while Pro, Pro+, Max, Business and Enterprise get it as a manual selection.** It carries a **0.25x premium request multiplier** for annual subscribers -- the cheapest multiplier in the picker -- and GitHub states a **73% lower list price than MAI-Code-1-Flash**, the model it replaces. **For Business and Enterprise the policy is OFF BY DEFAULT**, so an admin has to enable it. **(2) The retirement.** The same day, GitHub set **MAI-Code-1-Flash to retire on 2026-09-10**, across 'all GitHub Copilot experiences', individual and enterprise, with MAI-Code-1.1-Flash named as the suggested alternative. **The practical trap:** the replacement is off by default for orgs while the outgoing model has a hard date, so an Enterprise admin who does nothing leaves users with the old model until 9/10 and then with neither. Enable the 1.1 policy before the deadline. GitHub says 'no action is required to remove the older model once it has been deprecated' but does not spell out what happens to in-flight requests after the cutoff. **Note also that 9/10 sits after the 2026-08-26 auto-enablement change** -- MAI-Code-1.1-Flash is a first-party GA model, so it is the kind of model that policy is designed to auto-enable, but GitHub's own changelog still describes it as off by default today; do not assume the 8/26 flip retroactively covers itSource: GitHub changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-08-11-mai-code-1-1-flash-available-in-github-copilot/ and github.blog/changelog/2026-08-11-upcoming-deprecation-of-mai-code-1-flash/, both fetched 2026-08-13) · 2026-08-11
  • COPILOT MEMORY + OLLAMA BYOK REACH JETBRAINS, AND PER-MODEL TOKEN BREAKDOWN LANDS IN BILLING (2026-08-11, GitHub changelog): **(1) Copilot memory in JetBrains** -- 'Copilot memory can now retain and recall useful information across agent chat sessions', so project details and preferences persist between conversations rather than being re-fed each time. **(2) Ollama as a BYOK provider in JetBrains** -- 'You can now use Ollama as a BYOK provider in GitHub Copilot for JetBrains', which means **local models running on your own machine inside Copilot's JetBrains client**. That is the meaningful one for anyone with data-residency constraints or a preference for open weights: it is a route to using Copilot's interface without sending code to a hosted frontier model. GitHub's changelog does **not** state which plans or SKUs these require -- recorded as unspecified rather than assumed to be all-plans. **(3) Per-model token breakdown in the usage report** -- 'You can now see a per-model breakdown of the tokens behind your AI credits in the usage report', showing **input, output, cache read and cache write tokens per model** alongside credits consumed, on **Business, Enterprise and Individuals**. This continues the metering-transparency thread that has been the most useful Copilot change since the 6/01 usage-billing cutover: cache read/write visibility in particular is what lets you tell whether a high bill is real work or cache missesSource: GitHub changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-08-11-copilot-memory-and-ollama-in-github-copilot-for-jetbrains/ and github.blog/changelog/2026-08-11-per-model-token-breakdown-in-the-usage-report/, both fetched 2026-08-13) · 2026-08-11
  • AGENT PLUGINS 1.0 -- A VENDOR-NEUTRAL PACKAGING STANDARD FOR SKILLS + MCP SERVERS (announced 2026-08-12, spec published 2026-08-06, GitHub changelog): GitHub describes it as **'an open standard that packages agent skills and MCP servers into one installable plugin that is governed independently of any single vendor.'** The problem it solves is duplication: plugins previously needed **separate manifests and directory layouts for each client**, so one plugin now works across multiple agent clients instead of shipping vendor-specific versions. **Available in VS Code, Copilot CLI, the GitHub Copilot SDK and the GitHub Copilot app**, and **generally available on all Copilot plans**. **Not a breaking change** -- 'Existing GitHub Copilot plugins that don't target Agent Plugins 1.0 remain supported, with no migration required.' **Why it is worth watching beyond Copilot:** the 'governed independently of any single vendor' framing puts this in the same category as MCP itself, which GitHub also did not own but adopted -- if other agent clients implement it, plugin portability stops being a Copilot feature and becomes an ecosystem property. Whether that happens is not yet evidenced; today it is GitHub-published and GitHub-implementedSource: GitHub changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-08-12-agent-plugins-1-0-in-vs-code-copilot-cli-and-the-copilot-app/, fetched 2026-08-13) · 2026-08-12
  • TWO FRONTIER MODELS LANDED IN THE PICKER IN 48 HOURS -- GEMINI 3.7 FLASH (8/13) AND GROK 4.6 (8/14), BOTH ON EVERY PAID SKU (vendor changelog, both fetched 2026-08-17): **(1) Gemini 3.7 Flash, 2026-08-13** -- GitHub added Google's newest Flash model **the same day Google launched it**, citing improvements in web/app development and agentic coding workflows. Availability: '**Copilot Pro, Pro+, Max, Business, and Enterprise users**' -- the broad list, including base Pro. **(2) Grok 4.6, 2026-08-14** -- xAI's latest coding model, which GitHub says '**performed especially well on longer-horizon tasks requiring sustained reasoning and tool use, making it a strong fit for complex coding workflows**.' Same SKU list: '**Copilot Pro, Pro+, Max, Business, and Enterprise SKUs**.' xAI published its own post the same day confirming it is 'now live in GitHub Copilot,' and noting the model is also available direct from the SpaceXAI console at **$2 per million input / $6 per million output** -- unchanged from Grok 4.5, so this is a capability bump at a flat price. **Surfaces for both:** VS Code, Visual Studio, Copilot CLI, the Copilot cloud agent, the GitHub Copilot app, JetBrains, Xcode and Eclipse. **ORG ADMINS -- BOTH ARE STILL OFF BY DEFAULT.** For Gemini 3.7 Flash, '**Copilot Enterprise and Copilot Business plan administrators must enable the Gemini 3.7 Flash Preview policy in Copilot settings before anyone in their organization can select it**' (note GitHub labels the policy **Preview**). For Grok 4.6, '**the policy is off by default**' for Business and Enterprise admins. xAI words it more loosely -- 'some businesses and enterprises will need to enable the model from Copilot settings' -- but GitHub's changelog is the authoritative one for org posture. **HOW THIS INTERACTS WITH THE 2026-08-26 DEFAULT-ENABLEMENT FLIP, because it is easy to get wrong:** the 8/26 change auto-enables newly released GA models covered by GitHub's data-retention agreement. Neither of these is automatically covered by that -- **Gemini 3.7 Flash is carrying a Preview policy label**, and both shipped **before** 8/26 with an explicit off-by-default posture, so **do not assume 8/26 retroactively switches them on**. If you want either model available to your org, enable it manually. **NO MULTIPLIER PUBLISHED FOR EITHER** -- GitHub's changelog states no premium-request multiplier and no context-window figure for Gemini 3.7 Flash or Grok 4.6, so any multiplier you see quoted for these two in an aggregator is not from the changelog. Both bill usage-based at provider list pricing, consistent with the Opus 5, Grok 4.5 and Kimi K3 adds. **Net:** the picker now spans five frontier vendors, and the two newest additions both arrived on day one or day two of their upstream launch -- Copilot's model-freshness lag is effectively goneSource: GitHub changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-08-13-gemini-3-7-flash-is-now-available-in-github-copilot and github.blog/changelog/2026-08-14-grok-4-6-is-now-available-in-github-copilot) plus SpaceXAI (x.ai/news/grok-4-6-github-copilot, on-page date Aug 14, 2026) -- all fetched 2026-08-17 · 2026-08-14
  • SPEND VISIBILITY FINALLY LANDS IN THE CHAT ITSELF (2026-08-10, vendor changelog) -- the single most useful change for anyone on usage-based billing: Copilot on the web (github.com/copilot) added **token spend indicators in chat**, giving you '**per-session and per-message quota**' and, in GitHub's words, 'greater visibility into your token spend and budget.' **Why this is more than a UI tweak on this page specifically:** since the 2026-06-01 billing cutover, every Copilot page here has carried the same structural complaint -- premium requests and credits burn in ways that are hard to see until the bill arrives, and the 8/03 reasoning-level control made that worse by adding a knob that 'consumes more tokens, and therefore more credits.' Per-message spend in the chat is the first in-context feedback loop on that. Availability: **all Copilot plans**. Shipped alongside the ability to **minimize a conversation and resume it** -- browse GitHub while a response is generating, then pick recent conversations back up. **A related transparency change shipped 2026-08-07 in the Copilot app:** '**Auto now shows which model handled each completed request, plus AI credit and cache details when they're available**' -- so Auto-mode routing, which previously gave you no way to know what you were billed for, is now itemised. Read together, these two are GitHub closing the metering-opacity gap rather than adding capabilitySource: GitHub changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-08-10-copilot-on-web-expands-conversation-controls/ and github.blog/changelog/2026-08-07-github-copilot-weekly-releases-august-3/, both fetched 2026-08-10) · 2026-08-10
  • COPILOT CODE REVIEW EFFORT LEVELS GO GA, AND THE NAMES CHANGED (2026-08-07, vendor changelog): the **Lite** and **Balanced** effort levels for Copilot code review moved from public preview to **general availability** -- and note the rename, because it will break your muscle memory and any internal docs: **these were previously called Low and Medium**. You pick a level **per review** (Lite for routine changes, Balanced for complex or sensitive code), and **organization admins can set a default effort level across all repositories**. Timeline events and pull-request comments now display which effort level was applied, so reviewers can see whether a given review was a light pass or a deep one. Availability: **Copilot Pro, Pro+, Max, Business, and Enterprise** -- i.e. every paid tier, not the free tier. No additional cost was announced beyond existing subscriptions, but remember the standing gotcha on this page: since 2026-06-01 Copilot code review bills **twice** -- the premium request plus GitHub Actions runtime -- so a default of Balanced across every repo is a spend decision, not just a quality oneSource: GitHub changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-08-07-copilot-code-review-effort-levels-are-generally-available/, fetched 2026-08-10) · 2026-08-07
  • KIMI K3 IS GA IN COPILOT -- AND IT LANDS ON EVERY PAID SKU INCLUDING BASE PRO (2026-08-06, vendor changelog): GitHub made **Kimi K3**, Moonshot's 2.8T-parameter open-weight model, generally available in the Copilot picker. GitHub's framing, verbatim: the model '**shows frontier-level abilities on agentic coding with highly cost-effective pricing**'. **HOSTING MATTERS HERE: Kimi K3 is hosted by GitHub on Fireworks AI**, not called out to Moonshot's own API -- so your prompts go to a US inference provider under GitHub's arrangement rather than to Moonshot. Billing is **provider list pricing under usage-based billing**, the same posture as the Opus 5 and Grok 4.5 adds. **AVAILABILITY IS BROADER THAN THE RECENT FRONTIER ADDS:** K3 is rolling out to **Pro, Pro+, Max, Business and Enterprise** -- note that includes **base Pro**, where Claude Opus 5 (added 7/24) was Pro+/Max/Business/Enterprise only. Surfaces: VS Code, Visual Studio, Copilot CLI, Copilot cloud agent, the GitHub Copilot app, github.com, GitHub Mobile on iOS and Android, JetBrains, Xcode and Eclipse. Rollout is gradual, so absence from your picker is not a fault. **ORG ADMINS -- THIS ONE DOES NOT AUTO-ENABLE: K3 is off by default for Copilot Business and Copilot Enterprise**, and 'plan administrators must enable the Kimi K3 policy in Copilot settings before anyone in their organization can select it.' That is consistent with, not an exception to, the 2026-08-26 default-model-enablement change described below -- **open-weight models are explicitly excluded from auto-enablement**, so K3 will still need a manual switch after 8/26. GitHub adds an unusually direct caution: 'we recommend administrators review open-weight models against their own security, compliance, and data-governance requirements before enabling them.' Read: the picker now carries two Moonshot generations (K2.7-Code and K3), and the cheapest credible frontier-class coding option in Copilot is an open-weight Chinese model -- which is exactly the decision GitHub is pushing onto compliance teamsSource: GitHub changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-08-06-kimi-k3-is-now-available-in-github-copilot/, fetched 2026-08-06) · 2026-08-06
  • GITHUB SPARK IS BEING RETIRED -- CLOSED TO NEW USERS 2026-08-04, EXPORT BY 2026-08-31 (vendor changelog): GitHub is winding down **Spark**, its natural-language app-builder on github.com. Verbatim: 'Beginning August 4, 2026, GitHub Spark no longer accepts new users or allows the creation of new apps.' **Existing apps you already deployed keep working after shutdown** -- but if you want to keep *editing* an app you must **export the code before 2026-08-31** (open the Spark workbench, select '...', then 'Create repository'). The sting for anyone who built on it: Spark's AI features ran on **GitHub Models, which was retired 2026-07-30**, so any app calling the `llm()` function **already stopped working on 7/30** -- to restore AI behaviour you must swap in your own inference provider, supply your own API key, and take on the billing yourself. Read this as the second half of one decision, not two: GitHub retired the free inference service and then closed the product that depended on it, both inside five days. If you are evaluating Copilot, note that Spark was a separate product -- **this does not affect Copilot subscriptions or the model picker**Source: GitHub changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-08-04-upcoming-deprecation-of-github-spark-on-github-com/) · 2026-08-04
  • COPILOT CLOUD AGENT GETS A REASONING-LEVEL CONTROL (2026-08-03, vendor changelog): when you delegate a task to Copilot cloud agent you can now **pick a reasoning level alongside the model**, controlling 'how much the model reasons before it responds,' and the agent uses that level for the whole run. It applies only to 'models that support it' -- GitHub did not publish which models, which named levels, or the default. **Billing matters here:** GitHub's own wording is that a higher level 'can improve answers to complex problems, but it consumes more tokens, and therefore more credits' -- so this is a knob that can quietly raise your premium-request burn on a metered plan. Availability: **all paid plans that include Copilot cloud agent -- Pro, Pro+, Business, Enterprise, and Max** (not the free tier). Same-week companion change: the **Copilot billing preview app was retired 2026-08-04**Source: GitHub changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-08-03-customize-the-reasoning-level-for-copilot-cloud-agent/, github.blog/changelog/2026-08-04-retiring-the-copilot-billing-preview-app/) · 2026-08-03
  • GITHUB MODELS IS GONE -- RETIREMENT EXECUTED 2026-07-30 (vendor-confirmed, runtime-confirmed): the free model playground and catalog are dead, with **no grandfathering and no read-only window**. GitHub's changelog, verbatim: 'As of July 30, 2026, GitHub Models is now retired. The playground, model catalog, inference API, and bring your own key (BYOK) are no longer available to any customer, including existing customers with active usage.' The `models.github.ai` catalog endpoint now returns **HTTP 410 Gone**. IMPORTANT: **the free playground inference was not migrated anywhere -- it simply ended.** GitHub points users to Microsoft/Azure AI Foundry (the changelog says 'Microsoft Foundry', the docs say 'Azure AI Foundry' -- same product, inconsistent naming) or to Copilot itself; **both are paid**. Also note GitHub's own docs stress that 'GitHub Models was a separate service from GitHub Copilot and is unrelated to GitHub Copilot services' -- so this does not affect your Copilot subscription or model pickerSource: GitHub changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-07-30-github-models-is-now-retired/), GitHub docs (docs.github.com/en/github-models), live probe of models.github.ai returning 410 · 2026-07-30
  • MODEL DEPRECATIONS RESOLVED + A NEW SEPT 1 SLATE (2026-07-31, vendor changelog -- this supersedes the earlier 'removal date not yet specified' note): (1) **Gemini 2.5 Pro and Gemini 3 Flash were actually deprecated on 2026-07-31**, verbatim 'As of today, July 31, 2026, we have deprecated the following models across all GitHub Copilot experiences.' Replacements: **Gemini 2.5 Pro -> Gemini 3.1 Pro (Preview)** and **Gemini 3 Flash -> Gemini 3.6 Flash**. (2) Announced the same day, a further slate deprecates on **2026-09-01**: **Gemini 3.1 Pro -> Gemini 3.6 Flash** (note the awkward consequence -- 3.1 Pro is the *replacement* for 2.5 Pro on 7/31 and is itself deprecated a month later, so migrating 2.5 Pro users to 3.1 Pro buys you about four weeks); **Claude Opus 4.5 and Opus 4.6 -> 'Claude Opus 4.7, Claude Opus 4.8, or Claude Opus 5'**; **Claude Sonnet 4.5 -> Sonnet 5**; **Claude Sonnet 4.6 -> Sonnet 5**, with the carve-out that 'Claude Sonnet 4.6 will remain available to individual GitHub Copilot subscribers on annual plans so they retain a Sonnet offering'; and **Raptor Mini -> MAI-Code-1-Flash**. GitHub's instruction: 'update your workflows and integrations to use the supported model before these dates'Source: GitHub changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-07-31-gemini-2-5-pro-and-gemini-3-flash-deprecated/ and /2026-07-31-upcoming-august-2026-model-deprecations-in-github-copilot/, both fetched 2026-08-03) · 2026-07-31
  • ORG MODEL DEFAULTS FLIP ON 2026-08-26 -- ACT BEFORE THEN IF YOU WANT THE OLD BEHAVIOUR (announced 2026-07-29, vendor changelog): GitHub is reversing the admin-opt-in posture for new models. Under the new **default model enablement** policy, newly released Copilot models that are generally available **and covered by GitHub's data retention agreement become available to Business and Enterprise users automatically**, instead of requiring an admin to switch each one on. **Excluded from auto-enablement: open-weight models (GitHub names DeepSeek and Kimi K2.7) and models not covered by GitHub's data retention agreement (GitHub names Fable 5)** -- those still require explicit enablement. Timing matters: **the policy is configurable now but has no effect until 2026-08-26**, and organisations that want to keep manual control must **disable the policy before that date**. This directly changes the 'models are off by default for orgs' guidance that applied to the Opus 5 and Grok 4.5 adds belowSource: GitHub changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-07-29-default-model-enablement-for-copilot-business-and-enterprise/, fetched 2026-08-03) · 2026-07-29
  • COPILOT BILLING PREVIEW APP RETIRED TODAY, 2026-08-03 (vendor-confirmed): the standalone app 'built to help you understand your bill as Copilot moved to usage-based billing' is gone. Its replacement is built into GitHub: the **AI usage page in billing settings**, which GitHub says now covers things the app never could, including 'user-level budgets, cost centers, and how usage pools are allocated.' If you had the app installed for spend tracking, that workflow moves to billing settingsSource: GitHub changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-07-07-copilot-billing-preview-app-will-be-retired-on-august-3/, fetched 2026-08-03) · 2026-08-03
  • MODEL ADD -- GROK 4.5 (2026-07-28): GitHub added xAI's Grok 4.5 to Copilot for **'Copilot Pro, Pro+, Max, Business, and Enterprise SKUs'** -- a wider plan list than Opus 5 got four days earlier, since it includes base Pro. Specs from the changelog: **up to 500,000 tokens of context**, text and image input, and selectable **low / medium / high reasoning effort**, positioned for fast agentic coding and complex multi-step workflows. Billing is usage-based at provider list pricing. **Business and Enterprise administrators must enable the Grok 4.5 policy in Copilot settings -- it is disabled by default**, so it will not simply appear for org usersSource: GitHub changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-07-28-grok-4-5-is-now-available-in-github-copilot/, fetched 2026-07-29) · 2026-07-28
  • MODEL ADD -- CLAUDE OPUS 5 (2026-07-24): Copilot picked up Anthropic's new flagship **the same day Anthropic launched it**. Availability is **'Copilot Pro+, Max, Business, and Enterprise users'** -- note this **excludes base Copilot Pro**, unlike the Grok 4.5 add four days later. Billed usage-based at provider API list rates (GitHub published no multiplier and no context figure in the changelog), and **Enterprise/Business admins must enable the Claude Opus 5 policy** before their developers see it. Rollout was gradual. Practical read: the strongest Anthropic model is now a Copilot option, which narrows the model-access gap that pushed heavy users toward Cursor and Claude CodeSource: GitHub changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-07-24-claude-opus-5-is-now-available-in-github-copilot/, fetched 2026-07-29) · 2026-07-24
  • JULY WEEK-2 CLUSTER (2026-07-01 → 2026-07-09, all vendor changelog): (1) **GPT-5.6 Sol, Terra, and Luna landed in Copilot 7/9** -- day-one availability with OpenAI's GA; the picker now spans GPT-5.6 (three tiers), Sonnet 5, Fable 5, and Kimi K2.7. (2) **Deprecation notice 7/2: Gemini 2.5 Pro and Gemini 3 Flash are being removed from Copilot** -- RESOLVED, the removal landed 2026-07-31; see the deprecation entry above for the replacements and the follow-on Sept 1 slate. (3) 7/7: **Kimi K2.7 extended to Business/Enterprise**, **Codex now works as an agent provider inside JetBrains IDEs**, the **GitHub Copilot app is available to all**, and the Copilot Billing Preview app retires 8/3 (DONE -- see the 2026-08-03 entry above). (4) 7/1: **Copilot vision GA** (images/PDFs in chat) + CLI auto model selection. Net: Copilot's picker is now the fastest-moving multi-vendor surface in the market -- three frontier vendors shipped into it inside 10 daysSource: GitHub Changelog (github.blog/changelog/label/copilot -- 2026-07-01 through 2026-07-09 entries) · 2026-07-09
  • LATE-JUNE/JULY CLUSTER (2026-06-30 → 2026-07-02, vendor changelog): (1) **Claude Sonnet 5 is GA in GitHub Copilot** (6/30) -- day-one availability alongside Anthropic's launch; the new 'most agentic Sonnet' model joins the picker. (2) **Browser tools for Copilot agents are GA in VS Code** (7/1) -- agents can drive a browser to test/verify their own web changes. (3) **GitHub Models is being fully retired on 2026-07-30** (7/1 announcement) -- the model-catalog/playground product winds down; migrate off before the date. (4) **Kimi K2.7 Code is GA in Copilot** (7/1) -- the first open-weight Chinese model in the picker; a lower-cost option that meters against the 6/1 credit system. Sonnet 5 note: available to Pro/Pro+/Max/Business/Enterprise, billed at provider list pricing under usage-based billing (no special multiplier), Zero Data Retention, rolling out across VS Code / Visual Studio / CLI / JetBrains / Xcode / Eclipse / mobile.Source: GitHub Changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-06-30-claude-sonnet-5-is-generally-available-for-github-copilot/, .../2026-07-01-browser-tools-for-github-copilot-in-vs-code-are-generally-available/, .../2026-07-01-github-models-is-being-fully-retired-on-july-30-2026/, Kimi K2.7 Code GA entry 2026-07-01) · 2026-07-01
  • MODEL ADD (2026-06-09, vendor-primary github.blog/changelog): **Claude Fable 5 is generally available in GitHub Copilot** on launch day -- Anthropic's first public Mythos-class model lands in the Copilot model picker the same day it ships, ahead of Cursor (which still lacks it as of 6/10). For Copilot users this is currently the strongest available model on agentic coding benchmarks (vendor: SWE-Bench Pro 80.3%). Usage meters against the 6/1 credit system like other premium modelsSource: GitHub blog (github.blog/changelog/2026-06-09-claude-fable-5-is-generally-available-for-github-copilot/) · 2026-06-09
  • BILLING CUTOVER WENT LIVE (2026-06-01, vendor-primary github.blog/changelog): usage-based billing is now live for all GitHub Copilot users. Each plan ships with monthly included usage; beyond it, requests meter against GitHub AI Credits / token rates. Code completions and Next Edit suggestions stay free. **New Copilot Max tier introduced the same day** -- an upgrade for existing Student/Pro/Pro+ subscribers with higher included usage + higher spending limits. **New signups remain PAUSED for Student, Pro, Pro+, AND the new Max plan** ('we'll reopen sign-ups in the coming weeks'). Copilot code review now also consumes GitHub Actions minutes as of 6/1. Net: the 4/27-announced transition is no longer 'upcoming' -- it is the current state.Source: GitHub Changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-06-01-updates-to-github-copilot-billing-and-plans/), GitHub Blog: moving to usage-based billing · 2026-06-01
  • MICROSOFT BUILD (2026-06-02): Microsoft's own **MAI-Code-1-Flash** -- a lightweight in-house coding model -- is rolling out to GitHub Copilot individual users in VS Code, in the model picker and under the default auto-picker. Vendor benchmarks vs Claude Haiku 4.5: SWE-Bench Pro 51.2% vs 35.2% (a 16-point lead), solves SWE-Bench Verified problems with up to 60% fewer tokens, and +28.9 on IF Bench (instruction-following). Microsoft frames it as 'better price-to-performance across coding benchmarks.' Significant because it is the first time a first-party Microsoft model is the cost-efficient default inside Copilot rather than an OpenAI or Anthropic model -- part of the broader 'seven new MAI models' Build wave that also includes MAI-Thinking-1 (reasoning), MAI-Image-2.5, MAI-Transcribe-1.5, and MAI-Voice-2.Source: Microsoft AI (microsoft.ai/news/introducingmai-code-1-flash/), Microsoft Build 2026 newsroom (news.microsoft.com/build-2026/) · 2026-06-02
  • PRODUCT + MODEL CLUSTER (2026-05-14 → 2026-05-21, 6 vendor changelog entries in 8 days -- highest cadence of the year): (1) **2026-05-14 GitHub Copilot app in technical preview** -- standalone Copilot app outside the editor, paralleling the OpenAI Codex mobile / Cursor / Anthropic 'agent goes where you go' pattern. (2) **2026-05-19 Gemini 3.5 Flash GA inside Copilot** -- same day as Google's I/O 2026 reveal (no aggregator delay; vendor-to-vendor handoff). Added to the Pro+/Business/Enterprise model picker. (3) **2026-05-20 Auto model selection routes by task in VS Code** -- Copilot auto-picks among the lineup based on task type rather than user-pinned default. (4) **2026-05-20 Semantic issue search in Copilot Chat** -- chat queries the issues backlog with semantic understanding (find related, dedupe, surface stale). (5) **2026-05-20 Updates to available models in Copilot on web** -- model-picker parity refresh across surfaces. (6) **2026-05-21 Issue fields public preview** -- organization-wide rollout of issue-field customization. Net effect: 6 customer-facing changelogs in the 8-day window ahead of the 6/1 billing cliff.Source: GitHub Changelog (github.blog/changelog -- 5/14 copilot-app-tech-preview, 5/19 gemini-3-5-flash-ga, 5/20 auto-model-selection-vscode, 5/20 semantic-issue-search-copilot-chat, 5/20 updates-to-available-models-on-web, 5/21 issue-fields-public-preview) · 2026-05-21
  • MODEL LINEUP REFRESH (2026-05-17 + 2026-05-18): (1) **GPT-5.3-Codex is now the base model for Copilot Business and Enterprise** (vendor-primary github.blog 2026-05-17), replacing GPT-4.1 ahead of its 6/1 retirement. 1x multiplier, included in standard premium-request quotas; meaningfully faster base-tier completions + chat. (2) **Copilot Cloud Agent added two low-multiplier models 2026-05-18**: Claude Haiku 4.5 and GPT-5.4-mini, both at 0.33x multiplier -- positioned as the 'fast, cost-efficient' default for simple cloud agent tasks. Default cloud-agent runs now route to these tiers; users can still override to Sonnet 4.6 / Opus 4.7 / GPT-5.5 for complex work, but the new default cuts per-task spend ~3x. Material change for any team using Copilot agent mode on PR cleanup / test scaffolding -- audit your spend dashboard after 5/18Source: GitHub Changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-05-17-gpt-5-3-codex-is-now-the-base-model-for-copilot-business-and-enterprise, github.blog/changelog/2026-05-18-copilot-cloud-agent-fast-cost-efficient-models-for-simple-tasks) · 2026-05-18
  • MODEL RETIREMENT WENT LIVE 2026-05-15: **Grok Code Fast 1 fully removed** from Copilot Chat, inline edits, ask + agent modes, and code completions (the 5/8-announced T-7 cliff landed on schedule, accelerated by xAI's own deprecation that day -- see grok.ts 8-model retirement). Anyone with grok-code-fast-1 pinned in a team config saw failures starting 5/15; replacements are GPT-5 mini or Claude Haiku 4.5. **GPT-4.1 retirement 2026-06-01 still on schedule** (T-13 from today). Joins the GPT-5.2 + GPT-5.2-Codex 6/1 batch already documented, making 6/1 a triple-deprecation cliffSource: GitHub Changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-05-08-upcoming-deprecation-of-grok-code-fast-1, github.blog/changelog/2026-05-08-upcoming-deprecation-of-gpt-4-1), xAI 5/15 retirement docs · 2026-05-15
  • TWO MODEL DEPRECATIONS ANNOUNCED 2026-05-08 (Grok Code Fast 1 was T-7, now PAST-TENSE per 5/15 entry above): (1) **Grok Code Fast 1 retired 2026-05-15** -- accelerated 'due to the model provider deprecation' on xAI's side. Affected Copilot Chat, inline edits, ask + agent modes, code completions. Replacement: GPT-5 mini or Claude Haiku 4.5. (2) **GPT-4.1 retires 2026-06-01** -- joins the GPT-5.2 + GPT-5.2-Codex 6/1 batch. Replacement: GPT-5.5. Adds to the broader 6/1 usage-based-billing transition cliff: by June 1, model lineup loses GPT-5.2, GPT-5.2-Codex, GPT-4.1, AND moves to AI Credits metering simultaneouslySource: GitHub Changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-05-08-upcoming-deprecation-of-grok-code-fast-1, github.blog/changelog/2026-05-08-upcoming-deprecation-of-gpt-4-1) · 2026-05-08
  • ORIGINAL 5/8 ANNOUNCEMENT (now past-tense, see 5/15 + 5/08 entries above): (1) Grok Code Fast 1 retires 2026-05-15 -- only T-7 from announcement, accelerated 'due to the model provider deprecation' on xAI's side. Affects Copilot Chat, inline edits, ask + agent modes, code completions. Replacement: GPT-5 mini or Claude Haiku 4.5. If you have Grok Code Fast 1 pinned in any team config, it stops working in a week. (2) **GPT-4.1 retires 2026-06-01** -- joins the GPT-5.2 + GPT-5.2-Codex 6/1 batch already documented. Replacement: GPT-5.5. Adds to the broader 6/1 usage-based-billing transition cliff: by June 1, model lineup loses GPT-5.2, GPT-5.2-Codex, GPT-4.1, AND moves to AI Credits metering simultaneouslySource: GitHub Changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-05-08-upcoming-deprecation-of-grok-code-fast-1, github.blog/changelog/2026-05-08-upcoming-deprecation-of-gpt-4-1) · 2026-05-08
  • MODEL LINEUP SHRINK (2026-05-07): GitHub Copilot retires Claude Sonnet 4 from its model lineup, mirroring the upstream Anthropic API retirement that took effect 2026-06-15 (now confirmed retired on Anthropic's deprecations page). If your Copilot org/team had pinned Sonnet 4, it is now unselectable -- migrate to Sonnet 4.6 (1x multiplier, same as Sonnet 4) or Opus 4.7 (15x multiplier, dramatically higher cost). Adds to the 2026-06-01 GPT-5.2 + GPT-5.2-Codex deprecation already documentedSource: GitHub Changelog (github.blog/changelog), Anthropic deprecations page · 2026-05-07
  • MULTI-CHANGE BATCH heading into 2026-06-01 billing cutover (vendor-primary verified 2026-05-04): (1) GPT-5.2 + GPT-5.2-Codex DEPRECATION announced 2026-05-01 -- both retired across all Copilot experiences (Chat, inline edits, ask + agent modes, code completions) on 2026-06-01, except GPT-5.2-Codex remains in Copilot Code Review temporarily. Migrate to GPT-5.5 (7.5x multiplier) or GPT-5.4 (1x). (2) Business self-serve signup PAUSED 2026-04-22 -- joining Pro/Pro+/Student paused since 4/20. New Business orgs get Free or Team only; existing Business customers unaffected. (3) Copilot Code Review begins consuming GitHub Actions minutes on 2026-06-01 alongside the existing premium-request charge -- code reviews now bill TWICE (review request + Actions runtime). Budget impact for teams running review on every PR. (4) Verified multiplier table (paid plans, docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/billing/copilot-requests as of 2026-05-04): Claude Opus 4.7 = 15x; Claude Opus 4.6 = 3x (fast-mode preview = 30x); Sonnet 4/4.5/4.6 = 1x; Haiku 4.5 = 0.33x; Gemini 3.1 Pro = 1x; Gemini 3 Flash = 0.33x; GPT-5.5 = 7.5x; GPT-5.4 = 1x; GPT-5.4 mini = 0.33x; GPT-5.4 nano = 0.25x; GPT-5.3-Codex = 1x. Aggregator-circulated 'Opus 4.7 = 27x' and 'Gemini 3.1 Pro = 6x' figures are WRONG vs vendor primarySource: GitHub Blog (github.blog/changelog/2026-05-01-upcoming-deprecation-of-gpt-5-2-and-gpt-5-2-codex), (github.blog/changelog/2026-04-22-pausing-new-self-serve-signups-for-github-copilot-business), (github.blog/changelog/2026-04-27-github-copilot-code-review-will-start-consuming-github-actions-minutes-on-june-1-2026), docs.github.com Copilot multiplier table · 2026-05-04
  • PRICING REFORM ANNOUNCED 2026-04-27 (effective 2026-06-01): All Copilot paid plans transition off the 'premium requests' metering system to a usage-based AI Credits model. Each tier's monthly price now ALSO becomes its monthly credit allotment ($10 Pro = $10 in credits; $39 Pro+ = $39 in credits; $19 Business = $19/user; $39 Enterprise = $39/user). Above the allotment, requests pay-as-you-go at standard token API rates (input + output + cached). Code completions and Next Edit suggestions remain free across all plans and DO NOT consume credits. Annual subscribers stay on the existing premium-request model until their current plan expires, then drop to Free with a one-time prorated credit transfer covering remaining value. This is a direct response to agent-workload economics that VP Joe Binder cited as the reason for the 4/20 signup pauseSource: GitHub Blog: 'GitHub Copilot is moving to usage-based billing' (github.blog/news-insights/company-news/github-copilot-is-moving-to-usage-based-billing/) · 2026-04-27
  • CRITICAL (2026-04-20): GitHub paused NEW signups for Copilot Pro, Pro+, and Student plans. Copilot Free remains open. Existing subscribers keep access but face tightened usage caps -- VP Joe Binder cited agent workloads consuming more compute than subscription economics support. Refund window for dissatisfied subscribers: 2026-04-20 through 2026-05-20 via GitHub Support. If you were planning to buy Pro or Pro+, you currently cannot. Cursor, Claude Code, and Windsurf are the obvious alternatives during the pauseSource: GitHub Changelog (github.blog/changelog/2026-04-20), The Register, AfterDawn · 2026-04
  • Claude Opus models were pulled from the Pro tier on 2026-04-20. Opus 4.7 remains on Pro+ only; Opus 4.5 and 4.6 are being removed from Pro+ as well. If you specifically subscribed to Pro for Opus access, your tier has materially changed -- the $10 Pro plan now routes to GPT-5.4 + Gemini 3.1 + smaller open models by defaultSource: GitHub Changelog 2026-04-20, AfterDawn · 2026-04
  • EFFECTIVE 2026-04-24 (yesterday): GitHub now trains its AI models on Copilot Free/Pro/Pro+ interaction data by default -- inputs, outputs, code snippets, file names, navigation patterns, and chat comments. Business + Enterprise plans remain excluded. To opt out: settings > Copilot > Features > 'Allow GitHub to use my data for AI model training' (toggle off). Users who previously opted out of product-improvement data collection have that preference preserved. Big differentiator vs. Cursor and Claude Code, both of which do NOT train on user code by defaultSource: GitHub blog (github.blog/news-insights/company-news/updates-to-github-copilot-interaction-data-usage-policy/), The Register · 2026-04-24
  • New 'premium requests' currency system rolled out in early 2026 -- Pro plan now gets 300 premium requests/mo, Business 1,500, Enterprise 1,000. Beyond those quotas, requests pay-as-you-go. Check the new plan details page before assuming legacy 'unlimited chat' behavior still appliesSource: GitHub Copilot plans page · 2026-03
  • Agent mode reached GA on VS Code and JetBrains in March 2026 -- Copilot can now run multi-step agentic workflows rather than just reply to chat messages. Still behind Cursor Composer 2 and Claude Code on autonomous multi-file work but closes the gap meaningfullySource: GitHub Copilot blog · 2026-03
  • Copilot chat occasionally loses context mid-conversation in larger projects, giving irrelevant suggestionsSource: GitHub Community Discussions · 2026-03

Best for

Existing Copilot subscribers on Business/Enterprise or grandfathered Pro/Pro+ seats. Also new Free-tier users -- the entry point is still open and inline completions are still best-in-class.

Not for

Anyone trying to sign up for Pro, Pro+, or Student right now -- signups are paused (2026-04-20 onward). Also not for developers who specifically wanted Claude Opus on the $10 Pro plan; Opus was just pulled to Pro+ only. Cursor or Claude Code are the obvious alternatives during the pause.

Our Verdict

GitHub Copilot hit a wall on 2026-04-20: new Pro/Pro+/Student signups paused, Claude Opus pulled from Pro, and usage caps tightened across the board. Microsoft is openly admitting that agent workloads consume more compute than the current subscription tiers can sustain, and the product is being retuned in real time. For existing subscribers the inline completions remain best-in-class, but the value proposition has gotten worse overnight. If you're shopping for an AI code assistant in the next 30 days, Cursor (Pro+ $60) and Claude Code are the practical choices until Microsoft either reopens signups or reprices. Watch the refund window (through 2026-05-20) if you're on the fence about staying.

Sources

  • GitHub Changelog: MAI-Code-1-Flash deprecated -- retired across all Copilot experiences, alternative MAI-Code-1.1-Flash (2026-09-10) (accessed 2026-09-14)
  • GitHub Changelog: Configure cost and quality in Copilot auto model selection -- efficiency/balance/intelligence tiers, 10% auto discount retained (2026-09-14) (accessed 2026-09-14)
  • GitHub Changelog: Enterprise managed permissions for GitHub Copilot agent operations -- block / require approval / allow for shell, files, network (2026-09-09) (accessed 2026-09-14)
  • GitHub Changelog: Enterprise-managed sandbox in Copilot for JetBrains + /ide CLI binding (2026-09-08) (accessed 2026-09-14)
  • GitHub Changelog: Auto-resolution and analysis updates in Copilot code review -- shell tools, ensemble Lite reviews (2026-09-11) (accessed 2026-09-14)
  • GitHub Changelog: GitHub Copilot weekly releases -- September 7: Jira in Copilot app, HydraFusion in CLI, VS Code 1.137 automations + voice mode (2026-09-10) (accessed 2026-09-14)
  • GitHub Changelog: Add VS Code Agents to Copilot usage metrics (2026-09-11) (accessed 2026-09-14)
  • GitHub Changelog: Remediate code quality findings with agentic autofix -- bulk assign up to 25 findings to Copilot (2026-09-09) (accessed 2026-09-14)
  • GitHub Changelog: GPT-6 Astra generally available in GitHub Copilot -- auto-enabled under default model enablement (2026-09-04) (accessed 2026-09-05)
  • GitHub Changelog: Gemini 3.8 Flash in Copilot -- introductory provider pricing through 2026-12-31 (2026-09-03) (accessed 2026-09-05)
  • GitHub Changelog: Claude Fable 5.1 in Copilot -- OFF by default, requires data retention for Anthropic safety classifiers (2026-09-01) (accessed 2026-09-05)
  • GitHub Changelog: Upcoming deprecation of selected Copilot models on 2026-10-02 -- Gemini 3.5/3.6 Flash, Kimi K2.7 Code, Claude Opus 4.7 (2026-09-03) (accessed 2026-09-05)
  • GitHub Changelog: Reopening Copilot Business and Enterprise signups -- upfront seat charging from 2026-10-01 for existing card/PayPal customers (2026-09-03) (accessed 2026-09-05)
  • GitHub Changelog: Enterprise-managed settings support any default model, incl. per-team (2026-09-02) (accessed 2026-09-05)
  • GitHub Changelog: Copilot code review can now approve pull requests (2026-09-01) (accessed 2026-09-05)
  • GitHub Changelog: Content exclusions generally available in Copilot app and CLI (2026-09-02) (accessed 2026-09-05)
  • GitHub Changelog: Copilot code review -- resolution reasons and expanded capabilities; 300-file/20k-LOC cap removed, bot-authored PRs reviewed (2026-08-27) (accessed 2026-08-31)
  • GitHub Changelog: Shared agentic work with Copilot in Microsoft Teams (2026-08-21) (accessed 2026-08-28)
  • GitHub Changelog: The new GitHub Copilot experience in Slack (2026-08-21) (accessed 2026-08-28)
  • GitHub Changelog: Copilot harness GA in Copilot for JetBrains (2026-08-24) (accessed 2026-08-28)
  • GitHub Changelog: Global model policy generally available (2026-08-26) (accessed 2026-08-28)
  • GitHub Changelog: Upcoming changes to Copilot policies and billing (2026-08-28) (accessed 2026-08-28)
  • GitHub Changelog: Enterprise managed settings in GitHub Copilot for JetBrains -- MCP allowlist, Autopilot kill switch (2026-08-18) (accessed 2026-08-20)
  • GitHub changelog: MAI-Code-1.1-Flash available in GitHub Copilot -- 0.25x multiplier, vision, off by default for orgs (2026-08-11) (accessed 2026-08-13)
  • GitHub changelog: Upcoming deprecation of MAI-Code-1-Flash -- retires 2026-09-10 (2026-08-11) (accessed 2026-08-13)
  • GitHub changelog: Agent Plugins 1.0 in VS Code, Copilot CLI and the Copilot app -- GA all plans (2026-08-12) (accessed 2026-08-13)
  • GitHub changelog: Copilot memory and Ollama BYOK in Copilot for JetBrains (2026-08-11) (accessed 2026-08-13)
  • GitHub changelog: Per-model token breakdown in the usage report -- Business/Enterprise/Individuals (2026-08-11) (accessed 2026-08-13)
  • GitHub changelog: Copilot on web expands conversation controls -- token spend indicators, all plans (2026-08-10) (accessed 2026-08-10)
  • GitHub changelog: Copilot code review effort levels are generally available -- Lite/Balanced, Pro through Enterprise (2026-08-07) (accessed 2026-08-10)
  • GitHub changelog: Copilot weekly releases August 3 -- Auto shows model + AI credit/cache details (2026-08-07) (accessed 2026-08-10)
  • GitHub changelog: Kimi K3 is now available in GitHub Copilot (2026-08-06) (accessed 2026-08-06)
  • GitHub changelog: Upcoming deprecation of GitHub Spark on github.com (2026-08-04) (accessed 2026-08-04)
  • GitHub changelog: Customize the reasoning level for Copilot cloud agent (2026-08-03) (accessed 2026-08-04)
  • GitHub changelog: Retiring the Copilot billing preview app (2026-08-04) (accessed 2026-08-04)
  • GitHub changelog: Grok 4.6 is now available in GitHub Copilot (2026-08-14) -- all paid SKUs, policy off by default for orgs (accessed 2026-08-17)
  • GitHub changelog: Gemini 3.7 Flash is now available in GitHub Copilot (2026-08-13) -- all paid SKUs, admins must enable the Preview policy (accessed 2026-08-17)
  • SpaceXAI: Grok 4.6 in GitHub Copilot (2026-08-14) -- $2/$6 per 1M direct from the console, unchanged from Grok 4.5 (accessed 2026-08-17)
  • GitHub changelog: Grok 4.5 is now available in GitHub Copilot (2026-07-28) (accessed 2026-07-29)
  • GitHub changelog: Claude Opus 5 is now available in GitHub Copilot (2026-07-24) (accessed 2026-07-29)
  • GitHub Changelog: Claude Sonnet 5 GA for GitHub Copilot (2026-06-30) (accessed 2026-07-04)
  • GitHub Changelog: GitHub Models fully retired 2026-07-30 (announced 2026-07-01) (accessed 2026-07-04)
  • GitHub Changelog: Updates to GitHub Copilot billing and plans -- usage-based billing live (2026-06-01) (accessed 2026-06-02)
  • Microsoft AI: Introducing MAI-Code-1-Flash (2026-06-02) (accessed 2026-06-02)
  • GitHub Changelog: GPT-5.2 + GPT-5.2-Codex deprecation (2026-05-01, retiring 2026-06-01) (accessed 2026-05-04)
  • GitHub Changelog: Business self-serve signup pause (2026-04-22) (accessed 2026-05-04)
  • GitHub Changelog: Code Review Actions minutes billing (2026-04-27, effective 2026-06-01) (accessed 2026-05-04)
  • GitHub docs: Copilot requests + multiplier table (accessed 2026-05-04)
  • GitHub Blog: Copilot moving to usage-based billing (2026-04-27, effective 2026-06-01) (accessed 2026-04-30)
  • GitHub Changelog 2026-04-20: Copilot plan changes for individuals (accessed 2026-04-21)
  • The Register: GitHub grounds Copilot account creation (accessed 2026-04-21)
  • AfterDawn: Usage limits + Opus removal (accessed 2026-04-21)
  • GitHub Copilot plans (accessed 2026-04-21)
  • GitHub blog: Copilot interaction data usage policy update (effective 2026-04-24) (accessed 2026-04-25)
  • GitHub: Copilot Pro/Business training policy (accessed 2026-04-21)

The Tier List Tuesday

Weekly newsletter: tier movers, new entrants, and the VS of the week. Built from our daily AI-tool sweeps. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

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AI-native code editor, agent-first in Cursor 3 -- **now a SpaceX subsidiary as of 2026-08-14, when the April acquisition option closed**. **OpenAI is cutting it off: on 2026-08-28 OpenAI notified SpaceX it will wind down the contract supplying OpenAI models to Cursor, proposed shutoff 2026-11-12, and says it is providing no future models to Cursor in the meantime** -- so the model-neutrality pitch is narrowing. Still home to **Grok 4.6 on day one (2026-08-12)**, following the Grok 4.5 model Cursor trained jointly with SpaceXAI on trillions of Cursor tokens (still $2/$6 per 1M, fast variant 2x, desktop/web/iOS/CLI/SDK), with Composer 2.5 as the fast lower-cost tier. Since 2026-08-11 the **Cursor Ultra and Teams Premium tiers also entitle you to xAI's Grok Bot**

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Claude Code

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**Devin Fusion shipped in Devin Desktop and CLI on 2026-09-11**: a two-model harness (a frontier 'lead' plans and reviews, a cheaper 'sidekick' such as SWE-2 executes) that Cognition and Artificial Analysis/Vals measured at 23-46% lower cost per benchmark with near-identical scores to single-model Claude Code and Codex runs. Cognition also acquired the Dioxus team (9/10). The most autonomous AI coding agent -- now a full product family: Devin Cloud, **Devin Desktop (the renamed Windsurf IDE, June 2 2026)**, and Devin Review. Cognition raised $1B+ at a $26B valuation (May 27). Recent shipments: **day-one support for both Claude Fable 5.1 (2026-09-01) and GPT-6 Astra (2026-09-03)** -- Cognition says it moved Devin's Opus 5 traffic to Fable 5.1 on launch day because the new cache-read pricing made a Fable-class model economical for code review. Claude Fable 5 support day-one (6/9), Auto-Triage (5/18), Windows VMs (5/21), Android Emulator (5/13)

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Lives inside ChatGPT -- if you already p...Parallel task execution is a real differ...
Updated 2026-09-14
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Google Antigravity

Google's agent-first AI IDE -- deploys up to 5 autonomous coding agents in parallel on a VS Code fork. Antigravity 2.0 (I/O 2026) is the runtime substrate for Gemini Spark, and the Antigravity CLI is now the official successor to Gemini CLI, which stopped serving consumer tiers on 2026-06-18

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Roblox Assistant

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8.0/10
Free tierFrom $0
Planning Mode (2026-04-16) turns Assista...Agentic loop is genuinely real: Assistan...
Updated 2026-05-26