Breaking: June 1, 2026

GitHub Copilot Just Changed
How You Pay For AI Coding

As of today, GitHub has moved Copilot from a flat subscription to token-based billing. Your monthly bill is no longer fixed — it depends on how many tokens you actually use. Some developers are seeing 10x–100x cost increases.

Track Your Costs → What Changed?
June 1
Effective Date
Per-Token
New Pricing Model
$10–$39/mo
Base Plan Price (unchanged)
10–100×
Reported Cost Increases

The Big Shift

What Actually Changed?

Gone are the days of unlimited AI coding for a flat fee. Here's what the new model means for you.

🔄

From Per-Seat to Per-Token

Previously, you paid a flat monthly fee per user. Now you're billed for every token — input, output, and cached — based on the model's published API rate.

📊

GitHub AI Credits Replace PRUs

Premium request units (PRUs) are gone. Each plan now comes with an allotment of GitHub AI Credits worth the dollar value of your subscription. Use more? You pay more.

🤖

Agentic Workflows Cost the Most

Long-running agentic coding sessions that spawn sub-agents and iterate heavily burn through tokens fast. Under the old model, heavy usage cost the same as a quick chat.

🎯

Code Completions Still Included

Standard code completions and Next Edit suggestions remain free — no AI Credits consumed. The change mainly affects chat, agents, and premium model interactions.

Side by Side

Old Model vs. New Model

❌ Before June 1, 2026

$10–$39
Per user / per month (flat)
  • Flat monthly subscription per seat
  • Premium Request Units (PRUs)
  • Heavy users subsidised by light users
  • No per-interaction cost awareness
  • Predictable monthly bill
  • Agentic usage = same cost as chat

✅ After June 1, 2026

$10–$39
Base + variable usage costs
  • Base plan + per-token consumption
  • GitHub AI Credits (dollar-value allowance)
  • Pay for what you actually use
  • Heavy users can hit $750–$3,000/mo
  • Admin budget controls available
  • Agentic workflows billed at full API rates

Developer Reactions

"What a Joke"

Real developer reports from Reddit and TechCrunch on opening their new bills.

~$29/mo (old)
~$750/mo
"At that cost, it is no longer cost-effective"
~$50/mo (old)
~$3,000/mo
"WOW, didn't expect new pricing to be this ridiculous"
Flat plan
10–100×
"This new usage model is just stupidly expensive"

Many developers report cancelling subscriptions. Some blame Microsoft for encouraging heavy usage, then changing the billing model overnight.

Your Solution

Stop Guessing. Start Tracking.

You can't control what you don't measure. Get the AI Coding Cost Tracker — a ready-made Notion template to monitor your team's token usage and prevent bill shock.

📊

AI Coding Cost Tracker

A complete Notion template to track GitHub Copilot token usage, forecast monthly costs, set team budgets, and catch overages before they hit your wallet.

£5
One-time purchase · Instant download · Lifetime updates
  • Token usage dashboard (per user & per team)
  • Monthly cost forecasting & alerts
  • Budget cap tracking with colour warnings
  • Model-level breakdown (GPT-4o, Claude, etc.)
  • Pre-built Notion database — works in 2 minutes
  • Free updates as billing evolves
Buy Now — £5 →

🔒 Secure checkout via Stripe · Instant access

Common Questions

FAQs

When did this change take effect?
June 1, 2026. All monthly subscribers were automatically migrated to the new token-based billing model on that date. Annual subscribers remain on legacy pricing until their plan expires.
Are there any free AI Credits included?
Yes. Your base plan price is now converted into an equivalent value of GitHub AI Credits. For example, Copilot Pro at $10/mo includes $10 in AI Credits. Business plans also received promotional credits for June–August 2026 ($30/user/mo instead of $19).
What counts toward token consumption?
Chat interactions, agentic coding sessions, and premium model usage. Code completions and Next Edit suggestions remain free and do not consume AI Credits.
How do I prevent bill shock?
GitHub provides admin budget controls at the enterprise, cost center, and user levels. You can cap additional spending or require approval for overages. Our AI Coding Cost Tracker helps you monitor usage in real time and forecast costs before you hit limits.
What if I'm on an annual plan?
Annual subscribers stay on legacy premium request-based billing until their plan expires. After that, you'll be downgraded to Copilot Free unless you re-subscribe to a monthly plan. You can also convert early and receive prorated credits.