> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # GitHub Copilot Review Australia 2026: The safe default just changed how you pay - URL: https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/github-copilot-review-australia-2026/ - Published: 2026-10-01T23:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-09T06:30:29.000Z - Description: GitHub Copilot is the incumbent AI coding assistant — and on 1 June 2026 it changed how everyone pays. We test it for Australians: pricing, data, and the verdict. - Author: Adam - Tags: Coding & Development, GitHub Copilot, #review **19**/25 ★★★★☆ Very Good GitHub Copilot · GitHub Verified 2 Oct 2026 Value for Money**4**/5 Ease of Use**4**/5 Feature Depth**4**/5 Australian Fit**3**/5 Reliability & Support**4**/5 From **A$14**/mo · ex-GST · billed in USD (US$10) Your data Repository data residency available via GitHub Enterprise Cloud; no AU-specific Copilot inference region. (docs.github.com) History Edition 2\. Was [19/25, Jun 2026](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/github-copilot-review-australia-2026-06/) **The gate:** Five stars need 21+ and Australian Fit of at least 4/5. [Skip to the verdict ](#verdict) *Pricing figures updated 6 September 2026: USD prices are converted at the current rate (1 USD ≈ 1.40 AUD, verified 5 September 2026) and shown ex-GST, replacing the retired 1.55 + GST basis. A GST-registered Australian business that supplies its ABN is not charged GST on an imported digital service; other buyers should allow \~10% on top (*[*Methodology*](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/methodology/)*).* > **Earlier editions of this review:** [2 Jun 2026 — 19/25](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/github-copilot-review-australia-2026-06/). This is edition 2, dated 2 Oct 2026\. We keep every edition so you can see how the tool and our verdict have moved — [how and why](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/review-timeline/). > **Verdict (TL;DR):** GitHub Copilot is the safe, sensible default AI coding assistant for Australian developers — the cheapest serious option at USD$10/month for Pro, the best free tier in the category, and the only one with the enterprise trust story most Australian businesses actually need. On Business and Enterprise plans your code is contractually kept out of training and carries IP indemnity, backed by Microsoft. It lives inside the editor you already use. The catches: USD-only pricing, no AU-specific data residency, a brand-new usage-based credit model that started 1 June 2026, and — for individuals — interaction data used to train models by default since 24 April 2026 unless you opt out. If you want the most powerful raw agent, that's arguably Cursor. If you want the safe, cheap, ubiquitous choice, this is it. > > *Last reviewed: 2 June 2026 by Adam.* --- ## Who this is for (and who it isn't) A quick clarification first, because the name causes genuine confusion. **GitHub Copilot is a coding tool** — it writes and reviews software inside a developer's editor. It is *not* the same product as **Microsoft Copilot**, the assistant built into Word, Excel and Windows that we [reviewed separately](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/microsoft-copilot-review-australia/). Same "Copilot" brand, two completely different jobs. This review is about the one for people who write code. **GitHub Copilot is for you if** you are a software developer or a technical team, especially if your work already lives on GitHub. It is the lowest-friction way to add AI to the editor you already have. **It is not for you if** you can't yet write code, or you want a general assistant for emails and documents. For building an app by describing it, read our [Lovable review](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/review-lovable-australia-2026/); for everyday AI help, start with [ChatGPT](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/chatgpt-review-australia/) or [Claude](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/claude-ai-review-australia/). For the developers it is built for, the question in 2026 isn't really "is it good" — it is "is it still the right pick now that Cursor exists and the billing just changed." Here is the honest answer. ## What GitHub Copilot is GitHub Copilot launched in 2021 as the first mainstream AI pair-programmer, and it is still the category incumbent. It runs as an extension inside the tools developers already use — VS Code, Visual Studio, the JetBrains IDEs, Neovim — plus a command-line interface and, increasingly, as a coding agent on github.com itself that you can assign issues to. That "meet you where you already are" model is the core difference from Cursor, which asks you to switch to its own editor. It is owned by GitHub, which is owned by Microsoft, and that lineage is the whole story on trust and distribution. GitHub has been named a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for AI Code Assistants two years running, and Copilot is deployed across thousands of organisations and millions of developers. For an Australian buyer asking "will this still be here, and supported, in three years," the answer is about as safe as it gets in AI tooling. What you get is four things: **code completions** (the ghost-text that finishes your line or your next edit), **Copilot Chat and agent mode** (ask in plain English, have it edit across files and run tasks), **Copilot code review** (an automated reviewer on your pull requests), and a **model picker** that lets you choose between OpenAI and Anthropic models for a given task. ## What it costs in Australia GitHub bills in US dollars only. Figures below are estimates at US$1 ≈ A$1.40 with around 10% GST assumed at checkout for Australian accounts. | Plan | Price (USD) | Price (AUD est., ex-GST) | What you get | | -------------- | -------------- | ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Free** | $0 | $0 | Roughly 50 agent/chat requests and 2,000 code completions a month. No card. The best free tier in the category | | **Pro** | USD$10/mo | \~AUD$14/mo | Unlimited completions + Next Edit suggestions (no credits used), plus USD$15/month in GitHub AI Credits for agent, chat and model usage | | **Pro+** | USD$39/mo | \~AUD$55/mo | Everything in Pro, USD$70/month in AI Credits, and access to the full model set | | **Max** | USD$100/mo | \~AUD$140/mo | The individual ceiling, sitting above Pro+ for developers running long agent sessions. USD$200/month in AI Credits. Added to our record 5 September 2026 | | **Business** | USD$19/user/mo | \~AUD$27/user/mo | Org admin and policy controls, your code excluded from training, IP indemnity, USD$19/month AI Credits (promotional USD$30 for June–August 2026), pooled usage and admin budgets | | **Enterprise** | USD$39/user/mo | \~AUD$55/user/mo | Everything in Business; requires GitHub Enterprise Cloud; USD$39/month AI Credits (promotional USD$70 for June–August 2026) | *Pricing as of 2 June 2026, with the Max tier added 5 September 2026 from* [*GitHub Docs — Plans for GitHub Copilot*](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/get-started/plans?ref=theaidirectory.com.au) *(the other five prices re-confirmed unchanged on the same page that day), and all six re-verified on* [*GitHub's own plans page*](https://github.com/features/copilot/plans?ref=theaidirectory.com.au) *on 21 September 2026 — unchanged. AUD figures are converted at USD→AUD 1.4045 (ECB reference rates, 18 September 2026). GitHub's docs also list a Copilot Student plan, free to verified students. We found no dated announcement of Max in GitHub's changelog, so this review does not state when it launched — only that GitHub documents it now. Source:* [*GitHub blog — usage-based billing*](https://github.blog/news-insights/company-news/github-copilot-is-moving-to-usage-based-billing/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)*. USD-only; no AUD shown. GitHub publishes no AU-specific GST guidance, so confirm the GST line on your first invoice and check it's a compliant tax invoice for your accountant.* **The big change — read this before you subscribe.** On **1 June 2026**, every Copilot plan moved from counting "premium requests" to consuming **GitHub AI Credits**, which deplete based on token usage at each model's published rate ([GitHub blog](https://github.blog/news-insights/company-news/github-copilot-is-moving-to-usage-based-billing/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). Three things matter for your wallet. First, **base seat prices did not change** — Pro is still USD$10, Business still USD$19\. Second, **code completions and Next Edit suggestions stay free** and never touch your credits, so light users who mostly want autocomplete are barely affected. Third, the old "fall back to a cheaper model and keep working" safety net is **gone** — once your credits and any admin budget are spent, heavy agent users pay on-demand or stop. If you run long, autonomous, multi-file agent sessions, model your likely token spend before assuming USD$10 is the whole bill. **Value verdict:** For most developers this is the best value in the category. The free tier alone does real work, and Pro at roughly AUD$14/month is the cheapest serious paid option going — half the landed cost of Cursor Pro. The uncertainty the new credit model introduces is real but bounded: completions are free, and admin budgets cap team spend. Business at \~AUD$27/user with the no-training guarantee and IP indemnity is the line most Australian companies should buy on. ## How it works in practice If you have used an AI coding tool, the surface is familiar: ghost-text completions as you type, a chat panel for questions and edits, and an agent that can take a plain-English instruction and work across your codebase. What sets Copilot apart day to day is how little you have to change — it slots into your existing VS Code or JetBrains setup, keeps your extensions and shortcuts, and turns on. There is no new editor to learn. The model picker is the lever most people underuse. You can choose an OpenAI or Anthropic model per task — a fast model for boilerplate, a stronger reasoning model for a gnarly bug. One 2026 change worth noting: GitHub removed Google's Gemini models from Copilot Chat on the web on 20 May 2026, narrowing the web line-up to OpenAI and Anthropic ([GitHub changelog](https://github.blog/changelog/2026-05-20-updates-to-available-models-in-copilot-on-web/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). In the IDE the picker remains the right habit — match the model to the job and you spend credits more sensibly. Beyond the editor, Copilot has pushed into the rest of the GitHub workflow. **Copilot code review** acts as an automated first-pass reviewer on pull requests (note it also consumes GitHub Actions minutes, billed like any other workflow). The **coding agent on github.com** can be assigned an issue and open a pull request on its own. And remote session control now lets you start a session in your IDE and pick it up from GitHub Mobile. For a team already running its whole lifecycle on GitHub, that integration is the quiet advantage Cursor can't match. ## What it does well - **The best free tier in the category.** Roughly 2,000 completions and 50 agent requests a month, no card. A hobbyist or student can do genuine work without paying — nothing else in this category is as generous. - **Cheapest serious paid plan.** Pro at USD$10/month is half the landed cost of Cursor Pro. For pure value, it's hard to beat. - **Lives in your existing editor.** Extension for VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Neovim and the CLI — no switching cost, no new tool to learn. - **The enterprise trust story Australian orgs actually need.** On Business and Enterprise, your code is contractually excluded from training and carries IP indemnity (with the duplication filter on), under Microsoft's compliance apparatus ([Copilot Trust Center](https://copilot.github.trust.page/faq?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). That is the bar regulated AU buyers care about. - **Deep GitHub-workflow integration.** Code review on PRs, an agent on github.com, Actions-native automation. If your team already lives on GitHub, Copilot is the path of least resistance. - **Backed to last.** Microsoft ownership, Gartner Leader two years running, millions of users. This product will be maintained and supported for the long term. ## What it doesn't do well - **It assumes you can code.** Like Cursor, this is a developer tool. A non-technical Australian will get nothing from it and should start elsewhere. - **USD-only pricing.** No AUD anywhere. You pay in US dollars at your bank's FX rate with GST on top, so the landed cost runs above the headline. - **The new credit model adds bill uncertainty.** Since 1 June 2026, heavy agent usage draws down AI Credits with no cheap-model fallback. Completions are free, but autonomous multi-file sessions can run up on-demand charges if you're not watching the budget. - **Individual plans now train on your data by default.** Since 24 April 2026, interaction data from Free, Pro and Pro+ is used to train models unless you actively opt out ([GitHub blog](https://github.blog/news-insights/company-news/updates-to-github-copilot-interaction-data-usage-policy/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). Business and Enterprise are exempt — but solo developers must change a setting to match that protection. - **No AU-specific data residency.** Repository data residency exists via GitHub Enterprise Cloud, but there is no Australian Copilot inference region. For the strictest data-sovereignty requirements, that's a gap. - **Raw agent power trails Cursor.** Copilot is excellent, but for the most aggressive codebase-wide agentic work, Cursor's purpose-built editor and Composer model still set the pace. ## Australian fit - **Available in Australia:** Yes — global availability, self-serve signup. ([github.com/features/copilot](https://github.com/features/copilot?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)) - **Pricing in AUD:** No. USD only. Expect roughly AUD$14/month landed on Pro after FX, ex-GST. - **GST:** Not stated by GitHub. Expect 10% added at checkout under Australia's imported-digital-services rules — confirm on your first tax invoice. - **Data residency:** Repository data residency available via GitHub Enterprise Cloud; no AU-specific Copilot inference region. ([docs.github.com](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/ai-models/model-hosting?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)) - **Training on your data:** Business and Enterprise data is contractually excluded from training. Free/Pro/Pro+ interaction data is used to train models from 24 April 2026 unless you opt out — change this in your Copilot policy settings if you're an individual subscriber. ([GitHub blog](https://github.blog/news-insights/company-news/updates-to-github-copilot-interaction-data-usage-policy/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)) - **IP indemnity:** Yes for Business and Enterprise, with the duplication-detection filter enabled and the suggestion used unmodified. ([Copilot Trust Center](https://copilot.github.trust.page/faq?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)) - **Compliance:** GitHub platform holds SOC 2 / ISO 27001; GitHub maintains a zero-data-retention agreement with OpenAI. No AU-specific certification. - **Local AU support:** GitHub global support; Enterprise priority support. No AU-specific Copilot support hours advertised. ## Alternatives | App | Why you might prefer it | | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Cursor** | The most powerful raw agent and a competitive in-house model (Composer 2.5), in a purpose-built editor. Pick it if agentic depth matters more than price or ubiquity. ([Read our Cursor review →](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/cursor-review-australia-2026/)) | | **Claude (with coding)** | The stronger thinking partner for planning and speccing before you build — pair it with an editor. ([Read our Claude review →](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/claude-ai-review-australia/)) | | **Lovable** | For non-technical builders who want to ship an app by describing it. The right tool for the reader Copilot isn't for. ([Read our Lovable review →](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/review-lovable-australia-2026/)) | | **Microsoft Copilot (M365)** | A different product entirely — the assistant for Word, Excel and Windows, not for writing code. ([Read our Microsoft Copilot review →](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/microsoft-copilot-review-australia/)) | ## Bottom line For most Australian developers, GitHub Copilot is the right first choice — and for a lot of them, the only one they'll need. The free tier does real work, Pro is the cheapest serious plan in the category, and it runs inside the editor you already have. For teams, the Business plan's no-training guarantee and IP indemnity are the things that get AI past an Australian risk committee, and Microsoft's backing means it isn't going anywhere. It scores 19 rather than higher for reasons that are partly Australian and partly about the moment. The AU posture is middling — USD pricing, no local data residency — and the individual-plan training-by-default change is a genuine privacy step backwards that solo developers have to actively undo. The new usage-based billing is sensible but young, and heavy agent users should watch their credits. And on pure agentic horsepower, Cursor edges ahead. The honest framing: if you live on GitHub and want the safe, cheap, well-supported default, start with the free tier today and move to Pro when you hit the ceiling — most developers won't need more. If you're chasing the most powerful autonomous agent and don't mind switching editors, read our Cursor review next. We'd expect to refresh this within six months as the new credit model beds in; we'll flag any material change in the monitor. ## Score | Criterion | Score | Notes | | --------------------- | --------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Value for Money | 4/5 | Best free tier in the category and the cheapest serious paid plan (USD$10 Pro); new credit model adds some bill uncertainty for heavy agent users | | Ease of Use | 4/5 | Runs inside the IDE you already use — lowest switching cost in the category — though it still assumes you can code | | Feature Depth | 4/5 | Completions, agent mode, PR code review, github.com coding agent, model picker; strong, but Cursor edges it on raw agentic depth | | Australian Fit | 3/5 | USD pricing and no AU residency, but Business/Enterprise no-training + IP indemnity + Microsoft trust beat most rivals; individual-plan training-by-default is a negative | | Reliability & Support | 4/5 | Microsoft-backed, Gartner Leader, status page, enterprise support; April 2026 availability report noted 10 incidents; no AU-specific support hours | | **Total** | **19/25** | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good | Update history - **2 Oct 2026** — New edition. **AI Credits per plan revised:** Pro **USD$15/month** (was $10), Pro+ **USD$70/month** (was $39), Max **USD$200/month** (added). Prices verified at `github.com/features/copilot/plans` on 2 Oct 2026, Australian browser. The seat prices ($10, $39, $100, $19, $39) and score hold. Source: [GitHub Copilot Plans](https://github.com/features/copilot/plans?ref=theaidirectory.com.au). - **21 Sep 2026 (pricing re-verified — no change)** — *All six published tiers re-read live and every figure below is current. No price, plan or score change, and the “queued for the monitor” item below is closed.* On `github.com/features/copilot/plans`: **Free $0 · Pro $10 · Pro+ $39 · Max $100** (individuals) and, on the *For businesses* tab, **Business $19 · Enterprise $39**, all USD per user per month. GitHub's own FAQ on the same page names the set explicitly — *“the Free, Pro, Pro+, Max, Business, and Enterprise plans”* — which matches this review's table exactly. No `AUD`, no `A$` and no currency selector; the page prints the literal code `USD` beside every figure, among the most explicit USD statements in the corpus. Conversions restated at **USD→AUD 1.4045** (ECB reference rates, 18 September 2026) — every AUD figure below is unchanged at that rate. **Correction to the note this bullet replaces:** it called Free / Pro / Pro+ / **Max** “a renaming since this review was written” and queued it. It was neither new nor unrecorded — Max was added to this review's table on **5 September 2026**, sixteen days earlier, and is in the bullet directly below. Wayback capture could not be saved (archive.org unavailable 21 Sep 2026), so this citation carries a read date, not a snapshot. - **5 Sep 2026** — Copilot **Max** (USD$100/mo) and a free **Student** plan found in GitHub's plan docs; the five prices we already tracked re-confirmed unchanged. [Source](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/get-started/plans?ref=theaidirectory.com.au) - **1 Jun 2026** — Usage-based GitHub AI Credits billing took effect. [Source](https://github.blog/news-insights/company-news/github-copilot-is-moving-to-usage-based-billing/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au) - **20 May 2026** — Gemini models removed from Copilot web chat. [Source](https://github.blog/changelog/2026-05-20-updates-to-available-models-in-copilot-on-web/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au) - **27 Apr 2026** — Move to usage-based billing announced. [Source](https://github.blog/news-insights/company-news/github-copilot-is-moving-to-usage-based-billing/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au) - **24 Apr 2026 🇦🇺** — Free/Pro/Pro+ interaction data used to train models unless the user opts out (Business/Enterprise excluded). [Source](https://github.blog/news-insights/company-news/updates-to-github-copilot-interaction-data-usage-policy/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au) - **2 Jun 2026** — First reviewed. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is GitHub Copilot available in Australia? Yes — global availability with self-serve signup. (Note: this is the coding tool, not Microsoft Copilot for Word, Excel and Windows, which is a different product.) ### Does GitHub Copilot charge in AUD? No. GitHub bills in US dollars only — expect roughly A$14/month ex-GST on Pro after FX and around 10% GST added at checkout. Confirm the GST line on your first invoice is a compliant tax invoice for your accountant. ### Is there a free plan? Yes — the best free tier in the category: roughly 2,000 code completions and 50 agent/chat requests a month, no card required. A hobbyist or student can do genuine work without paying. ### Does GitHub Copilot train on my code? It depends on your plan. Business and Enterprise data is contractually excluded from training and carries IP indemnity. But since 24 April 2026, Free/Pro/Pro+ interaction data is used to train models unless you actively opt out — solo developers must change a setting. ### What changed with billing on 1 June 2026? Every plan moved to consuming GitHub AI Credits based on token usage. Base seat prices didn't change and code completions stay free, but the old cheap-model fallback is gone — heavy agent users pay on-demand once credits run out, so model your token spend. ## Read next - Category guide: [Best AI Coding Tools in Australia 2026](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/best-ai-coding-tools-australia-2026/) - Head-to-head: [Claude Code vs GitHub Copilot](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/compare-claude-code-vs-github-copilot-australia-2026/) - [Continue review](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/review-continue-australia-2026/) — wound down July 2026 - [Sourcegraph Cody review](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/review-sourcegraph-cody-australia-2026/) ## Sources 1. GitHub Blog — "GitHub Copilot is moving to usage-based billing" (Mario Rodriguez, 27 Apr 2026; transition 1 Jun 2026) — [github.blog](https://github.blog/news-insights/company-news/github-copilot-is-moving-to-usage-based-billing/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au) — Wayback: [archived 3 Jun 2026](https://web.archive.org/web/20260603101135/https://github.blog/news-insights/company-news/github-copilot-is-moving-to-usage-based-billing/) — checked 2 June 2026 2. GitHub Blog — "Updates to GitHub Copilot interaction data usage policy" (training from 24 Apr 2026) — [github.blog](https://github.blog/news-insights/company-news/updates-to-github-copilot-interaction-data-usage-policy/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au) — Wayback: [archived 3 Jun 2026](https://web.archive.org/web/20260603101202/https://github.blog/news-insights/company-news/updates-to-github-copilot-interaction-data-usage-policy/) — checked 2 June 2026 3. GitHub Docs — Supported AI models in GitHub Copilot — [docs.github.com](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/ai-models/supported-models?ref=theaidirectory.com.au) — Wayback: [archived 3 Jun 2026](https://web.archive.org/web/20260603101247/https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/ai-models/supported-models) — checked 2 June 2026 4. GitHub Changelog — "Updates to available models in Copilot on web" (Gemini removed, 20 May 2026) — [github.blog](https://github.blog/changelog/2026-05-20-updates-to-available-models-in-copilot-on-web/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au) — Wayback: [archived 3 Jun 2026](https://web.archive.org/web/20260603101327/https://github.blog/changelog/2026-05-20-updates-to-available-models-in-copilot-on-web/) — checked 2 June 2026 5. GitHub Copilot Trust Center (IP indemnity, no-training, compliance) — [copilot.github.trust.page](https://copilot.github.trust.page/faq?ref=theaidirectory.com.au) — Wayback: [archived 3 Jun 2026](https://web.archive.org/web/20260603101404/https://copilot.github.trust.page/faq) — checked 2 June 2026 6. GitHub Docs — Plans for GitHub Copilot (free-tier limits) — [docs.github.com](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/get-started/plans?ref=theaidirectory.com.au) — Wayback: [archived 3 Jun 2026](https://web.archive.org/web/20260603101430/https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/get-started/plans) — checked 2 June 2026 --- *The AI Directory Australia is an independent editorial publication. We don't accept payment for positive reviews. Read our Methodology and Affiliate Disclosure pages.* *Reviewed by* [*Adam*](mailto:adam@theaidirectory.com.au) *for* [*The AI Directory Australia*](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/)*. First published 2 June 2026.* ---