Particle.news
Get it on Google Play
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
9h ago

GitHub Copilot Moves to Usage-Based Credits as Users Report Rapid Burn

The switch shifts AI compute costs onto users, creating the risk of large, unpredictable bills for heavy developers.

Illustration of a calculator and receipt in an isometric style, rendered in light purple and blue gradients against a dark navy background. Depicting usage-based billing.
A number of users are unhappy with what they would need to pay to keep using GitHub Copilot like they have been.

Overview

  • GitHub changed Copilot’s pricing on Monday, June 1, replacing a flat subscription with a monthly pool of AI credits that pay for model runs.
  • Credits are spent based on compute time, the number of input and output tokens, and which underlying AI model a user selects.
  • Developers on social media have posted screenshots showing credits exhausted in hours and some headline estimates that past usage could cost many times more under the new system.
  • GitHub says the old request-based plan treated short checks and long autonomous coding sessions the same and that the company can no longer absorb rising inference costs.
  • The change has prompted cancellation threats and trials of rivals like DeepSeek and OpenCode GO and could force teams to budget for variable AI bills and limit heavy model use.