GitHub Copilot: The Complete Developer Guide

GitHub Copilot is an AI pair programmer that helps you write code faster.

What is Copilot?

AI that suggests code as you type:

• Whole line completions
• Entire function generation
• Test case suggestions
• Documentation generation

Pricing

• Individual: $10/month (free for students)
• Business: $19/month per user
• Enterprise: $39/month per user

Best Practices

1. Review All Suggestions Copilot is helpful but not perfect. Always review generated code.

2. Use for Boilerplate Great for:

• Repetitive patterns
• Standard algorithms
• Test scaffolding
• Documentation templates

3. Learn from It Study Copilot’s suggestions to learn new patterns and best practices.

Alternatives

• Cursor: AI-first code editor
• Codeium: Free alternative
• Tabnine: Privacy-focused

Verdict

Copilot is worth it for most developers. The time saved pays for itself.

Get Copilot at github.com/features/copilot