Choose Claude Code if you want an agent that takes a task, works through your codebase on its own and hands back a finished change. Choose GitHub Copilot if you want AI inside the editor you already use, with completions as you type and agents that live inside GitHub issues and pull requests. Copilot is cheaper to start: it has a Free plan and Pro at $10 a month. Claude Code needs a Claude plan from Pro at $20 a month ($17 billed annually). Many developers use both, and Copilot can even run Claude models. Plans below come from each vendor's own pricing page, checked on November 11, 2026.
The two names get compared because both now do agentic work, but they come from opposite directions. Claude Code started as an agent in the terminal and grew into IDEs, a desktop app, the web and Slack. Copilot started as autocomplete in the editor and grew agents on top: agent mode in the IDE, a coding agent you assign issues to, the Copilot CLI and code review in pull requests.
Claude Code vs GitHub Copilot at a glance
| Claude Code | GitHub Copilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Anthropic | GitHub (Microsoft) |
| Core idea | An agent you hand tasks to | An assistant in your editor, plus agents in GitHub |
| Where it runs | Terminal, IDE extensions, desktop app, web, Slack | VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Xcode, Vim, Neovim, Zed, Eclipse, the CLI, a desktop app, github.com, mobile, Slack and Teams |
| Inline completions as you type | No | Yes, unlimited on paid plans |
| Models | Anthropic's Claude models | Models from several providers, including Claude, Gemini and GPT models |
| Free option | No (the Claude Free plan doesn't include Claude Code) | Yes: limited chat and agent use, 2,000 completions a month |
| Entry price | $20/month, or $17/month billed annually | $10/month |
| Billing model | Usage limits per 5 hours and per week, by plan | Monthly GitHub AI Credits, by plan |
What each tool is best at
Claude Code is built to do the work, not to suggest it. Anthropic describes it as an agent that plans, writes code, runs tests and opens pull requests, and it works with GitHub, GitLab and your command-line tools. You control what it may do through permission modes, allow and deny rules, and hooks. It suits tasks with several steps: a bug that needs reproducing, a feature that touches many files, a migration or a test suite to fix. You describe the outcome, review the diff and decide.
GitHub Copilot is built to sit where you already are. Its inline suggestions finish lines and functions as you type and don't use credits on paid plans. Copilot Chat answers questions in the IDE. Agent mode makes multi-file changes from VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Eclipse and Xcode. On Pro and above you can assign an issue to Copilot and it opens a pull request, and Copilot can review pull requests in GitHub. On Pro+ and Max, Copilot can also hand tasks to third-party coding agents, including Claude by Anthropic and OpenAI Codex, in preview.
So the honest comparison isn't "which AI writes better code". Copilot gives you access to Claude models too. It's about workflow: do you want an agent you direct, or help that's woven into your editor and your GitHub repository?
Claude Code vs GitHub Copilot pricing
Claude Code, through Claude plans:
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Claude Code not included |
| Pro | $20/month, or $17/month billed annually ($200 up front) | Claude Code included |
| Max | $100/month | 5x Pro usage every 5 hours and every week |
| Ultra | $200/month | 10x Pro usage every week, no 5-hour limit for verified accounts |
| Team, standard seat | $20/seat billed annually, $25 monthly | Teams of 2 to 150 |
| Team, premium seat | $100/seat billed annually, $125 monthly | 5x standard seat usage |
| Enterprise | $20/seat/month billed annually, plus usage at API rates | 20-seat minimum |
You can also use Claude Code with a Claude Console account, paying API rates for what you use.
GitHub Copilot:
| Plan | Price | GitHub AI Credits each month |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Limited chat and agent use; 2,000 inline suggestions |
| Pro | $10/month | 1,500 (1,000 base plus a 500 flex allotment) |
| Pro+ | $39/month | 7,000 (3,900 base plus 3,100 flex) |
| Max | $100/month | 20,000 (10,000 base plus 10,000 flex) |
| Business | $19 per seat/month | 1,900 per seat, pooled |
| Enterprise | $39 per seat/month | 3,900 per seat, pooled |
One GitHub AI Credit is worth $0.01. Chat, agent mode, code review, the coding agent and the CLI use credits, at rates that depend on the model and the task, and you can buy more on paid plans. GitHub says the flex allotment varies over time.
Which is cheaper depends on how you work. If most of your AI use is completions and short chats, Copilot Pro at $10 is hard to beat, because completions don't use credits. If you hand off long, multi-step tasks every day, compare how far Claude Pro or Max goes against the credits a Copilot plan includes for the models you'd choose. Both vendors meter heavy agent use, so neither price is a promise of unlimited work.
Got an idea? Build it now!
Just start with a simple prompt. No coding required: Greta.sh turns your idea into a working app in minutes.
Models and quality
Claude Code runs Anthropic's models. Copilot lets you choose among models from Anthropic, Google and OpenAI. GitHub's plan documentation shows Claude Sonnet and Haiku models on Pro, with Claude Opus models from Pro+, while the Free plan uses automatic model selection only. If you like Claude's output but want to stay in Copilot, that's possible on paid plans.
The difference you'll feel is in the harness around the model: how the tool reads your project, which commands it runs, how it checks its own work and how it asks for permission. Test both on your own code rather than trusting a benchmark.
Which should you choose?
| Your situation | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You want suggestions as you type | GitHub Copilot | Inline completions are its core feature |
| You want to hand off a whole task and review the result | Claude Code | It's built as an agent first |
| You work in the terminal | Claude Code | The CLI is its home, though Copilot has a CLI too |
| Your team lives in GitHub issues and pull requests | GitHub Copilot | Assign issues to Copilot and get pull requests back |
| You want the lowest cost to start | GitHub Copilot | Free plan, then $10/month |
| You already pay for Claude Pro | Claude Code | It's included in your plan |
| You want one tool with several model providers | GitHub Copilot | Claude, Gemini and GPT models in one plan |
Using both is common: Copilot in the editor for the small stuff, Claude Code for the larger tasks. For the next two comparisons people usually make, see Claude Code vs Codex and Cursor vs GitHub Copilot. If Cursor is also on your list, read Cursor vs Claude Code.
How to test them on your own code
- Pick three real tasks: a small bug, a feature that touches several files and a refactor.
- Use a separate branch for each tool so neither sees the other's work.
- Give both the same instruction, word for word.
- Compare whether tests pass, how much you had to fix, whether it changed things you didn't ask for and how much of your plan's usage it took.
- Read every diff, especially around authentication, payments and data access. Our guide to vibe coding security risks lists what to look for.
Got an idea? Build it now!
Just start with a simple prompt. No coding required: Greta.sh turns your idea into a working app in minutes.
What if you don't write code?
Claude Code and Copilot are developer tools. They assume you can run a project, read a diff and judge whether a change is safe. If you want a working app without that, an AI app builder is the better category; our guide to AI coding assistants vs AI app builders explains the difference.
Greta.sh generates a full-stack app from a plain-English description and deploys it. The free plan gives you 5 credits a day but cannot deploy. Deployment starts on Starter (a $5/month welcome offer, normally $20/month), and Pro (a $20/month welcome offer, normally $50/month) adds the Database, Flows and GitHub version control.
FAQ
Is Claude Code better than GitHub Copilot?
Neither is better across the board. Claude Code is stronger for handing off whole tasks to an agent. Copilot is stronger as an always-on assistant in your editor and in GitHub, with inline completions and a lower starting price. Test both on your own codebase.
Can GitHub Copilot use Claude?
Yes. Copilot's paid plans include Claude models from Anthropic among the models you can pick, with Claude Opus models from Pro+. On Pro+ and Max, Copilot can also delegate tasks to Claude by Anthropic as a third-party coding agent, in preview.
Is Claude Code free?
No. Claude Code isn't included in the Claude Free plan. It's included from Claude Pro at $20 a month ($17 a month billed annually) and on Max, Ultra, Team and Enterprise plans, or you can pay API rates through a Claude Console account.
Is GitHub Copilot free?
There's a free plan with limited chat and agent use and up to 2,000 inline suggestions a month. Paid plans start with Pro at $10 a month, which makes completions unlimited and includes 1,500 GitHub AI Credits.
Which is cheaper, Claude Code or Copilot?
Copilot is cheaper to start, with a free plan and Pro at $10 a month, against $20 a month for Claude Pro. For heavy agent use, compare Claude's Max plan at $100 with Copilot's Pro+ at $39 or Max at $100 on the models and tasks you actually run.
Does Claude Code work in VS Code?
Yes. Claude Code runs in the terminal and works alongside IDEs through extensions, including VS Code and JetBrains, as well as in Anthropic's desktop app and on the web.
Can I use Claude Code and GitHub Copilot together?
Yes, and many developers do. A common split is Copilot for completions and quick questions in the editor, and Claude Code for multi-step tasks you'd rather hand off and review.
