GitHub Copilot is GitHub's AI coding assistant. In December, GitHub announced that the previously paid-only helper now has a free tier. In this article, we'll take you step-by-step through the process of setting up and using this helpful tool in VS Code.  

Also: The best AI for coding (and what not to use - including DeepSeek R1)

Before we begin, I will share one cautionary note. In my testing of the free GitHub Copilot's programming prowess, the AI failed half of my tests. That's not great. Paid subscriptions offer access to OpenAI's higher-level LLMs, so if you pay for the service, you may get better results.  

Even with the AI missteps, I still think it's worth trying out the free tier. The free version gives you 50 full queries a month, which should be more than enough to give you a solid feel for how the product performs and integrates into your VS Code workflow.

How to get started

Let's get started. As prerequisites for this guided tour, please install VS Code, update it to the current version, and make sure you have a GitHub account.

Now, open VS Code. You'll see a prompt inviting you to get started using GitHub Copilot for free.

Go ahead and click the radio button and sign in.

There's a two-step authorization process. First, link your account.

Then authorize the connection.

Once that's done, you'll be dropped into a start screen where you can begin interacting with GitHub Copilot in either chat mode or in-line with your code.

But rather than using GitHub Copilot right away, I'd strongly recommend you change a few settings. To access the settings I recommend changing, click on the tiny GitHub icon at the top of the screen and select Manage Copilot Settings.

This will bring you to a main settings screen. Here there are three options I recommend you turn off.

The first option allows or disallows Copilot from using public code as part of its suggestions. I, personally, don't want GitHub Copilot to incorporate public code snippets into my code. I'd rather it build those snippets on its own, rather than run the risk of pulling in someone else's code. Yes, all these AIs are trained on public code, but where I have the option of turning off blatant code grabs, I will.

The second option allows GitHub to use my code for improvements. No. Just no. I do release most of my code as open source, but I still don't want GitHub incorporating it into their data.

Also: I tested DeepSeek's R1 and V3 coding skills - and we're not all doomed (yet)

The third option is similar. I don't want GitHub using my code for training. Period.

Once you've made these settings changes (or whichever ones you want to make), close the web page and return to VS Code. GitHub Copilot is installed as an extension to VS Code. If you open up your extensions list, you'll see GitHub Copilot's two extensions installed and activated.

Go ahead and close the extensions pane. Now it's time to actually use the AI.

Using the AI to help write code

In my first example, I opened a block of code in the editor. In the chat box, I asked GitHub Copilot to find any logic errors. As you can see, it scanned the code in the editor window and gave me some suggestions.

The arrow points to a logic error that could have been fatal. That's a very valuable observation that I might not have found during initial testing.

What's interesting is that GitHub Copilot also suggests fixes, which you can apply simply by pressing the "Apply" button. Assuming Copilot's code works, that can be a real time-saver.

You can also access the AI right from the code editor itself by pressing Control-I. Here, I've pressed Control-I, which opens a small chat pane. I then asked Copilot to write code that highlights duplicated lines.

As you can see, it wrote the code inline, right where I asked for it. Hitting Accept drops the AI-written code directly into the editor.

Give it a try

That's it. That's all there is to using GitHub Copilot. With 50 free queries a month, you should be able to get a very good idea of whether or not it's a useful service. Why not give it a try?

Also: OpenAI launches new o3-mini model - here's how free ChatGPT users can try it

Have you tried GitHub Copilot's free tier yet? Do you think AI-powered coding assistants like Copilot genuinely improve productivity, or do they introduce more problems than they solve? What features do you find most useful or most frustrating? Are you comfortable with Copilot's data policies, or do you have concerns about code privacy? Let us know in the comments below.

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Artificial Intelligence

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• The best AI for coding in 2025 (and what not to use - including DeepSeek R1)
• I tested DeepSeek's R1 and V3 coding skills - and we're not all doomed (yet)
• How to remove Copilot from your Microsoft 365 plan
• How to install an LLM on MacOS (and why you should)