AI costs how much? GitHub Copilot users react to new usage-based pricing system.

GitHub's new usage-based pricing for Copilot took effect today, replacing the previous request-based billing system. Many subscribers are reporting that their typical AI usage now consumes a month's worth of credits in less than a day, with some estimating their previous monthly activity would cost thousands of dollars under the new model.

In April, GitHub announced https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/04/github-will-start-charging-copilot-users-based-on-their-actual-ai-usage/ that it was moving subscribers from request-based billing to a usage-based model for its AI-powered Copilot service. As that new pricing model goes into effect today, many GitHub Copilot users are reporting some extreme sticker shock as they realize just how quickly their previous “normal” usage is burning through their newly limited monthly allotment of AI credits. Across social media and forums, many Copilot users https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/192963 discussioncomment-17137182 are sharing personal statistics https://x.com/wieslawsoltes/status/2061522744722825453 showing how just a few hours https://x.com/PauloMatew/status/2061510311547421042 of AI usage https://www.reddit.com/r/GithubCopilot/comments/1ttyjgg/new copilot credit system is a joke 75 used on/ can now account for a large chunk https://www.reddit.com/r/GithubCopilot/comments/1ttxhxw/not even a full day of usage gang/ of their new monthly subscription caps. For some users, it reportedly took less than a day https://x.com/marcelaopimenta/status/2061493081656942963 to use up https://x.com/gxjo dev/status/2061424291586150751 a month’s usage quota https://www.reddit.com/r/GithubCopilot/comments/1ttxjlg/congrats github you gave chatgpt a new customer/ . That’s a big change from previous months, when GitHub Copilot subscribers were allocated a certain number of “requests” and “premium requests” based on their payment tier. GitHub said that the old system meant that “a quick chat question and a multi-hour autonomous coding session could cost the user the same amount,” forcing Copilot itself to “absorb much of the escalating inference cost behind that usage.” Indeed, some Copilot users have been sharing estimates https://www.reddit.com/r/GithubCopilot/comments/1tbct95/ill just drop this here who could even afford this/ from GitHub’s own tool https://www.reddit.com/r/GithubCopilot/comments/1tdlhf9/im cooked dawg aint no way/ showing that their previous monthly usage would rack up bills in the thousands of dollars https://www.reddit.com/r/GithubCopilot/comments/1toci3u/since were all sharing our loss porn/ under the new pricing plan. Under GitHub’s new usage-based pricing system https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/billing/usage-based-billing-for-individuals , paid Copilot subscriptions instead grant users a certain number of AI “credits” each month, with one credit corresponding to $0.01 of usage. Subscribers also get bonus credits depending on their subscription level: the $10/month Pro plan includes 1,500 credits $15 worth ; the $39 Pro+ plan includes 7,000 credits $70 worth ; and the $100/month Copilot Max plan includes 20,000 credits $200 worth .