Pricing
GitHub Copilot Pro Free Trial (2026): Length, Card and How to Cancel
GitHub Copilot Pro free trial: how long it lasts, whether you need a card, what's included, how to cancel before billing, and why the trial may not show up.
6 min read
Trial status checked Nov 2, 2026 on the GitHub Changelog (trials paused, sign-ups reopening). Plan, checkout and cancellation steps checked Nov 2, 2026 in GitHub Docs. Prices and AI credits checked Oct 31, 2026. Other dates under Sources. No affiliate links on this page (how we work).
Quick answer
As of Nov 2, 2026, GitHub doesn’t offer a Copilot Pro free trial that you can start. GitHub paused new Copilot Pro trials on Apr 10, 2026. On Apr 13, 2026 it paused all trials, existing ones included. GitHub called it temporary and promised an update “as soon as new trials are available again”. We found no changelog post reopening them, and GitHub’s current billing and get-started docs don’t mention a trial at all (checked Nov 2, 2026).
So “how long is the trial?” has an honest answer: there isn’t one to measure as of Nov 2, 2026. Copilot Pro costs $10 a month, and the actual free option is Copilot Free.
Here’s GitHub’s explanation, from the Apr 10, 2026 changelog: “we’ve seen a significant rise in abuse of our free trial system… we are pausing new GitHub Copilot Pro trials.” And: “New users cannot start a free Copilot Pro trial at this time.” The Apr 13 update added: “All GitHub Copilot Pro trials, including existing trials, have been paused while our investigation continues.” Anyone mid-trial could switch to Copilot Free or pay for Pro or Pro+.
I get why they did it. Abuse is real, and someone farming trials ruins it for everyone. But pulling the rug on people already mid-trial stings. GitHub also said “temporary pause”, and that was in April. To borrow the Dowager Countess’s “What is a weekend?”, I’d like to ask GitHub: what is temporary? Seven months in, the trial page is the Monty Python dead parrot. It’s not dead, it’s resting.
Trial vs Free vs paid, side by side
| Plan | Price | AI credits | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copilot Free | $0 | Small, unsized | n/a |
| Copilot Pro | $10/mo | 1,500 | Paused |
| Copilot Pro+ | $39/mo | 7,000 | None listed |
| Copilot Max | $100/mo | 20,000 | None listed |
Prices and credits come from GitHub’s plans and billing docs (verified Oct 31, 2026). Pro’s 1,500 is 1,000 base credits plus 500 flex credits, and one AI credit equals $0.01. Credits reset at 00:00 UTC on the 1st. Copilot Free gets 2,000 code completions a month and a credit allowance GitHub doesn’t size, and it runs on auto model selection only (verified Oct 28, 2026). For the full Free breakdown, see GitHub Copilot free plan. For what the extra $29 buys, see Copilot Pro vs Pro+.
“Trial: Paused” is the status GitHub announced in April. Pro+ and Max have no trial listed in GitHub’s docs as of Nov 2, 2026.
How to start Copilot Pro, and how to cancel
Since there’s no trial button to press, “starting” means paying. GitHub’s get-started page lists the steps (verified Nov 2, 2026):
- Go to the Copilot plans page and click Get started on the plan you want.
- Click Subscribe.
- Optionally turn on additional usage, which bills extra AI credits beyond your allowance.
- Enter billing and payment details, then click Activate.
About the card: “During checkout, GitHub may place a temporary authorization hold on your payment method to verify it. This hold is not the subscription charge.” So a small pending charge right after checkout isn’t GitHub double-billing you.
Cancelling. From the plan management docs (verified Nov 2, 2026): go to Settings → Billing & licensing → Licensing, then Manage subscription → Cancel subscription, and confirm. The billing docs say: “You can cancel your Copilot plan at any time. The cancellation will take effect at the end of your current billing cycle.” You keep Pro until the cycle ends, then drop to Copilot Free. If you only want one month to try it, cancel right after you subscribe and you’ll still get the full month.
One more catch from the get-started troubleshooting: restoring a canceled plan counts as a new subscription. GitHub also says “If individual sign-up is temporarily unavailable, there is no self-service way to restore paid access”. That’s not hypothetical. Individual sign-ups were paused from Apr 20, 2026 until GitHub started reopening them gradually on Jun 17, 2026 (changelog, verified Nov 2, 2026). Cancel with that in mind.
“Copilot Pro free trial not working”: why
If you’re looking for a trial button and can’t find one, the reason as of Nov 2, 2026 is simple: trials are paused for everyone. It isn’t your account, browser or region.
Other blocks are worth telling apart. These come from the get-started docs (verified Nov 2, 2026):
- You see “It appears you are not eligible to sign up for GitHub Copilot Free” or “Your account is unable to sign up for Copilot. Please contact Support”. GitHub says to contact Support for an account review, and that you can’t remove the restriction yourself.
- You already get Copilot through an organization. Org seat holders can’t sign up for Copilot Free. If an org assigns you a seat while you’re paying for Pro, GitHub cancels the personal plan and gives a prorated refund (billing docs).
- You use a managed user account (Enterprise Managed Users). GitHub lists managed user accounts among those that can’t sign up for Copilot Free.
- You’re on Copilot Student or free Pro as a teacher/maintainer. You already have access, and GitHub says these free plans can’t be canceled from the plan page.
What not to do: don’t make extra accounts to get a trial back. Abuse is literally why trials vanished, and GitHub’s account rules apply. Waiting for GitHub’s official reopening note is the only legit route.
Free ways to get Copilot instead
- Copilot Free. $0 with 2,000 completions a month and a small credit allowance. See GitHub Copilot free plan.
- Copilot Student. Free for verified students, with auto model selection only (verified Oct 28, 2026). Details in Copilot for students.
- Free Copilot Pro for teachers and maintainers. Verified teachers through GitHub Education and maintainers of popular open-source repos can get Pro free. GitHub “reevaluates your eligibility every month”, and you claim it from Copilot settings (GitHub Docs, verified Nov 2, 2026).
- A one-month paid test. Pay $10, cancel right away, and use Pro until the cycle ends. It’s not free, but it’s the closest thing to a trial GitHub offers as of Nov 2, 2026.
To see what a full year costs, GitHub Copilot cost has the math. If Copilot isn’t the only tool on your list, see AI coding tools compared.
Side note for paid users: GitHub’s billing docs say “Through November 30, 2026, users on paid Copilot plans receive a 30% discount on model costs when using Copilot Fusion” (verified Nov 2, 2026). That’s a paid-plan perk, not a trial.
FAQ
How long is the GitHub Copilot Pro free trial? As of Nov 2, 2026 there’s no trial you can start; GitHub paused all Copilot Pro trials in April 2026 and hasn’t announced a return.
Does the Copilot Pro trial need a credit card? No trial is offered as of Nov 2, 2026; paid checkout needs a payment method, and GitHub may place a temporary authorization hold.
Why can’t I start a Copilot Pro trial? GitHub paused new Copilot Pro trials on Apr 10, 2026 over trial abuse, and paused existing trials on Apr 13, 2026.
Can I cancel Copilot Pro before I’m charged again? Yes; cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing cycle, then your account moves to Copilot Free.
Is there a free version of Copilot? Yes; Copilot Free costs $0 and includes 2,000 code completions a month plus a small AI credit allowance.
Sources
- GitHub Changelog, “Pausing new GitHub Copilot Pro trials” (Apr 10, 2026, update Apr 13, 2026): https://github.blog/changelog/2026-04-10-pausing-new-github-copilot-pro-trials/ (verified 2026-11-02)
- GitHub Changelog, changes to Copilot plans for individuals (sign-ups paused Apr 20, 2026): https://github.blog/changelog/2026-04-20-changes-to-github-copilot-plans-for-individuals/ (verified 2026-11-02)
- GitHub Changelog, “Copilot individual plan sign-ups are reopening” (Jun 17, 2026): https://github.blog/changelog/2026-06-17-copilot-individual-plan-sign-ups-are-reopening/ (verified 2026-11-02)
- GitHub Docs, Getting started with a Copilot plan (checkout steps, authorization hold, eligibility, blocked messages): https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/manage-your-account/get-started-with-a-copilot-plan (verified 2026-11-02)
- GitHub Docs, Usage-based billing for individuals (cancellation timing, org-seat refund, Fusion discount; no trial listed): https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/billing-and-usage/individuals/billing (verified 2026-11-02)
- GitHub Docs, Viewing and changing your Copilot plan (cancel steps): https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/manage-your-account/view-and-change-your-copilot-plan (verified 2026-11-02)
- GitHub Docs, Free Copilot Pro for teachers and maintainers: https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/manage-your-account/get-free-access-to-copilot-pro (verified 2026-11-02)
- GitHub Docs, Copilot plans (Free, Pro, Pro+, Max prices and AI credits): https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/get-started/plans (verified 2026-10-31)
- GitHub Copilot plans page (Free: 2,000 completions a month, limited chat and agent usage): https://github.com/features/copilot/plans (verified 2026-10-28)