VS Code vs GitHub Copilot
type: Article
description: VS Code is a free, lightweight code editor used by 70% of developers, while GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant that integrates into VS Code and other IDEs to provide real-time code suggestions. They serve different purposes: VS Code is the foundation tool, while Copilot enhances productivity within it.
language: en-US
date published: 2026-07-07T08:01:40.927Z
date created: 2026-07-07T08:01:40.927Z
date modified: 2026-07-07T08:01:40.963Z
content reference time: 2026-07-07T08:01:40.963Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
about: Visual Studio Code (VS Code)
about: GitHub Copilot
abstract: VS Code is a free, lightweight code editor used by 70% of developers, while GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant that integrates into VS Code and other IDEs to provide real-time code suggestions. They serve different purposes: VS Code is the foundation tool, while Copilot enhances productivity within it.
text: Primary Function. Cost. Adoption Rate. Code Generation Accuracy. File Size (Install). Setup Time. Supported Languages
conclusion text: VS Code and GitHub Copilot are complementary tools, not competitors. Choose VS Code as your base editor if you need a free, powerful development environment that 70% of professionals already use. Choose GitHub Copilot if you want to accelerate coding by 35-55% with AI-powered suggestions, context-aware completions, and chat assistance—it works best when layered on top of VS Code.
additional property: Cost (Monthly)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): $0 | GitHub Copilot: $10 (Pro) or $0 (Limited)
  value reference: Visual Studio Code (VS Code)
additional property: Developer Adoption
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): 70% | GitHub Copilot: 37%
  value reference: Visual Studio Code (VS Code)
additional property: Installation Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): 90 MB | GitHub Copilot: 5 MB (as extension)
  value reference: GitHub Copilot
additional property: Code Suggestion Accuracy
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 57%
additional property: Setup Time (First Use)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): 2-3 minutes | GitHub Copilot: 0.5 minutes
  value reference: GitHub Copilot
additional property: Supported Languages
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): 80+ languages | GitHub Copilot: 90+ languages
  value reference: GitHub Copilot
additional property: Coding Speed Improvement
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 35-55%
additional property: Available Extensions
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): 50,000+ | GitHub Copilot: Integration with VS Code
additional property: IDE Integration Points
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 10+ IDEs
additional property: Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 2-3 minutes
additional property: Codebase Context Awareness
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Good
additional property: Enterprise SSO Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Yes
additional property: Inline Edit/Refactor
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Good
additional property: Community Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Very Large
additional property: Free Trial Period
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 30 days
additional property: Model Flexibility
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 3+ model choices
additional property: Learning Curve
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Minimal (extension)
additional property: Paid plan (per user / month)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Copilot Pro $10/mo
additional property: Free tier
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Free tier with limited completions/chat, plus free for verified students, teachers, and OSS maintainers
additional property: Business / team tier
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Business $19/user/mo (Enterprise $39)
additional property: IDE model
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Plugin/extension installed into your existing IDE
additional property: Selectable AI models
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT, Google Gemini (model picker in chat/agent)
additional property: Agent / multi-file editing
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Agent mode + Copilot Workspace + coding agent (issue-to-PR); strong but tighter loop trails Cursor
additional property: Large-repo codebase indexing
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Repository context, @workspace search, and Enterprise knowledge bases; less aggressive auto-indexing
additional property: Inline autocomplete latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Very fast, low-latency completions; category pioneer and still excellent inline
additional property: Enterprise governance & IP indemnity
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Org policy management, SSO, audit logs, content exclusion, data residency, IP indemnification
additional property: Annual Subscription Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: $100
additional property: Max Context Window
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 12,000 tokens (GPT-4)
additional property: Free Tier Premium Requests Per Day
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Unlimited completions
additional property: Free Chat Messages Per Month
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 50
additional property: Compatible Editors
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim, Visual Studio, Sublime
additional property: Default AI Model Quality (Reasoning)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Copilot (GPT-based, Good)
additional property: Multi-File Project Understanding
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Limited to current + adjacent files
additional property: Monthly Cost (Business)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: $19
additional property: Context Window Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 128K tokens
additional property: IDE Support Count
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Visual Studio, Neovim
additional property: Code Completion Accuracy
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 92%
additional property: On-Premise Deployment
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Not available
additional property: Self-Hosted Option
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Not available
additional property: Free Trial Duration
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 30 days (free tier limited)
additional property: Average Code Completion Latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: ~150ms
additional property: Supported IDE Count
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 60+
additional property: Training Data Recency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: October 2023 (~27 months old)
additional property: Estimated Paid User Base
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: ~1,200,000
additional property: Code Completion Accuracy (HumanEval)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: ~56-62%
additional property: Privacy: Code Stored on Vendor Servers
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Yes (OpenAI servers)
additional property: Native GitHub Integration
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Deep (PR, commits, issues)
additional property: Free Tier Limit
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 180 code completions
additional property: Compatible Editors/IDEs
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 15+ editors (VS Code, JetBrains, Vim, Neovim, etc.)
interactivity type: active
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/visual-studio-code-vs-code
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/visual-studio-code-vs-code
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/github-copilot
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/github-copilot
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/answer/vs-code-vs-github-copilot)
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/schema/vs-code-vs-github-copilot)
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/cursor-vs-copilot
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/cursor-vs-github-copilot
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/github-copilot-vs-tabnine
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/windsurf-vs-github-copilot
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/aider-vs-github-copilot
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/github-copilot-vs-chatgpt
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/github-copilot-vs-codeium
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/github-copilot-vs-codewhisperer
teaches: How to choose between Visual Studio Code (VS Code) and GitHub Copilot
genre: Software

primaryImage
type: ImageObject
width: 1200
height: 630
caption: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B

A Versus B
type: Organization

Visual Studio Code (VS Code)
type: SoftwareApplication
alternate name: VSC(C
alternate name: Visual Studio Code Vs Code
language: en-US
description: Free, open-source code editor by Microsoft with built-in Git integration and 50,000+ extensions.
subject of: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot
type: SoftwareApplication
alternate name: GC
alternate name: Github Copilot
language: en-US
description: IDE-integrated AI code completion that suggests code snippets in real-time while you type.
subject of: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot

VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Structured Comparison Data
type: Dataset
description: Machine-readable comparison dataset for VS Code vs GitHub Copilot. Contains 118 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
language: en-US
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
creator: A Versus B
distribution: JSON-LD knowledge graph
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json+ld
distribution: Raw comparison JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: Structured FAQ pairs JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: AI Answer API (citation-ready)
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: Related comparisons JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
variable measured: Cost (Monthly)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Developer Adoption
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Popularity
variable measured: Installation Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Code Suggestion Accuracy
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: AI Quality
variable measured: Setup Time (First Use)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ease of Use
variable measured: Supported Languages
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Usability
variable measured: Coding Speed Improvement
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Productivity
variable measured: Available Extensions
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Extensibility
variable measured: IDE Integration Points
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Compatibility
variable measured: Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ease of Use
variable measured: Codebase Context Awareness
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: AI Capability
variable measured: Enterprise SSO Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Enterprise Features
variable measured: Inline Edit/Refactor
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: AI Capability
variable measured: Community Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community
variable measured: Free Trial Period
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: User Acquisition
variable measured: Model Flexibility
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: AI Capability
variable measured: Learning Curve
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Usability
variable measured: Paid plan (per user / month)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Free tier
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Business / team tier
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: IDE model
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Architecture
variable measured: Selectable AI models
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Models
variable measured: Agent / multi-file editing
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Large-repo codebase indexing
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Inline autocomplete latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Enterprise governance & IP indemnity
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Security
variable measured: Annual Subscription Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Max Context Window
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: AI Capabilities
variable measured: Free Tier Premium Requests Per Day
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Free Chat Messages Per Month
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Compatible Editors
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Integration
variable measured: Default AI Model Quality (Reasoning)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: AI Capability
variable measured: Multi-File Project Understanding
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: AI Capability
variable measured: Monthly Cost (Business)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Context Window Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: IDE Support Count
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Integration
variable measured: Code Completion Accuracy
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Quality
variable measured: On-Premise Deployment
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Infrastructure
variable measured: Self-Hosted Option
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Deployment
variable measured: Free Trial Duration
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Onboarding
variable measured: Average Code Completion Latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Supported IDE Count
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Compatibility
variable measured: Training Data Recency
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Data
variable measured: Estimated Paid User Base
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Adoption
variable measured: Code Completion Accuracy (HumanEval)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Privacy: Code Stored on Vendor Servers
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Security
variable measured: Native GitHub Integration
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Free Tier Limit
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Compatible Editors/IDEs
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Integration
variable measured: Agentic Task Execution
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: AI Capabilities
variable measured: AI Model Provider
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: AI Backend
variable measured: Response Latency (P50)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Base Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Maximum Codebase Context Window
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Capability
variable measured: Supported AI Models
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Flexibility
variable measured: Native IDE Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Integration
variable measured: Multi-File Autonomous Editing
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Capability
variable measured: Learning Curve (1=easy, 5=hard)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ease of Use
variable measured: Offline Capability
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Platform Support
variable measured: Average Response Time for Code Suggestion
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Monthly Subscription Cost (Individual)
variable measured: Code Completion Accuracy Rate
variable measured: Average Suggestion Latency
variable measured: Supported IDEs/Editors
variable measured: GitHub Integration Depth
variable measured: Local/On-Device Processing Option
variable measured: Business Plan Annual Cost (per user)
variable measured: Monthly Cost (Individual)
variable measured: Annual Cost (1-Person Subscription)
is based on: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/vs-code-vs-github-copilot)

VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary
type: DefinedTermSet
language: en-US
description: Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for VS Code vs GitHub Copilot.
has defined term: Pricing
has defined term: Popularity
has defined term: Performance
has defined term: AI Quality
has defined term: Ease of Use
has defined term: Usability
has defined term: Productivity
has defined term: Extensibility
has defined term: Compatibility
has defined term: AI Capability
has defined term: Enterprise Features
has defined term: Community
has defined term: User Acquisition
has defined term: Architecture
has defined term: Models
has defined term: Features
has defined term: Security
has defined term: AI Capabilities
has defined term: Integration
has defined term: Quality
has defined term: Infrastructure
has defined term: Deployment
has defined term: Onboarding
has defined term: Data
has defined term: Adoption
has defined term: AI Backend
has defined term: Capability
has defined term: Flexibility
has defined term: Platform Support
has defined term: Privacy
has defined term: Speed
has defined term: Knowledge
has defined term: Market
has defined term: Technology
has defined term: Enterprise
has defined term: Operations
has defined term: User Satisfaction
has defined term: Market Position
has defined term: Maturity
has defined term: Information Freshness
has defined term: Accuracy
has defined term: Workflow
has defined term: Model Quality

Pricing
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Popularity
type: DefinedTerm
term code: popularity
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Performance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: performance
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

AI Quality
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ai-quality
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Ease of Use
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ease-of-use
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Usability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: usability
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Productivity
type: DefinedTerm
term code: productivity
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Extensibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: extensibility
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Compatibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: compatibility
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

AI Capability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ai-capability
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Enterprise Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: enterprise-features
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Community
type: DefinedTerm
term code: community
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

User Acquisition
type: DefinedTerm
term code: user-acquisition
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Architecture
type: DefinedTerm
term code: architecture
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Models
type: DefinedTerm
term code: models
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: features
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Security
type: DefinedTerm
term code: security
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

AI Capabilities
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ai-capabilities
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Integration
type: DefinedTerm
term code: integration
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Quality
type: DefinedTerm
term code: quality
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Infrastructure
type: DefinedTerm
term code: infrastructure
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Deployment
type: DefinedTerm
term code: deployment
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Onboarding
type: DefinedTerm
term code: onboarding
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Data
type: DefinedTerm
term code: data
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Adoption
type: DefinedTerm
term code: adoption
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

AI Backend
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ai-backend
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Capability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: capability
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Flexibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: flexibility
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Platform Support
type: DefinedTerm
term code: platform-support
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Privacy
type: DefinedTerm
term code: privacy
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Speed
type: DefinedTerm
term code: speed
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Knowledge
type: DefinedTerm
term code: knowledge
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Market
type: DefinedTerm
term code: market
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Technology
type: DefinedTerm
term code: technology
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Enterprise
type: DefinedTerm
term code: enterprise
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Operations
type: DefinedTerm
term code: operations
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

User Satisfaction
type: DefinedTerm
term code: user-satisfaction
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Market Position
type: DefinedTerm
term code: market-position
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Maturity
type: DefinedTerm
term code: maturity
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Information Freshness
type: DefinedTerm
term code: information-freshness
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Accuracy
type: DefinedTerm
term code: accuracy
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Workflow
type: DefinedTerm
term code: workflow
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Model Quality
type: DefinedTerm
term code: model-quality
in defined term set: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary

faq
type: FAQPage
language: en-US
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
date modified: 2026-07-07T08:01:40.963Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
is part of: vs-code-vs-github-copilot)
main entity: Can I use GitHub Copilot without VS Code?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Yes. GitHub Copilot integrates with multiple IDEs including JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, Neovim, and Visual Studio. However, VS Code remains the most seamless and popular integration point with the lowest latency.
    language: en-US
main entity: Do I need GitHub Copilot if I already have VS Code?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: No, they serve different purposes. VS Code provides editing, syntax highlighting, and basic IntelliSense. Copilot adds AI-powered code generation and context-aware suggestions. VS Code alone is fully functional; Copilot enhances productivity by 35-55% but requires a paid subscription.
    language: en-US
main entity: Is GitHub Copilot code always production-ready?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: No. GitHub Copilot achieves 57% accuracy on first attempt, meaning you should review all generated code. It excels at boilerplate, utility functions, and common patterns, but may produce logic errors, security vulnerabilities, or suboptimal implementations that require debugging.
    language: en-US
main entity: What privacy risks exist with GitHub Copilot?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: GitHub Copilot sends code snippets to OpenAI servers for processing. GitHub states they don't retain code for training (as of 2023), but enterprises handling sensitive data should review GitHub's privacy policy and consider on-premises alternatives like GitHub Copilot for Business with additional controls.
    language: en-US
main entity: Is VS Code really free, or are there hidden costs?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: VS Code is completely free with no hidden costs, ads, or paywalls. It's open-source (MIT license) and maintained by Microsoft. Optional paid services like GitHub Copilot, Azure services, or third-party extensions are separate and optional.
    language: en-US

How to Choose Between Visual Studio Code (VS Code) and GitHub Copilot
type: HowTo
description: VS Code is a free, lightweight code editor used by 70% of developers, while GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant that integrates into VS Code and other IDEs to provide real-time code suggestions. They serve different purposes: VS Code is the foundation tool, while Copilot enhances productivity within it.
language: en-US
total time: PT3M
step: Consider: Primary Function
step: Consider: Cost
step: Consider: Adoption Rate
step: Consider: Code Generation Accuracy
step: Consider: File Size (Install)
step: Consider: Setup Time
step: Consider: Supported Languages
tool: A Versus B Comparison Guide
tip: HowToTip
  text: VS Code and GitHub Copilot are complementary tools, not competitors. Choose VS Code as your base editor if you need a free, powerful development environment that 70% of professionals already use. Choose GitHub Copilot if you want to accelerate coding by 35-55% with AI-powered suggestions, context-aware completions, and chat assistance—it works best when layered on top of VS Code.

Consider: Primary Function
type: HowToStep
position: 1
text: Primary Function: Visual Studio Code (VS Code) has Code editor and IDE, while GitHub Copilot has AI code completion assistant.

Consider: Cost
type: HowToStep
position: 2
text: Cost: Visual Studio Code (VS Code) has $0/month, while GitHub Copilot has $10/month (Pro) or free (Limited).

Consider: Adoption Rate
type: HowToStep
position: 3
text: Adoption Rate: Visual Studio Code (VS Code) has 70% of developers, while GitHub Copilot has 37% of developers.

Consider: Code Generation Accuracy
type: HowToStep
position: 4
text: Code Generation Accuracy: Visual Studio Code (VS Code) has N/A - not applicable, while GitHub Copilot has 57% correct first-time suggestions.

Consider: File Size (Install)
type: HowToStep
position: 5
text: File Size (Install): Visual Studio Code (VS Code) has ~90 MB, while GitHub Copilot has ~5 MB extension.

Consider: Setup Time
type: HowToStep
position: 6
text: Setup Time: Visual Studio Code (VS Code) has 2-3 minutes, while GitHub Copilot has 30 seconds in VS Code.

Consider: Supported Languages
type: HowToStep
position: 7
text: Supported Languages: Visual Studio Code (VS Code) has 80+ languages natively, while GitHub Copilot has 90+ languages via LLM.

claimreview
type: ClaimReview
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
claim reviewed: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot
review body: VS Code is a free, lightweight code editor used by 70% of developers, while GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant that integrates into VS Code and other IDEs to provide real-time code suggestions. They serve different purposes: VS Code is the foundation tool, while Copilot enhances productivity within it.
review rating: Rating
  rating: 5
  worst rating: 1
  best rating: 5
  alternate name: Verified Comparison
author: A Versus B
item reviewed: VS Code vs GitHub Copilot

Agentic Task Execution
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Suggestion-based only, no autonomous execution

AI Model Provider
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: OpenAI GPT-4 / Anthropic Claude

Response Latency (P50)
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: ~1200ms average completion

Base Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: $10/month individual, $19/month business

Maximum Codebase Context Window
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: ~5-10 visible files in editor

Supported AI Models
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: GitHub Copilot (proprietary, Codex-based)

Native IDE Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 5+ (VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, Vim, Neovim)

Multi-File Autonomous Editing
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: No—suggestions only, manual edit required

Learning Curve (1=easy, 5=hard)
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 1 (IDE-native, like autocomplete)

Offline Capability
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: No (cloud-only)

Average Response Time for Code Suggestion
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 0.5-1 (inline suggestion)

Monthly Subscription Cost (Individual)
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: $10

Code Completion Accuracy Rate
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 90.2%

Average Suggestion Latency
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 280ms

Supported IDEs/Editors
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 6 major platforms

GitHub Integration Depth
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Native PR reviews, CLI, GitHub.dev, Copilot X

Local/On-Device Processing Option
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Data exclusion available (enterprise only)

Business Plan Annual Cost (per user)
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: $252/year

Monthly Cost (Individual)
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: $10

Annual Cost (1-Person Subscription)
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: $120 (monthly) or $100 (annual with 17% discount)

Average Response Latency
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 450ms

IDE/Editor Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 40+

Lines of Code per Suggestion
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Up to 150 lines

Training Data Cutoff
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: April 2024

Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: $10

Global Developer Adoption
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 27% of developers

Average Code Suggestion Time
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 2-5 seconds per suggestion

Available Extensions/Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 5 IDE integrations

Development Time Reduction
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 20-40% faster on routine tasks

Free Tier Available
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 2 months free trial only

AI Model Options
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 2 (GPT-4, Claude)

IDE Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 4 major (VS Code, Visual Studio, GitHub.com, JetBrains Beta)

Local Execution Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: No (cloud-only)

User Base Size
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 1.5+ million (GitHub official, 2024)

Enterprise SLA Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Yes (GitHub Enterprise available)

Setup Complexity
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 2–5 min (GitHub sign-in)

Data Privacy (Cloud Processing)
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Mandatory (cloud-based)

Free Tier Availability
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 30-day trial only

Single-Line Completion Accuracy
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 92%

Supported Editors/IDEs
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 20+ IDEs

Developer Satisfaction Rate
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 91%

Market Adoption Share
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 55%

Self-Hosted Enterprise Option
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Not available

Active Users
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 27 million

Years Since Launch
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 5 years (2021)

Standalone IDE Capability
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Plugin only (requires VS Code/JetBrains)

Multi-file Project Editing
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Limited to referenced files

Supported IDEs/Platforms
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 5+ (VS Code, JetBrains suite, GitHub.com, etc.)

Monthly Subscription Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: $10 or free with GitHub Pro

Code Completion Latency
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 150-250ms per suggestion

Supported Programming Languages
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 80+ (Python, JavaScript, Java, C++, Go, Rust, etc.)

Context Window
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 8,000 tokens (~6,000 words)

IDE Integration Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 8+ (VS Code, JetBrains Suite, Vim, Visual Studio, etc.)

Knowledge Cutoff Date
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: April 2024

Code Generation Accuracy (Python)
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 72% correct on HumanEval benchmark

Context Switching Overhead
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 2-5 seconds (in-editor, no switching)

Avg Code Completion Speed
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 0.75

Maximum Context Window
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 8,000

Supported IDE Platforms
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 5

AI Provider Options
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 1

Data Processing Location
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Cloud (GitHub servers)

Training Data Size
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 250,000,000

Annual Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: $100

Response Time (Average)
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: 50-100ms per suggestion

Monthly Cost (Single User)
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Fixed $10 (Copilot Individual) or $19 (Copilot Pro)

File Scope (Max Suggested Edit)
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: Single file at a time

Git Integration
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: None: requires manual git commands outside Copilot

Model Customization
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: No: GitHub Copilot model is fixed and proprietary

Context Window (Max Tokens)
type: PropertyValue
value: Visual Studio Code (VS Code): N/A | GitHub Copilot: ~8,000 (estimated Copilot context)

SpeakableSpecification
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css selector: #verdict
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Visual Studio Code (VS Code) — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

GitHub Copilot — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

Compare Visual Studio Code (VS Code) vs GitHub Copilot
type: Action
additional type: CompareAction
target: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/vs-code-vs-github-copilot)
object: Visual Studio Code (VS Code)
object: GitHub Copilot

Monthly Subscription Cost (Individual)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Code Completion Accuracy Rate
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Average Suggestion Latency
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Supported IDEs/Editors
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Compatibility

GitHub Integration Depth
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Local/On-Device Processing Option
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Privacy

Business Plan Annual Cost (per user)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Monthly Cost (Individual)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Annual Cost (1-Person Subscription)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Average Response Latency
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Speed

IDE/Editor Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Lines of Code per Suggestion
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Training Data Cutoff
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Knowledge

Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Global Developer Adoption
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Market

Average Code Suggestion Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Available Extensions/Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Development Time Reduction
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Productivity

Free Tier Available
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

AI Model Options
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Technology

IDE Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Integration

Local Execution Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Privacy

User Base Size
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Community

Enterprise SLA Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Enterprise

Setup Complexity
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Operations

Data Privacy (Cloud Processing)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Privacy

Free Tier Availability
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Single-Line Completion Accuracy
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Supported Editors/IDEs
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Compatibility

Developer Satisfaction Rate
type: PropertyValue
value reference: User Satisfaction

Market Adoption Share
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Market Position

Self-Hosted Enterprise Option
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Deployment

Active Users
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Adoption

Years Since Launch
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Maturity

Standalone IDE Capability
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Architecture

Multi-file Project Editing
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Supported IDEs/Platforms
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Integration

Monthly Subscription Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Code Completion Latency
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Supported Programming Languages
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Context Window
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

IDE Integration Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Compatibility

Knowledge Cutoff Date
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Information Freshness

Code Generation Accuracy (Python)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Accuracy

Context Switching Overhead
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Workflow

Avg Code Completion Speed
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Maximum Context Window
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Capability

Supported IDE Platforms
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Compatibility

AI Provider Options
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Flexibility

Data Processing Location
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Privacy

Training Data Size
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Model Quality

Annual Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Response Time (Average)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Monthly Cost (Single User)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

File Scope (Max Suggested Edit)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Capability

Git Integration
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Workflow

Model Customization
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Flexibility

Context Window (Max Tokens)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance