GitHub Copilot is a code-focused IDE extension that auto-completes code in real-time within your editor, while ChatGPT is a general-purpose conversational AI accessible via web/API that excels at explaining concepts and broader problem-solving. Copilot costs $10/month or free for students, while ChatGPT Plus costs $20/month.
GitHub Copilot vs ChatGPT — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose GitHub Copilot if you write code regularly and want real-time, context-aware suggestions integrated directly into your editor—it's faster, cheaper, and more specialized for development. Choose ChatGPT if you need a versatile AI for writing, research, debugging explanations, learning concepts, or tasks beyond code generation, and prefer a general-purpose assistant with longer context windows.
AI-powered code completion tool that integrates into code editors and IDEs.
General-purpose conversational AI accessible via web, mobile, and API.
GitHub Copilot vs ChatGPT — Comparison Data
Structured comparison data for GitHub Copilot vs ChatGPT with 293 attributes.
Average Response Time for Code Suggestion
Minimum Monthly Cost for Advanced Features
Coding Task Accuracy (HumanEval Benchmark)
GitHub Copilot vs ChatGPT — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for GitHub Copilot vs ChatGPT.
Can ChatGPT replace GitHub Copilot for coding?
Partially, but not ideally. ChatGPT can generate code and explain concepts, but it lacks real-time IDE integration and has 72% first-attempt accuracy vs. Copilot's 87%. ChatGPT excels at debugging explanations and architecture discussions, while Copilot is better for inline suggestions during active coding. Many developers use both: Copilot for fast coding, ChatGPT for complex problem-solving.
Is GitHub Copilot worth the $10/month cost?
Yes, for professional developers and students. At $10/month, it costs $120/year vs. ChatGPT Plus at $240/year. Studies show Copilot reduces coding time by 35-40%, making it profitable if you save 2-3 hours/month. Students and open-source maintainers get it free, making the ROI even stronger. Free tier users should evaluate if they code frequently enough to justify the cost.
Can I use both GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT together?
Absolutely, and many developers do. Use Copilot for inline code suggestions to maximize coding speed (saves 35-40% time), and use ChatGPT in a browser tab for debugging explanations, architecture advice, learning new frameworks, and general knowledge questions. Combined, they cost $30/month—expensive but powerful for serious developers or teams.
ChatGPT is better for beginners because it explains concepts in detail, answers follow-up questions interactively, and handles non-code topics (like math or writing). Copilot is better for intermediate/advanced learners who want to practice by seeing real-time suggestions. Ideally, beginners should pair ChatGPT (for learning) with Copilot (for practice).
Does GitHub Copilot have privacy concerns?
GitHub Copilot sends code snippets to Microsoft servers for processing. Microsoft pledged not to train on user code, but you must trust their privacy policy. ChatGPT has similar concerns with OpenAI. For sensitive/proprietary code, use Copilot's local model (GitHub Copilot for VS Code with offline mode available for Enterprise customers) or self-hosted alternatives like Ollama.