Developer Tools

GitHub Copilot: An AI Pair Programmer

An AI assistant that suggests code as you type — like autocomplete but for whole lines and functions.

• Free for students/open-source; $10/mo for individuals; $19/user/mo for business★★★★★ 5/5

GitHub Copilot: An AI Pair Programmer

What It Is

If you write code — whether you're learning, doing it as part of your job, or building a side project — GitHub Copilot is like having someone sit next to you who can type the next few lines of code before you do.

You start typing something — like a function that calculates a tip — and Copilot suggests the rest. Not just the next word, but whole lines or even complete chunks of code. You press Tab to accept or keep typing if you don't like what it suggested. It's like the autocomplete on your phone, but for code.

It also has a chat where you can ask "Why isn't this working?" or "How do I read a file in Python?" and it'll explain and suggest fixes — like a patient tutor who's always available.

What Can It Do For Me?

  • Write less boilerplate code — the boring, repetitive stuff that's the same in every project, Copilot handles it
  • Learn faster if you're new to coding — type a comment describing what you want, and Copilot shows you how to write it
  • Get unstuck quickly — instead of searching Google for 15 minutes, ask the chat "how do I sort a list of objects by date in JavaScript?"
  • Translate between programming languages — if you know Python but need to write something in JavaScript, Copilot can help bridge the gap
  • Catch mistakes — it can spot common errors and suggest fixes as you go
  • Speed up your workflow — most users report finishing tasks 30-50% faster, especially on routine coding

Pricing

  • Free: Students, teachers, and open-source maintainers.
  • Individual ($10/mo): For solo developers and hobbyists.
  • Business ($19/user/mo): For teams, with admin controls.

The Good and The Bad

Pros:

  • Genuinely saves time on everyday coding tasks
  • Great learning tool — seeing what it suggests teaches you patterns and approaches
  • The chat feature is like having a knowledgeable friend on call
  • Works in most popular code editors (VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains)
  • Handles the tedious parts of coding so you can focus on the actual problem
  • Supports many programming languages

Cons:

  • It's not always right — sometimes the suggestions look correct but have subtle bugs
  • You can get lazy and accept suggestions without understanding them, which means you won't learn
  • It can suggest outdated code — programming libraries change, and Copilot's knowledge isn't always current
  • If you're doing something unusual or complex, the suggestions aren't very helpful
  • You need to be connected to the internet — it doesn't work offline
  • Privacy concern: your code is being sent to servers to generate suggestions

Should You Try It?

If you're learning to code, Copilot is like training wheels that also show you how to pedal. You'll learn patterns faster and spend less time stuck on syntax. Just make sure you understand what it's suggesting before you accept it — if you don't know why the code works, you're not really learning.

If you code regularly, the $10/month pays for itself within the first week. It won't replace you — you still need to know what you're building — but it handles the repetitive grunt work so you can focus on what matters.

The main risk is the "autopilot trap" — blindly accepting suggestions without reading them. Use Copilot as a tutor and assistant, not a crutch, and it's one of the best tools available for anyone who writes code.

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