Github Copilot Individual or Business Subscription

[Ganeshkumarharikrishnan]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Question

💬 Feature/Topic Area

Copilot in GitHub

Body

We wanted to subscribe for Copilot in Github

[asaddevx]

Hey @Ganeshkumarharikrishnan — here is what you need to know.

Individual vs Business

Individual (Copilot Pro) — $10/month per person. Anyone can sign up with their personal GitHub account. No central management. Good for solo developers or small teams where everyone pays separately.

Business (Copilot Business) — $19/month per person. Requires an organization on GitHub Free, Team, or Enterprise Cloud. Gives you centralized billing, organization-wide policy controls, and the ability to manage all seats from one place . Also includes Copilot cloud agent and organization custom instructions .

What you should pick

Your situation	Recommended plan
You are a single developer, just want Copilot for yourself	Pro ($10/month)
You have a team of 2+ developers in your company/organization	Business ($19/user/month)
Power user who needs highest limits and all models	Pro+ ($39/month)
Large enterprise with advanced security needs	Enterprise ($39/user/month)

Important note about April 20 changes

GitHub paused new sign-ups for Pro, Pro+, and Student plans on April 20, 2026 to manage server capacity . If you are a new user trying to subscribe to Pro or Pro+, you may not be able to right now.

What still works:

• Copilot Free (limited features)
• Copilot Business (new sign-ups are still open)
• Copilot Enterprise

So if you need Copilot immediately and Business works for your situation, that is your best bet. If you really want the individual Pro plan, you may need to wait until GitHub reopens sign-ups.

Also, starting June 1, 2026, Copilot is moving to usage-based billing with AI Credits instead of premium requests, but base prices stay the same .

Hope this helps you decide

[Ganeshkumarharikrishnan]

So what is the procedure to sign up for Copilot Business or Enterprise. We want a subscription immediately.

[Ganeshkumarharikrishnan]

Hi Asadullah, So what is the procedure to sign up for Copilot Business or Enterprise. We want a subscription immediately. Regards, Ganesh Kumar H | Senior Manager – IT Infrastructure & Cloud | Telliant Systems M: +91 44 42305166 | ***@***.******@***.***> | www.telliant.com |<http://www.telliant.com/> LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/in/guru-prasad-m-s-90763285/?originalSubdomain=in/> ***@***.*** ***@***.*** From: Asadullah ***@***.***> Sent: Monday, May 11, 2026 9:44 PM To: community/community ***@***.***> Cc: Ganesh Kumar Harikrishnan ***@***.***>; Mention ***@***.***> Subject: Re: [community/community] Github Copilot Individual or Business Subscription (Discussion #195495) Hey @Ganeshkumarharikrishnan<https://github.com/Ganeshkumarharikrishnan> — here is what you need to know. Individual vs Business Individual (Copilot Pro) — $10/month per person. Anyone can sign up with their personal GitHub account. No central management. Good for solo developers or small teams where everyone pays separately. Business (Copilot Business) — $19/month per person. Requires an organization on GitHub Free, Team, or Enterprise Cloud. Gives you centralized billing, organization-wide policy controls, and the ability to manage all seats from one place . Also includes Copilot cloud agent and organization custom instructions . What you should pick Your situation Recommended plan You are a single developer, just want Copilot for yourself Pro ($10/month) You have a team of 2+ developers in your company/organization Business ($19/user/month) Power user who needs highest limits and all models Pro+ ($39/month) Large enterprise with advanced security needs Enterprise ($39/user/month) Important note about April 20 changes GitHub paused new sign-ups for Pro, Pro+, and Student plans on April 20, 2026 to manage server capacity . If you are a new user trying to subscribe to Pro or Pro+, you may not be able to right now. What still works: * Copilot Free (limited features) * Copilot Business (new sign-ups are still open) * Copilot Enterprise So if you need Copilot immediately and Business works for your situation, that is your best bet. If you really want the individual Pro plan, you may need to wait until GitHub reopens sign-ups. Also, starting June 1, 2026, Copilot is moving to usage-based billing with AI Credits instead of premium requests, but base prices stay the same . Hope this helps you decide — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#195495 (comment)>, or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/A2WHCR75PGRVSH27DV6EDND42H34XAVCNFSM6AAAAACYZG6AIWVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43URDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHMYTMOBYGE2DQMI>. You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.******@***.***>>

[asaddevx]

Hi @Ganeshkumarharikrishnan,

I have the step-by-step instructions for you.

As I mentioned before, GitHub has temporarily paused new self-serve sign-ups for Copilot Business for organizations on GitHub Free and Team plans. This means you will not see an option to subscribe directly in your settings if you are on one of those plans. However, there is a direct workaround to get you set up immediately.

Here is the process for a business:

The Fastest Way to Subscribe to Copilot Business

Since you are an organization and need immediate access, the correct path is to create a dedicated enterprise account specifically for Copilot Business. This is the supported workflow for organizations that do not need GitHub Enterprise.

Here is how to do it, based on GitHub's official documentation:

1. Start here: You need to create an enterprise account. The way to do this is to start a trial of GitHub Enterprise Cloud.

2. IMPORTANT during setup: When you are creating the trial, do not create any organizations during the setup.

   • Why? Adding users to an organization would assign them GitHub Enterprise licenses (which you don't need or want to pay for). To keep your setup limited to just Copilot Business, you must add users directly to the enterprise.

3. Onboard your users: Once the enterprise is set up, you can invite your team members directly as users within the enterprise.

4. Enable and Assign Copilot: As an enterprise owner, you can then go to the "Billing and licensing" section to enable Copilot for the enterprise and assign your team their Copilot Business licenses.

This is the official workaround GitHub provides for organizations that need Copilot Business immediately. After your trial, you can convert to a paid enterprise account to continue using the licenses. You can find the full, detailed guide here: Setting up a dedicated enterprise for GitHub Copilot Business.

I hope this gives you a clear and immediate path forward.

[Ganeshkumarharikrishnan]

Hi , I hope there is a separate subscription plan for GitHub Enterprise Cloud. Hence to my understanding we need to subscribe for both GitHub Enterprise Cloud and GitHub Copilot Business or Enterprise after trial period. Am I right? Regards, Ganesh Kumar H | Senior Manager – IT Infrastructure & Cloud | Telliant Systems M: +91 44 42305166 | ***@***.******@***.***> | www.telliant.com |<http://www.telliant.com/> LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/in/guru-prasad-m-s-90763285/?originalSubdomain=in/> ***@***.*** ***@***.*** From: Asadullah ***@***.***> Sent: Monday, May 11, 2026 10:29 PM To: community/community ***@***.***> Cc: Ganesh Kumar Harikrishnan ***@***.***>; Mention ***@***.***> Subject: Re: [community/community] Github Copilot Individual or Business Subscription (Discussion #195495) Hi @Ganeshkumarharikrishnan<https://github.com/Ganeshkumarharikrishnan>, I have the step-by-step instructions for you. As I mentioned before, GitHub has temporarily paused new self-serve sign-ups for Copilot Business for organizations on GitHub Free and Team plans. This means you will not see an option to subscribe directly in your settings if you are on one of those plans. However, there is a direct workaround to get you set up immediately. Here is the process for a business: The Fastest Way to Subscribe to Copilot Business Since you are an organization and need immediate access, the correct path is to create a dedicated enterprise account specifically for Copilot Business. This is the supported workflow for organizations that do not need GitHub Enterprise. Here is how to do it, based on GitHub's official documentation: 1. Start here: You need to create an enterprise account. The way to do this is to start a trial of GitHub Enterprise Cloud. 2. IMPORTANT during setup: When you are creating the trial, do not create any organizations during the setup. * Why? Adding users to an organization would assign them GitHub Enterprise licenses (which you don't need or want to pay for). To keep your setup limited to just Copilot Business, you must add users directly to the enterprise. 3. Onboard your users: Once the enterprise is set up, you can invite your team members directly as users within the enterprise. 4. Enable and Assign Copilot: As an enterprise owner, you can then go to the "Billing and licensing" section to enable Copilot for the enterprise and assign your team their Copilot Business licenses. This is the official workaround GitHub provides for organizations that need Copilot Business immediately. After your trial, you can convert to a paid enterprise account to continue using the licenses. You can find the full, detailed guide here: Setting up a dedicated enterprise for GitHub Copilot ***@***.***/copilot/how-tos/set-up/set-up-a-dedicated-enterprise-for-copilot-business#creating-a-team>. I hope this gives you a clear and immediate path forward. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#195495 (comment)>, or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/A2WHCR4ASXIDALNO2MUY3RT42IBGVAVCNFSM6AAAAACYZG6AIWVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43URDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHMYTMOBYGE4TMMA>. You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.******@***.***>>

[asaddevx]

@Ganeshkumarharikrishnan Thank you for your thoughtful clarification. You are absolutely right to make that distinction, and I appreciate you pointing it out.

To confirm your understanding: Yes, for managing Copilot Business in this way, GitHub provides a dedicated workflow that does not require paying for GitHub Enterprise licenses for your users. This is a very common point of confusion, so your question is spot on.

✅ The Correct Understanding

You do not need to pay for full GitHub Enterprise Cloud licenses for your users. The enterprise account you create is strictly a management container for Copilot Business. Your users will only be billed the $19/user/month for their Copilot Business licenses, not the additional cost of GitHub Enterprise Cloud.

The process is:

1. Use an Enterprise Cloud Trial: You start a trial of GitHub Enterprise Cloud specifically to create the enterprise account. This is the only way to get the enterprise management framework.
2. Avoid Creating Organizations: Do not create any organizations within the trial. This is the critical step to avoid being charged for Enterprise Cloud seats. Adding users to an organization would assign them a GitHub Enterprise license.
3. Add Users Directly: Instead, you add your team members directly to the enterprise as users. This keeps your setup limited to Copilot Business licenses.
4. Enable and Assign Copilot: Once the trial is active, an enterprise owner enables Copilot and assigns Copilot Business licenses to those users.

💸 Cost Clarification

• You will pay for: The $19/user/month Copilot Business licenses paid for your team members.
• You will NOT pay for: The cost of GitHub Enterprise Cloud licenses for your users because you are not creating any organizations or assigning Enterprise seats. The trial will expire, and you will then simply convert to a paid enterprise account that only bills for the Copilot Business licenses you have assigned.

✅ In Short

You have the correct understanding. The dedicated enterprise account is purely a management layer for Copilot Business, not a requirement for full GitHub Enterprise licenses. This workflow exists precisely to offer a path for teams who need Copilot Business without the Enterprise suite.

You can follow the official step-by-step guide here: Setting up a dedicated enterprise for GitHub Copilot Business.

[Ganeshkumarharikrishnan]

Hi Team, Thank you for the detailed explanation. I would like to reconfirm my understanding before proceeding. As per your explanation, if we: * Create the GitHub Enterprise account using the Enterprise Cloud trial, * Do not create any organizations, * Add or invite users directly at the enterprise level, and * Assign only GitHub Copilot Business licenses, then we will only be billed for the Copilot Business licenses ($19/user/month), and there will be no additional charges for GitHub Enterprise Cloud seats or the Enterprise account itself. Could you please confirm that this understanding is correct and that there will be no separate Enterprise subscription charges in this setup? Thank you for your assistance. Regards, Ganesh Kumar H | Senior Manager – IT Infrastructure & Cloud | Telliant Systems M: +91 44 42305166 | ***@***.******@***.***> | www.telliant.com |<http://www.telliant.com/> LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/in/guru-prasad-m-s-90763285/?originalSubdomain=in/> ***@***.*** ***@***.*** From: Asadullah ***@***.***> Sent: Monday, May 11, 2026 11:03 PM To: community/community ***@***.***> Cc: Ganesh Kumar Harikrishnan ***@***.***>; Mention ***@***.***> Subject: Re: [community/community] Github Copilot Individual or Business Subscription (Discussion #195495) @Ganeshkumarharikrishnan<https://github.com/Ganeshkumarharikrishnan> Thank you for your thoughtful clarification. You are absolutely right to make that distinction, and I appreciate you pointing it out. To confirm your understanding: Yes, for managing Copilot Business in this way, GitHub provides a dedicated workflow that does not require paying for GitHub Enterprise licenses for your users. This is a very common point of confusion, so your question is spot on. ✅ The Correct Understanding You do not need to pay for full GitHub Enterprise Cloud licenses for your users. The enterprise account you create is strictly a management container for Copilot Business. Your users will only be billed the $19/user/month for their Copilot Business licenses, not the additional cost of GitHub Enterprise Cloud. The process is: 1. Use an Enterprise Cloud Trial: You start a trial of GitHub Enterprise Cloud specifically to create the enterprise account. This is the only way to get the enterprise management framework. 2. Avoid Creating Organizations: Do not create any organizations within the trial. This is the critical step to avoid being charged for Enterprise Cloud seats. Adding users to an organization would assign them a GitHub Enterprise license. 3. Add Users Directly: Instead, you add your team members directly to the enterprise as users. This keeps your setup limited to Copilot Business licenses. 4. Enable and Assign Copilot: Once the trial is active, an enterprise owner enables Copilot and assigns Copilot Business licenses to those users. 💸 Cost Clarification * You will pay for: The $19/user/month Copilot Business licenses paid for your team members. * You will NOT pay for: The cost of GitHub Enterprise Cloud licenses for your users because you are not creating any organizations or assigning Enterprise seats. The trial will expire, and you will then simply convert to a paid enterprise account that only bills for the Copilot Business licenses you have assigned. ✅ In Short You have the correct understanding. The dedicated enterprise account is purely a management layer for Copilot Business, not a requirement for full GitHub Enterprise licenses. This workflow exists precisely to offer a path for teams who need Copilot Business without the Enterprise suite. You can follow the official step-by-step guide here: Setting up a dedicated enterprise for GitHub Copilot ***@***.***/copilot/how-tos/set-up/set-up-a-dedicated-enterprise-for-copilot-business>. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#195495 (comment)>, or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/A2WHCR5GQVJKB7GOY2KEAST42IFEPAVCNFSM6AAAAACYZG6AIWVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43URDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHMYTMOBYGIZTGNA>. You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.******@***.***>>

[asaddevx]

@Ganeshkumarharikrishnan Yes, your understanding is 100% correct. You have nothing to worry about, and you will not face unexpected charges. This setup is officially called a "dedicated enterprise for GitHub Copilot Business".

Here is your final confirmation, point by point:

• You will only pay for Copilot Business licenses ($19/user/month).
• You will NOT pay for GitHub Enterprise Cloud seats. The trial is only a vessel to create the management structure, following the official guidance to not create any organizations. This is the key step that ensures no additional billing is involved. You can find this explicitly stated in the "No Billing for Dedicated Enterprise" section of the official documentation: "Enterprises that have not created any organizations are considered trial-only and not subject to billing".
• The process is correct: You start an Enterprise Cloud trial, avoid creating organizations, and instead add users directly to the enterprise and assign them Copilot Business licenses.

Rest assured, this is the exact, documented workaround GitHub provides specifically for organizations that need Copilot Business right now without the full GitHub Enterprise suite. You can move forward with confidence.

For your reference, the complete, official step-by-step guide is available here: Setting up a dedicated enterprise for GitHub Copilot Business.

[ebndev]

Hi @asaddevx,

Just a quick heads-up: while we really appreciate community members engaging in discussions and sharing suggestions, it’s important to avoid giving the impression that you’re part of GitHub staff unless you actually are. Giving information about payment and services received can be a bit misleading and might confuse other users.

Feel free to continue helping others, just be mindful to clarify when you're speaking as a community member rather than on behalf of the GitHub team.

Thanks for understanding!

[ebndev]

@Ganeshkumarharikrishnan, the best place is to review our docs: Setting up a dedicated enterprise for GitHub Copilot Business and connecting through official GitHub channels once you start your trial.

As no other Community Discussions team members will be able to provide additional help with account related questions I am going to close this discussion. We appreciate your understanding!

[Ganeshkumarharikrishnan]

Hi, I can’t assign Github Copliot license the user to the Enterprise account. Please help me on this. Regards, Ganesh Kumar H | Senior Manager – IT Infrastructure & Cloud | Telliant Systems M: +91 44 42305166 | ***@***.******@***.***> | www.telliant.com |<http://www.telliant.com/> LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/in/guru-prasad-m-s-90763285/?originalSubdomain=in/> ***@***.*** ***@***.*** From: Asadullah ***@***.***> Sent: 12 May 2026 02:02 PM To: community/community ***@***.***> Cc: Ganesh Kumar Harikrishnan ***@***.***>; Mention ***@***.***> Subject: Re: [community/community] Github Copilot Individual or Business Subscription (Discussion #195495) @Ganeshkumarharikrishnan<https://github.com/Ganeshkumarharikrishnan> Yes, your understanding is 100% correct. You have nothing to worry about, and you will not face unexpected charges. This setup is officially called a "dedicated enterprise for GitHub Copilot Business". Here is your final confirmation, point by point: * You will only pay for Copilot Business licenses ($19/user/month). * You will NOT pay for GitHub Enterprise Cloud seats. The trial is only a vessel to create the management structure, following the official guidance to not create any organizations. This is the key step that ensures no additional billing is involved. You can find this explicitly stated in the "No Billing for Dedicated Enterprise" section of the official documentation: "Enterprises that have not created any organizations are considered trial-only and not subject to billing". * The process is correct: You start an Enterprise Cloud trial, avoid creating organizations, and instead add users directly to the enterprise and assign them Copilot Business licenses. Rest assured, this is the exact, documented workaround GitHub provides specifically for organizations that need Copilot Business right now without the full GitHub Enterprise suite. You can move forward with confidence. For your reference, the complete, official step-by-step guide is available here: Setting up a dedicated enterprise for GitHub Copilot ***@***.***/copilot/how-tos/set-up/set-up-a-dedicated-enterprise-for-copilot-business>. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#195495 (comment)>, or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/A2WHCR2CBZV4QNYWTHVJ3ZT42LOQBAVCNFSM6AAAAACYZG6AIWVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43URDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHMYTMOBYHE4TCMY>. You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.******@***.***>>

[dmoebius-scoop]

The way that @asaddevx described no longer works.