💼 GitHub Switches Copilot to Token-Based Billing
GitHub has changed its Copilot pricing model, replacing fixed subscriptions with payment based on the number of tokens consumed. This has led to a sharp increase in costs for many users: bills have jumped from $29 to hundreds or even thousands of dollars per month.
🌍 The transition to a pay-per-token model marks the end of the aggressive market capture phase for AI tools and the beginning of the monetization phase. This forces developers to optimize prompts and workflows.
👤 Be careful when using AI assistants in "infinite chat" or "vibe coding" modes. Now, every extra iteration must be paid for separately, which can make development extremely expensive without strict control.
Source 1: https://quickthoughts.ca/posts/a-case-for-pragmatism-in-ai/ Source 2: https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/30/what-a-joke-github-copilots-new-token-based-billing-spurs-consternation-among-devs/