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Side-by-side comparison · Coding & Dev Tools

GitHub Copilot vs OpenCode

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

Best overall

GitHub Copilot

4.0

From $10/mo

OpenCode

3.8

From Pay as you go

Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.

At a glance

Best overallEasiest to use

Pick it if: Teams and developers whose code lives on GitHub and who want AI in the tools they already use.

Best value

Pick it if: Developers and tinkerers who want a capable coding agent without a big subscription, or who want to choose their own models.

GitHub Copilot scores highest overall, but OpenCode gives you more for your money. Which one is right comes down to what you value most.

Overview

AttributeGitHub CopilotOpenCode
In one lineGitHub's AI helper: it finishes your code, reviews pull requests and takes on whole tasks.A free, open-source coding agent that works with almost any AI model, including free ones.
Pricing modelFreemiumOpen source
Starting price$10/moPay as you go
Free plan Yes Yes
Works with Claude Code No Yes

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

AttributeGitHub CopilotOpenCode
Overall rating4.0Winner3.8
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
4.0
3.0
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
4.0
4.5
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
3.5
3.5
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
4.5
5.0
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
4.0
3.0

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

AttributeGitHub CopilotOpenCode
Access & platform
Free plan Yes Yes
Mobile app Yes No
Desktop app Yes Yes
Browser extension– No
API access– Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace Yes No
Enterprise plan or SSO Yes Yes
Connects to other apps Yes Yes
Open source or self-hosted No Yes
AI abilities
Works with your files Yes Yes
Understands images Yes Yes
Makes images No No
Makes video No No
Writes code Yes Yes
Runs agents or automations Yes Yes
Learns your brand or style Yes–
Works in many languages Yes Yes
Capabilities score12/ 1711/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

AttributeGitHub CopilotOpenCode
Plans

Free

Free

Trying autocomplete and light chat.

OpenCode

Free

Anyone with their own model access, or happy with the free models.

ProOur pick

$10/mo

Individual developers on GitHub.

Zen

Pay as you go, from a $20 top-up

People who want top models without a subscription.

Pro+

$39/mo

Developers who run agent tasks every day.

GoOur pick

$10/mo

Most people who want to code daily on a budget.

Max

$100/mo

Heavy agent-driven work.

Go Plus

$40/mo

Heavy users who hit the Go limits.

Business and Enterprise

See website

Companies that need admin controls and policy management.

Enterprise

Custom

Companies rolling it out to a team.

Which plan to pickPro is the sweet spot for an individual: cheap, unlimited autocomplete and enough credits for a few agent tasks a week. Only move to Pro+ if you find yourself buying extra credits every month.Start free. If the free models feel thin, OpenCode Go at $10 a month is the best-value upgrade in this category. Only add Zen or a Claude or OpenAI API key when you need a frontier model for a hard job, and set a spending cap when you do.

Key features

AttributeGitHub CopilotOpenCode
Standout features
  • Inline suggestions
  • Coding agent
  • Code review
  • Chat everywhere
  • Hand off to other agents
  • Custom instructions
  • Any model
  • Free models included
  • Terminal, desktop and editor
  • Background agents
  • Go and Zen model plans
  • Plugins and SDK

Pros and cons

AttributeGitHub CopilotOpenCode
Pros
  • The cheapest paid plan in the category with unlimited autocomplete
  • Works inside the editors and the GitHub site you already use
  • Agent and code review are built into the GitHub workflow
  • Enterprise controls are mature because GitHub already had them
  • Free and open source, with free models to start
  • Works with almost any model, including local ones
  • OpenCode Go at $10 a month is very cheap for real daily use
  • Polished terminal and desktop app that many prefer to Claude Code's
  • Fast-moving project with a huge community
Cons
  • Agent quality lags Claude Code and Codex on complex tasks
  • $10 of credits a month disappears quickly once you use agents
  • Pretty pointless if your code is not on GitHub
  • Business and Enterprise prices are not published
  • October 2026 Console breach exposed some saved API keys, and users reported surprise provider charges
  • Version 2.0 briefly stopped asking permission before file edits, and broke older plugins
  • Claude Pro and Max subscriptions can't be used, so Claude needs a paid API key
  • Free models get blocked on some networks for abuse, and limits shift with promotions
  • Terminal-first, so less friendly for non-developers

Who each one is for

AttributeGitHub CopilotOpenCode
Best for
  • Autocomplete as you type
  • Handing GitHub issues to an agent
  • Automated code review
  • Teams already on GitHub
  • Coding with free or low-cost models
  • Using any AI provider, including local models
  • A Claude Code-style agent without a subscription
  • Developers who like to customise their tools
You'll find it used by
  • Development teams
  • Enterprises
  • Open source maintainers
  • Students
  • Developers
  • Open-source fans
  • Students
  • Budget-conscious founders

Questions people ask

Which is better, GitHub Copilot or OpenCode?

GitHub Copilot scores highest overall in our ratings (GitHub Copilot 4.0/5 and OpenCode 3.8/5). GitHub Copilot is best for autocomplete as you type and Handing GitHub issues to an agent. OpenCode is best for coding with free or low-cost models and using any AI provider, including local models.

Which is cheaper, GitHub Copilot or OpenCode?

GitHub Copilot: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $10/mo. OpenCode: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at Pay as you go.

Which is easier to use, GitHub Copilot or OpenCode?

GitHub Copilot rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Teams and developers whose code lives on GitHub and who want AI in the tools they already use.

How we compare

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

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