GitHub Copilot’s switch to token billing draws backlash from developers

GitHub is shifting Copilot from a flat subscription to a token-usage billing model starting June 1, a change that could raise costs substantially for some users. Larger enterprises may absorb the increase, but smaller companies and individual developers worry about balancing monthly budgets under the new system.

Under the change, users will be charged for the tokens they burn instead of a low flat fee per request. Developers on Reddit and X have shared screenshots and complaints of steep spikes: “What a joke,” one Redditor wrote, saying their current roughly $29 monthly bill could swell to nearly $750.

Another posted, “WOW, didn’t expect new pricing model to be this ridiculous,” with an apparent jump from about $50 to some $3,000. Not everyone sees the screenshots as representative. Some users argue that such extreme bills come from heavy, indiscriminate usage and that disciplined use keeps costs manageable.

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