GitHub Copilot vs Codeium — Free AI Code Completion
GitHub Copilot is now free (with limits). Codeium is unlimited free. Here is how they compare.
| Feature | GitHub Copilot | Codeium |
|---|---|---|
| Free completions | 2,000/month | ✅ Unlimited |
| Free chat | 50 messages/month | ✅ Unlimited |
| Models | GPT-4o / Claude Sonnet | Codeium model |
| Languages | 30+ | 70+ |
| IDE support | VS Code, JetBrains, etc. | VS Code, JetBrains, Vim, etc. |
| GitHub integration | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Via extension |
| Context awareness | ✅ Excellent | ✅ Very good |
| Privacy mode | ✅ Enterprise | ✅ Available |
Our verdict
For most developers, Codeium Free wins on pure value — unlimited completions and chat vs. Copilot's monthly limits. GitHub Copilot Free is better if you are deeply embedded in GitHub and want Claude/GPT-4o quality responses. Heavy users who exceed Copilot's free limits should use Codeium. Power users who need the best model access should pay for Copilot Pro ($10/month).
Which one is right for you
Choose GitHub Copilot if
You live inside GitHub and want the most polished experience. The free tier gives 2,000 completions and 50 chats a month, which is plenty for light use, and the integration with the rest of GitHub is tighter than anything a third party can offer.
Choose Codeium if
You write code every day and monthly caps would get in your way. Unlimited completions and unlimited chat across 70+ languages, free, is a fundamentally different proposition from a metered allowance — you stop thinking about the budget entirely.
What the free plans actually give you
This is a limits question, not a quality question. Copilot's free tier is genuinely useful but metered; Codeium's is uncapped but less polished. The honest test is your own volume: if 2,000 completions a month sounds like a lot, Copilot Free is the nicer tool. If it sounds like a week, the cap will define your experience and Codeium is the better fit regardless of polish.
Open-source, connects to local Ollama models — unlimited, private, all code stays on your machine.
Try free →Frequently asked questions
What happens when I hit Copilot's free limit?
You are out until the month resets, which is exactly the friction Codeium avoids. Heavy users who regularly exceed 2,000 completions should either move to Codeium or pay $10/month for Copilot Pro — the free tier is not designed for full-time use.
Is Codeium's code quality noticeably worse?
It is less polished rather than worse at the core task. Copilot's advantage shows in response quality and the surrounding experience, not in whether completions work. For most day-to-day autocomplete, the difference is smaller than the difference between metered and unlimited.
What if I cannot send my code to a third party?
Continue.dev connects to local Ollama models, so nothing leaves your machine. It is open source and unlimited, and it is the right answer for proprietary codebases or any environment where sending source to an external service is not allowed.
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