GitHub Copilot app: what's in preview, and how Copilot access changes the bill

The GitHub Copilot app is a desktop app for macOS, Linux and Windows that runs several coding agents in parallel, and every Copilot plan includes it. Projects, computer use and the security extension are public preview. The Enterprise change, Copilot access, is sales-led only for now and includes no AI credits.

Everything below comes from GitHub's October 28, 2026 changelog posts and the docs they link to, read on October 30. We did not run the app, so none of it is a hands-on result.

What the GitHub Copilot app is, and which plan includes it

GitHub describes the GitHub Copilot app as a desktop application for agent-driven development. You run several agent sessions at once, each with its own git worktree and branch, and handle issues and pull requests in the same window. It is built on Copilot CLI.

There is no separate app fee. GitHub's plans page says all plans include Copilot CLI and the Copilot app, from Copilot Free to Copilot Enterprise. The quickstart also lets you sign in without a plan and connect your own model provider with an API key.

On Copilot Business and Copilot Enterprise, an administrator has to keep the "GitHub Copilot app" policy on. It is enabled by default and separate from the Copilot CLI policy.

GitHub Copilot app vs VS Code

The app does not replace the editor. The VS Code release post says you can pick up the same session in VS Code, the Copilot app, GitHub Mobile, github.com or Copilot CLI. It also says the Copilot harness is now the default for new sessions in the editor and its Agents window, for more consistent behavior across VS Code, Copilot CLI and the app.

Projects are the part GitHub documents as an app feature. If you mostly want completions and chat, you do not need the app: inline suggestions work in the editor.

What is live, in preview, or not yet self-serve

The announcements mix generally available features, previews and sales-only access. As of October 30, 2026:

What Copilot Projects do

A project is a goal with context attached. You describe what you want, add repositories, design mocks, Slack threads or meeting notes, choose models and tools, and Copilot runs as many agents as the work needs and brings back results such as pull requests for review. A project can span several repositories or none.

In the projects documentation, the Overview tab groups the work into Needs input, Open, Working and Done, and you can ask Copilot in the project's conversation to set up a recurring task, such as a weekly summary.

Can GitHub Copilot control my desktop apps?

Yes, in public preview on macOS and Windows. Computer use lets Copilot read accessible application content, click controls, enter and edit text, press keys, scroll, drag and move between apps, including software with no API, command-line interface or MCP integration. It is available in the Copilot app and Copilot CLI.

To turn it on in the app, per the setup guide:

1. Open the app settings, choose Computer Use, and turn on Enable Computer Use. In a session, /computer on does the same.
2. On macOS, grant Accessibility and Screen Recording permissions.
3. Describe the outcome, the apps involved and any constraints, such as "do not submit any forms."
4. Approve the request when asked. Allow covers the current session; Always allow saves the approval for future sessions.
5. Click Stop or press Esc to interrupt.

Skip this if an API, MCP server or terminal command can do the job. GitHub's own docs say those tools give more structured information and more predictable results than driving a visual interface. The docs also warn that computer use can select the wrong control or enter text in the wrong place, and that Always allow is a poor choice for apps holding sensitive data or high-impact actions.

Enterprise administrators can disable computer use through managed settings, and enabling it locally does not override that policy.

Is GitHub Copilot included in GitHub Enterprise?

Yes, but only under a new model GitHub calls Copilot access. Per the changelog, enterprises working with a GitHub or Microsoft account team can get Copilot included with GitHub Enterprise for every licensed user. Users without a GitHub Enterprise license get the same access as Copilot Standalone.

Four limits matter before you plan around it:

• It is available now for GitHub Enterprise Cloud through your account team. For customers who manage their own subscription it is currently unavailable, and GitHub says dates will follow "in the coming weeks."
• It is not available to organizations on GitHub Free or GitHub Team, or to self-service Enterprise Cloud trials.
• Developers do not get access automatically. Enterprise owners must still assign Copilot seats to members, teams or organizations, including users who hold an Enterprise Cloud license.
• It has the same features and models as Copilot Enterprise, but no monthly AI credits per seat.

How much is GitHub Copilot Standalone?

Copilot Standalone costs $10 per user per month for enterprise users who have no GitHub Enterprise Cloud license. That fee covers identity, access, policy, security and administration controls. Usage is billed separately from the first request.

Prices are from GitHub's billing comparison, as of October 2026. With 1 AI credit = $0.01, the Business and Enterprise pools are worth $19 and $39 per user.

Where Copilot access breaks even

This is our arithmetic, not GitHub's. Take the documented conversion and assume extra usage bills at $0.01 per credit with the pool spread evenly. A seat then costs its price or the user's usage, whichever is higher, while access costs usage alone, plus $10 for Standalone.

A licensed user is never more expensive under access than on Copilot Enterprise. Standalone beats Enterprise below $29 of usage per user and costs $10 more above $39. The table leaves out the Enterprise Cloud license itself and any negotiated terms, and pooling means your average matters more than any one developer's. GitHub's own checklist tells you to compare current license plus metered charges against estimated usage with no allowance, and to confirm terms with your account team.

Do I need Copilot Business if I have GitHub Enterprise?

No, but nothing forces a move either. Copilot Business and Copilot Enterprise remain available for new and existing enterprises, and transitioning is voluntary.

Access is all or nothing per enterprise. You cannot combine Copilot access with Business or Enterprise seats in the same enterprise, including in individual organizations, though you can mix licensed and Standalone users under access. Transitions take effect on the first day of a month.

Set these controls before you switch

1. Set budgets first. GitHub's budget guidance says to set them before first use and to enable "Stop usage when budget limit is reached", which is what enforces cost center, organization and enterprise limits.
2. Keep the AI credits paid usage policy on. With Copilot access, credit-consuming features are blocked if it is off.
3. Add the enterprise.githubcopilot.com subdomain wildcard to your firewall allowlist if it only permits the business.githubcopilot.com one, per the billing comparison.
4. Know what survives a spent budget. Code completion and next edit suggestions keep working; Copilot Chat, code review and Copilot in the cloud need available budget. An exhausted budget never removes the seat.
5. Expect agent work to draw credits, including the security extension's Explain, Fix and review actions, which consume AI credits.

One more cost detail: Copilot Fusion bills each model it uses at that model's standard rate, with a 30% discount on paid Copilot plans for a limited time.

Where to go next

As of October 2026, Upfynd lists 246 AI coding tools and 370 AI agents, including GitHub Copilot and VS Code, if you are comparing before you commit. For how metered pricing is changing across vendors, see our look at credit-based pricing at GitHub, Notion and Warp and GitHub Agentic Workflows cost caps.

Your next step: pull last month's Copilot license and usage lines, work out usage per user, and run the table above with your own numbers before you call your account team.