GitHub Copilot vs exe.dev
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. GitHub Copilot has the lower starting price: about $10 a month, against $15 for exe.dev.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Code completions
- Copilot Chat
- Cloud coding agent
- Code review
- Copilot CLI
- SSH VMs with root access
- Persistent replicated storage
- LLM gateway for API keys
- Built-in auth and secrets
- Fast VM forking
- Multi-region deployment
| Feature | GitHub Copilot | exe.dev |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | GitHub's AI pair programmer for editors, CLI and pull requests | Persistent VMs for AI agents, with built-in LLM gateway and auth |
| Category | Coding | Coding |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free trial |
| Starting price | $10/mo | $15/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No, 7-day trial |
| Made by | GitHub (Microsoft) | exe |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
GitHub Copilot has the lower starting price: about $10 a month, against $15 for exe.dev.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
6 plans
Free
Free
- Up to 2,000 completions/month
- Limited chat and agent mode
- Copilot CLI
Pro
$10/mo
- Unlimited completions
- Monthly AI credits
- Coding agent and code review
Pro+
$39/mo
- More AI credits
- Access to all models
Max
$100/mo
- For high-volume agent workflows
- Largest AI credit allowance
Business
$19/mo
- Per user
- Policy and license management
- IP indemnity
Enterprise
$39/mo
- Per user
- Enterprise controls
- Higher AI credit allowance
3 plans
Personal
$15/mo
- 2 vCPUs and 4 GiB memory
- Up to 50 VMs
- 100 GiB filesystem
- 7-day free trial
Work
$75/mo
- Intro price for first 3 months
- 1,000 VMs per pool
- Unlimited pools in any region
Enterprise
Contact sales
- VPC support
- Dedicated support
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
GitHub Copilot
- Works in almost every major editor
- Tight GitHub issue and PR integration
- Cheap entry plan
- Credit metering makes costs less predictable
- Best features need GitHub-hosted code
exe.dev
- Real servers instead of short-lived sandboxes
- Keys stay out of the agent's VM
- Many VMs share one resource pool
- Requires comfort with SSH and servers
- Work plan costs more after intro months
- No permanent free tier
Which one should you choose?
Choose GitHub Copilot if you want:
- Works in almost every major editor
- Tight GitHub issue and PR integration
- Cheap entry plan
Watch out: credit metering makes costs less predictable.
Choose exe.dev if you want:
- Real servers instead of short-lived sandboxes
- Keys stay out of the agent's VM
- Many VMs share one resource pool
Watch out: requires comfort with ssh and servers.
GitHub Copilot vs exe.dev FAQ
What is the difference between GitHub Copilot and exe.dev?
GitHub Copilot: GitHub's AI pair programmer for editors, CLI and pull requests. exe.dev: Persistent VMs for AI agents, with built-in LLM gateway and auth. Both are coding tools.
Is GitHub Copilot or exe.dev cheaper?
GitHub Copilot has the lower starting price: about $10 a month, against $15 for exe.dev.
Do GitHub Copilot and exe.dev have free plans?
GitHub Copilot: Yes. exe.dev: No, 7-day trial.
Who makes GitHub Copilot?
GitHub Copilot is made by GitHub (Microsoft), based in United States.
Who makes exe.dev?
exe.dev is made by exe, based in United States.
Which should I choose, GitHub Copilot or exe.dev?
Choose GitHub Copilot if you value works in almost every major editor and tight github issue and pr integration. Choose exe.dev if you value real servers instead of short-lived sandboxes and keys stay out of the agent's vm.