Yes, GitHub is free for public repositories and includes unlimited private repositories with up to 3 collaborators. Paid plans add more features and collaborators.

What's the difference between GitHub and Git?

Git is the version control system. GitHub is a platform that hosts Git repositories and adds collaboration features like pull requests, issues, and CI/CD.

Is GitHub Copilot worth it?

GitHub Copilot ($10/month) can significantly boost productivity for developers. Its AI suggestions are especially helpful for boilerplate code and learning new frameworks.

Developer Tools

GitHub Pricing 2026: Plans, Costs & Value

A complete breakdown of GitHub pricing plans, what each tier includes, and how it compares to alternatives in the Developer Tools space.

Quick Answer

GitHub offers a free tier. Paid plans start at $4/mo per user, billed monthly.

Pricing Overview

Free Tier

Get started at no cost

Starting Price

$4/mo

per user

Pricing Model

Per User

Billed monthly

Pricing Details

GitHub offers Free (unlimited public/private repos, limited features), Team ($4/user/month), and Enterprise ($21/user/month). GitHub Copilot is an additional $10/month or $19/month for business.

Understanding GitHub's Pricing Model

Per User

GitHub uses a per-user pricing model. This means you pay a set amount for each team member who needs access. Per-user pricing scales linearly with your team size, so costs grow predictably as your organization expands. This model works well for teams with a stable headcount, but can become expensive for large organizations.

GitHub Pricing vs Alternatives

Tool	Starting Price	Free Tier	Pricing Model
GitHub	$4/mo	Yes	Per User
GitLab	$29/mo	Yes	Per User
Bitbucket	$3/mo	Yes	Per User

Is GitHub Worth the Price?

When evaluating whether GitHub is worth the investment, consider what you get for the price:

Industry standard
Great collaboration
Free for public repos
Copilot AI

With a free tier available, you can try GitHub before committing to a paid plan. This makes it a low-risk option to evaluate.

GitHub Pricing FAQ

GitHub starts at $4/month per user. A free tier is also available with limited features.

Yes, GitHub offers a free plan that you can use to get started. The free tier typically includes basic features with usage limits. Upgrade to a paid plan to unlock the full feature set.

The cheapest option is the free plan. The lowest paid plan starts at $4/month.

Compared to alternatives like GitLab, Bitbucket, GitHub starts at $4/mo. Check the comparison table above to see how pricing stacks up across all options.