VS Code
An open source AI code editor from Microsoft that serves as a home for multi-agent development, supporting local, cloud, and CLI-based AI agents with GitHub Copilot integration.
At a Glance
Limited access to Copilot for individual developers not covered by an org or enterprise.
Full Copilot Pro access free for 30 days. Requires a payment method. Converts to paid plan if not canceled.
Engagement
Available On
Alternatives
Updated Apr 2026
About VS Code
Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a free, open source code editor built by Microsoft that has become the editor of choice for millions of developers worldwide. It combines a world-class editing experience with powerful AI capabilities through GitHub Copilot, enabling multi-agent development workflows where autonomous agents can plan, write code, run commands, and iterate until tasks are complete. VS Code runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and in the browser via vscode.dev, making it accessible from virtually any device or environment.
- AI Agent Sessions — Hand off tasks to local, cloud, or CLI-based agents that autonomously plan, make code changes, run commands, and iterate until the job is done, all trackable from a single session view.
- GitHub Copilot Integration — Get AI-powered inline suggestions, intelligent completions, and chat-based assistance directly in the editor; supports multiple models including Claude, Gemini, OpenAI, and more.
- Multi-Agent Support — Run multiple agents in parallel — assign a CLI agent to fix bugs in the background while a cloud agent opens a pull request for team review.
- MCP Server Support — Connect to external tools and services via Model Context Protocol servers to expand agent capabilities.
- Extension Marketplace — Access 80,000+ extensions for languages, frameworks, themes, and tools including Python, C/C++, Jupyter, GitLens, MongoDB, and Stripe.
- Built-in Source Control — Git support is built in out of the box, with additional source control providers available via extensions.
- Integrated Terminal — Use any shell (zsh, pwsh, git bash) directly inside the editor without switching windows.
- Remote Development — Open folders in containers, on remote machines, or in GitHub Codespaces for cloud-powered development environments.
- Fully Customizable — Color themes, Settings Sync, and Profiles let you tailor the UI, share settings across instances, and switch between configurations quickly.
- Web Support — Access and edit code from any device via vscode.dev without installing anything locally.
- Multi-Language Support — First-class support for JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, C#, C++, Java, PHP, Go, and dozens more languages.
- Run and Debug — Run and debug code without leaving the editor, with built-in support for breakpoints, call stacks, and watch expressions.
Community Discussions
GitHub Copilot Memory Ends the Groundhog Day Problem—If You're Paying for It
GitHub Copilot Memory lets the AI remember your codebase patterns across sessions. We break down what it does, who gets it, and what's still unknown after three days of living with it. Three days ago, GitHub quietly shipped the feature developers have been begging for since Copilot launched: persist…
Raptor Mini LLM in VS Code: GitHub's Quiet Bet on Code-First AI
Raptor mini is GitHub Copilot's new code-specialized model with 264k context and zero premium request cost. Here's what it actually does, when to use it, and when to stick with heavier models. Buried in a November 10, 2025 changelog entry—the kind you'd miss if you blinked—GitHub announced that "Rap…
Agent HQ is new in VS Code
In the latest update, VS Code 1.107 introduced Agent HQ, a feature that goes beyond a simple Copilot panel. Think of it as a command center for your AI agents. Key Changes: Central Command: Agent HQ provides a single dashboard to manage all agents (including Copilot and any custom ones). You can sta…
Pricing
Copilot Free
Limited access to Copilot for individual developers not covered by an org or enterprise.
- 2,000 code completions per month
- 50 premium requests per month
- Copilot Chat in IDEs and GitHub Mobile
- Access to select AI models
Copilot Pro Trial
Full Copilot Pro access free for 30 days. Requires a payment method. Converts to paid plan if not canceled.
- Unlimited code completions
- 300 premium requests per month
- Access to premium models in Copilot Chat
- Copilot coding agent
- Copilot Chat in IDEs and GitHub Mobile
Copilot Pro
Unlimited completions and premium model access for individual developers.
- Unlimited code completions
- 300 premium requests per month
- Access to premium models in Copilot Chat
- Copilot coding agent
- Copilot Chat in IDEs and GitHub Mobile
- Additional premium requests at $0.04 per request
- Free access for verified students, teachers, and OSS maintainers
Copilot Pro+
Highest individual tier with full model access and extended premium request allowance.
- Everything in Copilot Pro
- 1,500 premium requests per month
- Full access to all available models including Claude Opus 4.6 and OpenAI o3
- Additional premium requests at $0.04 per request
Copilot Business
For organizations on GitHub Free or GitHub Team. Centralized management and policy controls.
- Everything in Copilot Pro
- 300 premium requests per user per month
- Copilot coding agent
- Centralized license and policy management
- Organization-wide Copilot policy enforcement
- Additional premium requests at $0.04 per request
Copilot Enterprise
For enterprises on GitHub Enterprise Cloud. Adds codebase-aware features and GitHub.com integration.
- Everything in Copilot Business
- 1,000 premium requests per user per month
- Copilot Chat on GitHub.com
- Codebase indexing for org-level knowledge bases
- Fine-tuned custom private models for inline suggestions
- Additional premium requests at $0.04 per request
- Requires GitHub Enterprise Cloud
Capabilities
Key Features
- AI agent sessions (local, cloud, CLI)
- GitHub Copilot integration
- Multi-agent development
- MCP server support
- 80,000+ extension marketplace
- Built-in Git source control
- Integrated terminal
- Remote development & GitHub Codespaces
- Color themes and UI customization
- Settings Sync and Profiles
- Web editor via vscode.dev
- Multi-language support
- Run and debug code
- IntelliSense code completions
- Local history
- Accessibility features