Posted on Sep 19, 2025
GitHub Copilot supports multiple AI models, each with different strengths.
Some are lightweight and fast, others provide deeper reasoning and longer context.
If you match the model to your task, you will spend less time retrying prompts and more time shipping code.
1️⃣ Default Model, Business or Enterprise
If you are using GitHub Copilot for Business or Enterprise, your admin decides which models are available.
Common options can include GPT-4.1, GPT-5, and Claude Sonnet 4.
In this setup, start with the default model and adjust your prompts for clarity.
If results feel off, ask your admin what is enabled, some organizations restrict access to premium models.
2️⃣ Manual Selection, Individual Plans
On GitHub Copilot Free, Pro, or Pro+, you can often choose from multiple models directly.
• For quick edits, repetitive code, or boilerplate, use a smaller, faster model like o3-mini.
• For complex features, multi-file reasoning, or planning, use a stronger model such as Claude 3.5 Sonnet or o1-preview.
3️⃣ Compare Outputs to Learn What Fits Best
If you have access to more than one model, run the same prompt with each. Ask yourself:
• Which one handled edge cases better?
• Which one gave clearer, more maintainable code?
• Which one matched your team’s coding style best?
Premium requests may be consumed when using premium models such as GPT-5 and Claude Sonnet 4.
Keep this in mind if you are working within request limits or monitoring usage.
Not all GitHub Copilot setups give you the same choices.
On Business or Enterprise, your admin decides which models are enabled.
On Free or Pro tiers, you can experiment directly.
Either way, choosing the right model for the job makes Copilot faster, more reliable, and easier to use day to day.