GitHub Copilot
Code completion, chat and an agent inside VS Code. The workplace default.
Use it if
- You already code in VS Code and want suggestions as you type
- Work provides it and the terminal agents are not allowed
- Your code lives on GitHub and you want the integration
Skip it if
- You want an agent that works through a whole task on its own, where Claude Code and Codex are stronger
- You do not code and are looking for a way in, where a chat app is kinder
- You already pay for a plan that includes a coding agent
GitHub Copilot was the first AI coding tool most developers met: grey suggested code that appears as you type, press Tab to accept. It has since grown chat, the ability to edit several files, and an agent mode that works through a task, inside VS Code and the other major editors.
Where it fits
If you already live in VS Code and your code is on GitHub, it is the path of least resistance. Many workplaces provide it and allow nothing else, which settles the question. The completions are good; they make typing code faster without changing how you work.
Where it does not
The terminal agents changed what “AI coding tool” means. Claude Code and Codex take a goal, read the project, run the tests and come back; that is a different kind of help from suggestions as you type. Cursor does the agent thing inside an editor. Copilot’s agent mode is catching up, and at the time of writing it is behind.
Honest limitations
I do not use it, so this is orientation. If you are new to code entirely, none of these editors are the kind place to start; the Claude Code guide assumes a terminal and a project, and a chat window is where to begin before that.
Next step
If work gives you Copilot, use it for completions and try the agent mode on a small task. If you are choosing for yourself, Claude Code vs Codex is the decision that matters more.