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The free alternative to GitHub Copilot CLI

Same CLI agent loop — without the $39/mo (Copilot Pro+) bill.

FT
The Freebuff TeamBuilding the free coding agent
··7 min read

TL;DR

  • Freebuff is a free alternative to GitHub Copilot CLI — same terminal agent loop.
  • GitHub Copilot CLI typical cost: $39/mo (Copilot Pro+). Freebuff CLI is $0.
  • 9 subagents, slash commands, and frontier models included — no API key required to start.
  • Runs in any editor terminal: VS Code, JetBrains, Vim, Cursor, or bare shell.

GitHub Copilot CLI is GitHub's terminal agent: plan, edit, run shell commands, and open PRs — tied to your GitHub account and Copilot subscription. Freebuff does the same job with models and subagents bundled in — no subscription or per-token meter on day one.

What GitHub Copilot CLI costs in 2026#

GitHub Copilot CLI is included on all Copilot plans. Copilot Pro is $10/mo; Copilot Pro+ is $39/mo with a larger AI Credits pool. As of June 2026, usage is metered in GitHub AI Credits (1 credit = $0.01) per token — heavy agent sessions can burn through included credits fast (per GitHub Copilot billing docs).

Feature-by-feature: Freebuff CLI vs GitHub Copilot CLI#

FeatureFreebuffGitHub Copilot CLI
PriceFree$10–$39/mo + credit overages
Credit meterNoneYes — AI Credits per token
Model choiceMultiple included + ChatGPT connectCopilot model menu
Subagents9 specializedSingle agent
Editor lock-inNone — any terminalNone — CLI
GitHub integrationVia gh CLI / /prNative GitHub

When GitHub Copilot CLI is still the better pick#

Copilot CLI wins if your team already pays for Copilot Enterprise, needs GitHub-native PR flows, and wants usage pooled at the org level.

How to switch from GitHub Copilot CLI to Freebuff#

  1. 1Clone your repo locally (if not already), install Freebuff with npm i -g freebuff, run freebuff in the project root.
  2. 2Run npm i -g freebuff (or use the install script from freebuff.com/cli).
  3. 3In your repo: freebuff — same terminal workflow, $0/month.
  4. 4Optional: connect ChatGPT for GPT-5.4 on the hardest turns.

Try the free alternative to GitHub Copilot CLI

Install Freebuff CLI and ship from your terminal for $0.

Install Freebuff CLI
Is Freebuff CLI really free?+
Yes. No per-token meter for normal use. Models are included; connect ChatGPT optionally for premium turns.
Can I use Freebuff inside Cursor or VS Code?+
Yes — open the integrated terminal and run freebuff. No editor switch required.
How much does GitHub Copilot CLI cost per year?+
At $39/mo (Copilot Pro+), expect roughly $468/year before overages. Freebuff is $0.

About the author

FT

The Freebuff Team· Building the free coding agent

We build Freebuff — the free CLI coding agent — and Freebuff Web, the free way to ship full-stack apps. No subscription, no setup, no lock-in.

Topics:free github copilot cligithub copilot cli alternativecopilot cli coding agentgithub copilot cli pricingcopilot cli vs freebufffree copilot cli alternativegithub copilot agent cli free

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