GitHub Copilot Pauses New Sign-Ups, Tightens Usage Limits Amid Capacity Constraints
Key Takeaways
- ▸New sign-ups for GitHub Copilot Pro, Pro+, and Student plans are paused indefinitely
- ▸Usage limits are being tightened, with Pro+ offering 5X higher allowance than Pro tiers
- ▸Model availability is restricted: Opus 4.7 removed from Pro; Opus 4.5/4.6 being removed from Pro+
Summary
GitHub announced significant changes to its Copilot individual plans, pausing new sign-ups for Pro, Pro+, and Student plans to serve existing customers more effectively. The company is simultaneously tightening usage limits across plans, with Pro+ offering 5X the usage allowance of Pro, and removing Opus 4.7 from Pro plans while phasing out Opus 4.5 and 4.6 from Pro+. The announcement, made April 17 and updated April 24, 2026, represents a strategic shift in managing demand for the AI coding assistant.
Existing customers retain flexibility to migrate between paid plans and can request refunds through May 20 if the changes don't suit their needs. GitHub has made usage limits visible directly in VS Code and Copilot CLI, giving developers better visibility into their consumption. The move signals capacity constraints in serving the growing user base while maintaining predictable performance for paying subscribers.
- Existing customers can cancel and receive refunds for unused time through May 20
- Current users can upgrade to higher tiers, but new customers are blocked from entry
