If you only read one line: pick by workload, not by benchmark charts.
For Professional developers writing code daily; Team code review, GitHub Copilot is the more direct fit. For Research where sources must be checkable; Fact-checking a claim quickly, Perplexity gets there with less fighting.
Both have free tiers, so cost only separates them once you hit the limits. Context limits aren't published for both, so treat this as untested until you hit the ceiling yourself.
| Dimension | GitHub Copilot | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing | Free $0; Pro $10/mo; Pro+ $39/mo; Max $100/mo; Business $19/seat/mo; Enterprise $39/seat/mo (checked 2026-10-29) | Free $0; Pro $20/mo ($200/yr); Max $200/mo ($2,000/yr); Education Pro $10/mo for verified students; Enterprise Pro $40/seat/mo; Enterprise Max $325/seat/mo (checked 2026-10-29) |
| Context window | not published | not published |
| Platforms | Web, IDE extensions (VS Code and others), CLI, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows |
| Best for | Professional developers writing code daily; Team code review; Enterprise release pipelines | Research where sources must be checkable; Fact-checking a claim quickly; Students who need citations |
| Availability | Needs a GitHub account, and github.com is unreliable from mainland China without a proxy; there is no China edition (checked 2026-10-29). | Unreachable from mainland China without a proxy, confirmed by a blocked connection from this host on 2026-10-29, and there is no China edition. |
Professional developers writing code daily; Team code review; Enterprise release pipelines. Its strongest point: Completion and edits happen in the editor, with no window switching. Watch out for: Usage is metered in AI Credits, which is hard to forecast.
Research where sources must be checkable; Fact-checking a claim quickly; Students who need citations. Its strongest point: Every answer carries clickable source links you can audit. Watch out for: Free tier caps you at 3 Pro Searches a day.
Most people I know keep both tabs open — one for finding things, one for producing the final draft — and stop paying for whichever they touch last.
GitHub Copilot if you want Professional developers writing code daily. Perplexity if Research where sources must be checkable. Neither has a learning curve worth worrying about past the first day.
Yes — both have free tiers, and the pair covers more ground than either alone.
Context limits aren't published for both, so treat this as untested until you hit the ceiling yourself.