GitHub Copilot Code Review: Pricing and Org Billing Setup

GitHub Copilot code review finds problems in a pull request (PR) and suggests fixes when you assign Copilot as a reviewer. Each review uses AI credits. From October 8, 2026, organization owners can choose to bill this cost to the organization, and they can also block review requests from people who use an external license (as of October 11, 2026).

GitHub Copilot code review is an AI reviewer for pull requests

The GitHub docs explain that Copilot reviews a pull request, finds problems, and suggests fixes you can apply in a few clicks. It gathers context from the whole project and works with any language. By default, the PR author requests the review. If you turn on automatic review, Copilot reviews every PR for you.

The results look like comments from a person. According to the usage docs, each comment carries a High, Medium, or Low severity label, and includes a suggested fix you can apply right away when possible. By default, a Copilot review is left as a general comment, not an approval, so it does not count toward the required number of approvals.

How to request a Copilot code review

1. On GitHub.com, create a pull request or open an existing PR.
2. In the right sidebar, under Reviewers, click Request next to Copilot.
3. Wait for the review, which usually finishes within 30 seconds, then scroll down and read the comments.

After you change the code further, click the re-request button next to Copilot in the Reviewers menu. To get a new review automatically on every push, turn on automatic code review in the repository and choose Review new pushes in the ruleset settings. The same docs also cover how to request a review from the GitHub CLI (gh pr edit PR번호 --add-reviewer @copilot), Visual Studio, JetBrains, and GitHub Mobile.

You know it worked when Copilot's review comments appear at the bottom of the PR. Like comments from a human reviewer, you can react to them, reply, mark them resolved, or hide them. Note that replies are visible only to people. Copilot does not read or answer them.

Copilot code review pricing: what gets charged and to whom

According to the GitHub docs, code review uses AI credits, not premium requests. The docs estimate that one review costs roughly $0.05 to $1 at Lite intensity and roughly $0.25 to $5 at Balanced intensity. GitHub Actions minutes used by agent features are billed separately.

Situation	Who pays
Automatic review	The PR author's AI credits
Review requested manually by someone else	The person who requested it
Organization member without a plan that includes code review	No monthly allowance, so it is billed to the organization or enterprise as extra usage

The Copilot Free plan does not include code review. Automatic review is available on the Copilot Pro, Pro+, and Max personal plans and on Copilot Business and Enterprise licenses. For an organization member without a license to request a review on GitHub.com, the organization must be on Business or Enterprise. An enterprise admin or organization owner must also turn on two policies, including paid usage of AI credits. The second policy is off by default.

Choose between Member and Organization billing

According to the GitHub changelog, organization owners set "Choose how members with a Copilot license are billed" under Copilot, Policies in the organization settings. This setting decides who is billed for code review by members who have a license.

Option	Who is billed	Conditions and result
Member (default)	The member's own Copilot entitlement	Code review fails when the quota runs out
Organization	The organization that owns the repository	Paid usage of AI credits must be on for the organization, and you can set a separate budget

With the default Member option, a person's code reviews fail once their quota runs out. If you switch to Organization, billing goes to the organization instead of the member's quota. That removes the failure condition, but it also puts all the cost in one place. The changelog says you can optionally set a budget in this case, so set one if you want to limit usage.

Block review requests from external license users

An external Copilot license is one that the organization or enterprise owning the repository did not provide, such as an account an individual subscribed to on their own. According to the GitHub docs, the default allows people to request reviews with an external license too. To block this, turn on "Only allow Copilot code review to be triggered by authorized users" at the organization or repository level.

When it is on, only people with a license provided by the organization or enterprise can request a review, and Copilot does not appear as a reviewer for unauthorized users. If you turn it on at the organization level, repository admins cannot turn it off. In a personal repository, only the owner and direct collaborators can request reviews, and automatic reviews set up in personal settings do not run for unauthorized people. Reviews configured through rulesets still run.

Admin checklist to run through now

1. In the organization settings under Copilot, Policies, check whether billing is currently set to Member or Organization.
2. If you switch to Organization, first confirm that paid usage of AI credits and a budget are set up.
3. Decide whether to allow external license requests. To block them, turn on "Only allow Copilot code review to be triggered by authorized users".
4. On a test PR, assign Copilot as a reviewer. Check that the review appears and that Copilot does not show up as a reviewer for an unauthorized account.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use code review on the free Copilot plan?

The Copilot Free plan does not include code review. Individuals need the Pro plan or higher. Organization members use it through the policies of a Business or Enterprise organization.

Does a Copilot review count as a PR approval?

By default it is left as a general comment review and does not count toward the required approvals. The GitHub docs say it counts toward approvals only if you turn on the setting that allows approvals.