How to Use GitHub Copilot to Increase Your Coding Speed in 2026

As indie hackers and solo founders, we often find ourselves wearing multiple hats, juggling coding tasks while also handling marketing, customer support, and everything in between. If you've ever wished for a way to code faster without compromising quality, GitHub Copilot might just be the tool you need. But can it really increase your coding speed? In this guide, I'll walk you through how to effectively use GitHub Copilot in just two hours to boost your productivity.

What is GitHub Copilot?

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered coding assistant that suggests code snippets as you write, helping you complete functions and even entire files faster. It uses OpenAI's Codex model, which is trained on billions of lines of code. The result? It can autocomplete code, suggest entire functions, and even offer documentation references.

Pricing Breakdown

• Free: Basic access with limited suggestions.
• $10/month: Individual subscription with enhanced features.
• $19/month: Team subscription with additional collaboration tools.

Best for: Developers looking to speed up coding tasks and improve efficiency.

Limitations: It may not always understand your specific context, leading to irrelevant suggestions. You still need to review and test the code it generates.

Prerequisites for Getting Started

Before diving in, make sure you have the following:

1. GitHub Account: Sign up if you don't have one.
2. Visual Studio Code (VS Code): Download and install if you haven't already.
3. GitHub Copilot Extension: Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace.

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Step 1: Install GitHub Copilot

1. Open VS Code.
2. Go to the Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X).
3. Search for "GitHub Copilot" and click "Install."

Expected Output: The extension should be successfully installed, and you'll see a Copilot icon in the sidebar.

Step 2: Configure Your Settings

1. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P).
2. Type "Copilot: Enable" and hit Enter.
3. Adjust your settings to match your coding style. You can set preferences for suggestions.

Expected Output: Copilot should be activated and ready to assist you.

Step 3: Start Coding

Begin typing your code as you normally would. Copilot will suggest completions.

• Example: Start typing a function:

  function calculateSum(a, b) {
  

Expected Output: Copilot may suggest the rest of the function, or even variations.

Step 4: Review and Accept Suggestions

As Copilot suggests code, you can accept it by pressing the Tab key. Always review the code for accuracy and context.

Step 5: Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Inaccurate Suggestions: If the suggestions don’t fit, tweak your comments or function names for better context.
• Slow Performance: Ensure your internet connection is stable, as Copilot relies on cloud processing.

What's Next?

Once you’ve set up GitHub Copilot and familiarized yourself with its suggestions, consider exploring more advanced features, like using it for unit tests or documentation generation.

Tool Comparison: GitHub Copilot vs. Alternatives

| Tool | Pricing | Best For | Limitations | Our Verdict | |-------------------|------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|----------------------------------| | GitHub Copilot | $10/mo (individual) | Autocompleting code | Context understanding issues | We use this for rapid prototyping. | | Tabnine | Free + $12/mo Pro | Code suggestions in multiple languages | Limited to specific languages | We don't use this because it's not as context-aware as Copilot. | | Codeium | Free | Collaborative coding | Fewer features | We haven't tried this yet. | | Replit | Free + $20/mo Pro | Collaborative coding online | Limited offline capabilities | Use it for quick online demos. | | Kite | Free + $19.90/mo Pro | Python development | Limited language support | We don’t use this since we focus on JavaScript. |

Conclusion: Start Here

If you're looking to increase your coding speed, I highly recommend diving into GitHub Copilot. Spend about two hours setting it up and practicing with it. The initial investment in time will pay off by saving you hours in the long run, especially during those crunch times when you're trying to ship a product.

What We Actually Use: We primarily rely on GitHub Copilot for rapid feature development and prototyping, complemented by VS Code’s built-in tools for debugging and testing.