How to Use GitHub Copilot to Speed Up Your Coding by 50% in 2026

If you're a solo founder or indie hacker, you know that time is your most precious resource. Coding can be a time sink, and every minute spent debugging or writing boilerplate code is a minute you could spend on building your product. Enter GitHub Copilot: an AI-powered coding assistant that claims to speed up your coding process by up to 50%. In 2026, it's more relevant than ever, but does it actually deliver? Let’s dive in.

What is GitHub Copilot?

GitHub Copilot is an AI pair programmer that suggests whole lines or blocks of code based on the context of what you're writing. It learns from the vast amount of code available on GitHub, making it adept at providing relevant suggestions.

Pricing Breakdown

• Free: Limited access with basic features.
• $10/month: Individual plan with full access and advanced features.
• $19/month: Team plan with additional collaboration tools.

Best For

• Indie developers looking to save time.
• New developers who need guidance on coding syntax.
• Teams that want to speed up their development process.

Limitations

• It can sometimes suggest outdated or insecure code patterns.
• The context can get confused if your code is not structured clearly.
• Requires an active internet connection to work.

Our Take

We’ve been using GitHub Copilot for the last few months, and while it’s not perfect, it definitely cuts down the time spent on repetitive tasks. However, we still find ourselves double-checking its suggestions, especially for more complex logic.

Getting Started with GitHub Copilot

Prerequisites

• A GitHub account (free or paid).
• Visual Studio Code installed (or other compatible IDEs).
• GitHub Copilot extension installed in your IDE.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Install GitHub Copilot: Go to your IDE's extension marketplace and search for GitHub Copilot. Install it and authenticate with your GitHub account.

2. Start a New Project: Open a new file in your IDE and start typing your code. For example, if you're building a simple API, type function getUserData and wait for Copilot to suggest the rest.

3. Review Suggestions: Copilot will suggest code snippets. You can accept them by pressing Tab or modify them as needed. Always review the suggestions for accuracy.

4. Use Comments for Context: If you want specific functionality, use comments to guide Copilot. For example, writing // This function should return user data from the database can help it generate more relevant code.

5. Test Your Code: After integrating suggestions, run your code to ensure everything works as expected. Debugging is still necessary, but Copilot can significantly reduce the initial coding time.

Expected Output

You should see a marked decrease in the time it takes to write code. For a typical feature implementation, what might have taken an hour could now take 30 minutes.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Inaccurate Suggestions: If Copilot suggests something that doesn’t work, try rephrasing your comment or the code context.
• Slow Performance: Ensure you have a stable internet connection; Copilot relies on cloud computing to function efficiently.
• Security Concerns: Always check the code for security vulnerabilities, especially if it involves user data.

What’s Next?

Once you get comfortable with GitHub Copilot, consider exploring other AI coding tools to complement it. Here’s a quick look at some alternatives:

Tool Comparison Table

| Tool | Pricing | Best For | Limitations | Our Verdict | |--------------------|-----------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------------|-------------------------------| | GitHub Copilot | $10/mo | Fast coding assistance | Context confusion | Essential for quick coding | | TabNine | Free, $12/mo for Pro | Autocompletion | Limited language support | Good for simple projects | | Codeium | Free, $19/mo for Pro | Team collaboration | May suggest irrelevant code | Great for teams | | Replit | Free, $7-20/mo | Online coding environments | Limited features on free tier | Good for collaborative coding | | Sourcery | Free, $19/mo for Pro | Code quality improvement | Limited language support | Best for code reviews | | AI Buddy | $15/mo | Pair programming | Less effective on complex logic | Useful for learning | | Kite | Free, $19.99/mo | Python developers | Limited to Python | Great for Python coders | | Codex | $20/mo | Advanced programming tasks | Requires coding knowledge | Powerful for experienced devs |

What We Actually Use

In our experience, we primarily use GitHub Copilot for everyday coding tasks along with TabNine for its autocomplete features. For more complex projects, we also rely on Sourcery for code reviews. This stack keeps our workflow efficient and our code clean.

Conclusion

To truly speed up your coding by 50% in 2026, GitHub Copilot is a solid investment. Its ability to generate context-aware code snippets can save you countless hours, but be prepared to review its suggestions critically. Start by integrating Copilot in your next project and see how it can transform your coding experience.