---
title: "GitHub Copilot alternative for Visual Studio and C# | iolys"
description: "Looking for a GitHub Copilot alternative for Visual Studio? Use iolys for C# and .NET with multiple AI providers, eligible subscriptions, API keys, and local models."
url: "https://getiolys.com/copilot-alternative-visual-studio"
language: "en"
updated: "2026-10-04"
---

# A Copilot alternative for Visual Studio

iolys is a free Visual Studio 2026 extension that connects ten AI provider routes to your C# and .NET solution, and it is the alternative to choose when you want to reuse a subscription you already pay for: sign in through a supported Claude, Codex, Kiro, Kimi, or Gemini CLI, connect OpenCode Go with its API key, or use your organization's Databricks workspace, instead of buying a GitHub Copilot plan. GitHub Copilot remains the broader product across editors and GitHub itself; iolys is narrower on purpose, and does not promise feature parity with it.

## iolys compared with GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot information verified 18 September 2026. Plans and features change often; each row links the official source it came from. Rows that could not be sourced are omitted rather than guessed.

| Capability | iolys | GitHub Copilot | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Price of the extension | 0 USD. Every currently available feature is free for personal and commercial use. | Free plan at 0 USD with 2,000 completions and 50 chat requests per month. Pro 10 USD, Pro+ 39 USD, and Max 100 USD per user per month. Business 19 USD and Enterprise 39 USD per user per month. | https://github.com/features/copilot/plans |
| How AI usage is paid for | By the provider you connect: an eligible subscription, your own API key, an enterprise endpoint, or a local model. iolys meters nothing and adds no billing of its own. | With GitHub AI Credits, where 1 credit equals 0.01 USD. Chat, agent mode, code review, the cloud agent, Copilot CLI, and Copilot Apps consume credits. Code completions and next edit suggestions do not, and stay unlimited on every paid plan. | https://github.com/features/copilot/plans |
| Reusing a subscription you already pay for | Yes, for seven of the eleven routes. Claude, Codex, Kiro, Kimi, and Gemini reuse an eligible personal AI plan through their supported CLI, OpenCode Go uses its subscription through an API key, and Databricks reuses the workspace subscription your organization already holds. DeepSeek, OpenRouter, and OpenCode Zen use prepaid provider credits instead, and Ollama runs on your own hardware. | A GitHub Copilot plan is required. From Pro, third-party agents such as Claude Code and Codex can be used inside Copilot, with usage drawn from GitHub AI Credits rather than from a plan you hold with those providers. | https://github.com/features/copilot/plans |
| Provider and model choice | Eleven connection routes, chosen per task: five subscription-backed CLIs, the OpenCode Go subscription API, a Databricks Unity Catalog workspace, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, and OpenCode Zen APIs, and local Ollama models. | A catalogue of GitHub-hosted models, with model selection from the Pro plan. Availability can vary by feature and by plan. | https://github.com/features/copilot/plans |
| Local models | Supported in the Visual Studio 2026 IDE through a compatible Ollama endpoint on your machine or network. | Documented for Copilot CLI, which can target OpenAI-compatible endpoints, Azure OpenAI, or Anthropic, including locally running models such as Ollama. | https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/customize-copilot/use-byok-models |
| Enterprise-governed endpoint | Chat-capable Databricks Unity Catalog Model Serving endpoints selected by your organization. | Visual Studio Bring Your Own Model connects Microsoft Foundry deployments and keys from supported providers in Agent Mode. | https://devblogs.microsoft.com/visualstudio/unlocking-the-power-of-ai-for-every-developer-in-visual-studio-with-bring-your-own-model/ |
| Supported editors | Visual Studio 2026 only, on 64-bit Windows. This is a deliberate limit, not a roadmap gap. | GitHub, VS Code, Visual Studio, Xcode, JetBrains IDEs, Neovim, Eclipse, Raycast, SQL Server Management Studio, and Zed. | https://github.com/features/copilot/plans |

Sources:

- [GitHub Copilot plans and pricing](https://github.com/features/copilot/plans)
- [GitHub Copilot licenses and per-seat prices](https://docs.github.com/en/billing/concepts/product-billing/github-copilot-licenses)
- [Bring your own LLM models in Copilot CLI](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/customize-copilot/use-byok-models)
- [Bring Your Own Model in Visual Studio](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/visualstudio/unlocking-the-power-of-ai-for-every-developer-in-visual-studio-with-bring-your-own-model/)

GitHub, GitHub Copilot, Microsoft, and Visual Studio are trademarks of their respective owners. iolys is not affiliated with or endorsed by GitHub or Microsoft.

## Price

All currently available iolys features are free for personal and commercial use. AI provider subscriptions, API usage, and infrastructure costs remain separate. iolys does not include a bundled model allowance.

## Requirements

iolys targets the Visual Studio 2026 IDE on 64-bit Windows. It requires access to a supported AI provider or a local Ollama instance. Git is required for isolated parallel workspaces. Visual Studio Code is a separate editor; iolys is an extension for the Visual Studio IDE.

## Provider connection matrix

Verified 19 September 2026.

| Provider | Connection type | Access route | Who pays for the AI usage | Where the model runs | Best for | Guide |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Claude | Provider CLI | BYOS: bring your Claude subscription | Your AI subscription | Provider cloud | C# and .NET implementation, debugging, code review, refactoring, and tasks that combine solution context with web research and reusable skills. | https://getiolys.com/providers/claude |
| Codex | Provider CLI | BYOS: use eligible ChatGPT subscription access | Your AI subscription | Provider cloud | Agentic refactors, repository-wide changes, code review, debugging, and implementation work across .NET solutions. | https://getiolys.com/providers/codex |
| Kiro | Provider CLI | BYOS: keep your Kiro account and plan | Your AI subscription | Provider cloud | Structured implementation, specification-led work, multi-file changes, and long-running engineering tasks in C# solutions. | https://getiolys.com/providers/kiro |
| Ollama | Local endpoint | No mandatory per-token cloud bill | No provider bill | Your machine or network | Private codebases, offline-capable workflows, experimentation with open models, and teams that want infrastructure control. | https://getiolys.com/providers/ollama |
| DeepSeek | Provider API | Keep the provider relationship direct | Prepaid credits or pay-as-you-go | Provider cloud | C# generation, debugging, code explanation, refactoring, and cost-conscious model selection for .NET work. | https://getiolys.com/providers/deepseek |
| Kimi | Provider CLI | BYOS: use the access attached to Kimi Code | Your AI subscription | Provider cloud | Repository exploration, multi-step implementation, debugging, and code changes across established .NET projects. | https://getiolys.com/providers/kimi |
| OpenRouter | OpenAI-compatible API | Use your OpenRouter account directly | Prepaid credits or pay-as-you-go | Provider cloud | Choosing coding models across vendors, reviewing screenshots, researching documentation, and tracking API spending from Visual Studio. | https://getiolys.com/providers/openrouter |
| OpenCode Go | Subscription API key | BYOS: bring your OpenCode Go subscription | Your AI subscription | Provider cloud | Using several coding model families under one subscription for implementation, code review, and debugging in C# and .NET. | https://getiolys.com/providers/opencode-go |
| OpenCode Zen | Pay-as-you-go API key | Your Zen account, billed per request | Prepaid credits or pay-as-you-go | Provider cloud | Implementation, debugging, code review, and image-assisted tasks with supported coding models. | https://getiolys.com/providers/opencode-zen |
| Databricks Unity Catalog | Unity Catalog / Model Serving | Keep enterprise AI governed in Databricks | Your organization's subscription | Your organization's infrastructure | Enterprise .NET teams that govern model access with Databricks Unity Catalog and expose approved chat models through Model Serving endpoints. | https://getiolys.com/providers/databricks |
| Gemini | Provider CLI | BYOS: reuse Gemini CLI authentication and quota | Your AI subscription | Provider cloud | Code generation, explanation, debugging, large-context exploration, and everyday C# development. | https://getiolys.com/providers/gemini |

## Choosing an AI assistant for Visual Studio

### What is an alternative to GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio?

iolys is an AI coding workspace for Visual Studio 2026 and an alternative to consider for C# and .NET development. It connects supported provider CLIs, APIs, enterprise endpoints, and local models in one extension, with solution context, visible tool activity, and permission controls.

### Do I need a GitHub Copilot subscription to use iolys?

No. iolys connects to the AI providers you configure directly. You need eligible account access for a supported provider CLI, an API key, an enterprise endpoint, or a compatible local Ollama model. A GitHub Copilot subscription is not required.

### Is iolys a free GitHub Copilot alternative?

Yes, iolys itself is free: all currently available features are free for personal and commercial use. AI provider subscriptions, API usage, and infrastructure costs remain separate, and iolys does not include a bundled model allowance.

### How much does iolys cost compared to GitHub Copilot?

iolys costs 0 USD and you pay only the AI provider you connect. GitHub Copilot has a free tier limited to 2,000 completions and 50 chat requests per month, then Pro at 10 USD, Pro+ at 39 USD, and Max at 100 USD per user per month, with Business at 19 USD and Enterprise at 39 USD per user per month; its chat, agent, code review, CLI, and cloud agent usage draws GitHub AI Credits at 0.01 USD per credit. GitHub Copilot prices verified 18 September 2026 on the official GitHub plans page and can change.

### Which AI models can I use instead of GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio?

iolys gives you eleven connection routes in Visual Studio 2026: Claude, Codex, Kiro, Kimi, and Gemini through supported provider CLIs, OpenCode Go through its subscription API, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, and OpenCode Zen through provider APIs, Databricks Unity Catalog endpoints, and local models served by Ollama. You choose the provider and model for each task.

### Do I have to switch to VS Code to use AI coding agents?

No. iolys runs inside the Visual Studio 2026 IDE, so agent conversations, solution context, tool activity, and permission requests stay in the environment where your C# and .NET work already happens.

### Can I use my existing AI subscription in Visual Studio?

Yes. iolys reuses eligible account access through Claude, Codex, Kiro, Kimi, and Gemini CLI connections, OpenCode Go subscription access through an API key, and the models your organization already pays for in its Databricks workspace. This is Bring Your Own Subscription (BYOS); provider eligibility, quotas, and usage limits still apply.

### Can I use local models as a GitHub Copilot alternative for C#?

Yes. Connect a compatible Ollama model to iolys and work from your C# solution in Visual Studio 2026. The model runs on the machine or endpoint you configure, and its capabilities depend on the model and available hardware.

### Which Visual Studio versions does iolys support?

iolys targets Visual Studio 2026 on 64-bit Windows for C# and .NET development. Visual Studio Code is a separate editor; this extension is built for the Visual Studio IDE.

### Is there a VSIX alternative to the GitHub Copilot extension?

Yes. iolys is a VSIX extension for Visual Studio 2026 that you install from the Visual Studio Marketplace instead of, or alongside, the GitHub Copilot extension. The iolys VSIX brings its own provider connections, so it does not depend on a GitHub Copilot subscription.

### Does iolys replace every GitHub Copilot feature?

No, iolys is a separate product and does not promise feature parity with GitHub Copilot. Evaluate it for the workflow you need: conversations with solution context, agent tasks, provider choice, tool activity, and permission controls inside Visual Studio 2026.

## Related pages

- [Bring Your Own AI Subscription to Visual Studio 2026 | iolys](https://getiolys.com/)
- [Bring Your Own Model (BYOM) in Visual Studio 2026 | iolys](https://getiolys.com/byom)
- [AI coding agent capabilities for Visual Studio | iolys](https://getiolys.com/capabilities)
- [Visual Studio integrations for C# and .NET | iolys](https://getiolys.com/integrations)
- [AI providers and BYOS for Visual Studio 2026 | iolys](https://getiolys.com/providers)
- [What is iolys? AI coding agent harness for Visual Studio | iolys](https://getiolys.com/what-is-iolys)
- [The story behind iolys | From iolite to AI in Visual Studio](https://getiolys.com/our-story)
- [Install iolys from the Visual Studio Marketplace](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=iolys.iolys-visual-studio)
- [iolys blog](https://getiolys.com/blog)