GitHub Copilot’s “Free Plan Limit” Bug: A Year-Long Oversight?

If you use GitHub Copilot on the free plan, you’ve probably seen this message:

“You’ve reached your free plan limit. Your limits will reset on [date].”

But what happens when that date comes? For many of us — nothing.

The reset never actually happens. Instead, the date just quietly moves forward by another month.

This bug has been discussed by hundreds of users in the GitHub Community forum, some for almost a year now. The pattern is the same every time: free users hit the supposed “monthly limit,” wait patiently for the reset, and then find themselves still locked out. No usage, no code completions, no reset.

Why It Matters

GitHub markets a free tier for Copilot, and the documentation promises monthly resets. That’s a fair deal. But when those resets never occur — even if you haven’t used the service — it crosses from “technical bug” into “broken promise.”

To be clear, I don’t believe this is malicious or a sneaky way to drive upgrades. It’s most likely a low-priority bug that’s slipped through the cracks because free-tier users don’t get formal support. Still, this bug sends the wrong message: that “free” users’ experiences don’t matter enough to fix something this visible and easily verified.

A Simple Ask

GitHub, if you really intend to offer a free Copilot tier, please take a look at this bug  — it’s been raised repeatedly by users (here, here and elsewhere.) If it’s been quietly deprecated, just say so. I trust this isn’t malice — it’s likely just low priority and nobody’s bothered to investigate. Still, it wastes people’s time, gives the wrong impression, and comes off very sloppy. Just fix it, or say it’s no longer supported. I trust this isn’t meant as a subtle push to get people like me to reactivate our paid accounts.