Tempr vs GitHub Copilot
Both run in Visual Studio, VS Code, and JetBrains IDEs, and both now accept your own API key. The difference is how much your key covers: in Tempr it powers chat, the agent, and inline completion; in Copilot it covers chat and the agent, while code completions always run on Copilot's own models.
The short answer
- Pick GitHub Copilot if you'd rather not manage API keys, want a free tier, or want GitHub-native features like the cloud agent, which works in GitHub Actions and opens pull requests.
- Pick Tempr if you want your own keys behind every feature, inline completion included, working the same way in all three IDEs, with about 30 providers to choose from and a flat monthly price.
Side by side
| Tempr | GitHub Copilot | |
|---|---|---|
| IDEs | Visual Studio 2022 and 2026, VS Code, JetBrains IDEs | VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs, and other editors |
| Your own key for chat and agent | Yes, on every plan | Yes in VS Code, with no GitHub account needed; in preview in Visual Studio (new Agent only) and JetBrains IDEs |
| Your own key for inline completion | Yes, in all three IDEs | No; completions run on Copilot's models and need a GitHub account |
| Providers on your own key | About 30: first-party providers, cloud platforms, inference hosts, and OpenRouter; plus your own OpenAI-compatible endpoints on Pro | In VS Code: Anthropic, Azure, Google Gemini, OpenAI, Ollama, and custom endpoints |
| Built-in models | None; every model runs on your key | OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and other models, billed in AI Credits |
| Price for one person | Standard $15/mo, Pro $20/mo; 7-day free trial | Free; Pro $10/mo, Pro+ $39/mo, Max $100/mo |
| Teams | From $35/seat/mo (10-seat minimum), with SSO | Business $19/seat, Enterprise $39/seat |
| How usage is paid for | Flat subscription; you pay your providers directly at their own rates, with no markup | Chat, the CLI, and the cloud agent draw on metered AI Credits; completions don't. On your own key, your provider bills you |
| Agent | Agent in the IDE with Interactive, Bypass, and Autopilot modes, personas, delegation, and MCP servers; the same agent in the terminal (CLI included) | Agent mode in the IDE, MCP, a cloud agent that runs in GitHub Actions, and Copilot CLI |
| Where requests go on your own key | Through Tempr's servers to your provider | Chat goes to your provider directly; completions, semantic search, and built-in models go through GitHub |
| Training on your data | Your prompts, code, and chats aren't used to train models | On Free, Pro, and Pro+, interaction data trains GitHub's models unless you opt out |
What your own key covers
Copilot added bring-your-own-key to VS Code, where it works without signing in to GitHub, and has it in preview in Visual Studio and JetBrains IDEs. In VS Code it applies to the chat experience and utility tasks; inline suggestions (code completions), semantic search, and features that rely on embeddings still need a GitHub account and run on GitHub's service. In Visual Studio it works only in the new Agent (Preview).
In Tempr there are no built-in models at all, so your key is behind everything: chat, the agent, and inline completion, in Visual Studio, VS Code, and JetBrains IDEs alike. You can set a fast, inexpensive model for completion and a stronger one for chat and the agent, all on the same key.
Pricing
Copilot's plans include an allowance of AI Credits for its built-in models, and since June 2026 chat, the CLI, and the cloud agent draw on those credits, with extra usage billed on top; code completions and next edit suggestions don't use credits. Tempr is a flat subscription — Standard $15 or Pro $20 a month — and every request goes out on your key at your provider's own price, with no markup. If you already pay for provider API keys, Tempr puts them to work in all three IDEs; if you don't, Copilot's bundled models are simpler to start with.
Where your code goes
With Copilot's bring-your-own-key chat, requests go from your machine to your provider; completions, semantic search, and the built-in models go through GitHub. On the Free, Pro, and Pro+ plans, GitHub uses interaction data to train its models unless you opt out.
Tempr relays every request through its servers to your provider. The agent's tool-calling loop runs server-side so a turn survives a dropped connection, and each run is deleted 72 hours after it finishes. Tempr doesn't use your prompts, code, or chats to train models. The Privacy Policy has the details.
Already on Copilot?
You don't have to choose. The Tempr Gateway can be Copilot's bring-your-own-key provider, so Copilot's agent sessions can use any model on your Gateway allowlist.
Questions
How we checked
Everything about GitHub Copilot comes from its own pricing pages, documentation, and release notes, checked on September 21, 2026. These products change quickly, so prices and features may have moved since. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
Sources: Copilot plans · language models in VS Code · bring your own key · Visual Studio 2026 release notes · JetBrains BYOK · usage-based billing · cloud agent · interaction data policy
Try Tempr on your own keys
Every paid Chat plan starts with a 7-day free trial, and the CLI is included.