GitHub Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
GitHub costs Free to $21 per user/month as of June 2026, with 3 plans available including a free tier. Plans: Free (free), Team at $4/user/month, and Enterprise at $21/user/month. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: Yes
GitHub offers 3 pricing tiers: Free, Team, Enterprise. A free plan is available. Paid plans include Team at $4/user/month, Enterprise at $21/user/month. The Team plan is advanced collaboration for teams.
Yes, GitHub offers a forever free plan as of June 2026. The free tier includes 4 features with limits on cicdminutes and storage. Paid plans start at $4/user/month (Team). Pricing verified from 9 sources by CostBench.
GitHub's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- Unlimited public/private repositories
- Dependabot security
- 2000 CI/CD minutes/month
- Community support
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- Everything in Free
- GitHub Codespaces access
- Multiple reviewers
- Code owners
- 3000 CI/CD minutes/month
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| cicdMinutes | 2000 | Unlimited/Higher |
| storage | 500MB | Unlimited/Higher |
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like Everything in Free or GitHub Codespaces access
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- GitHub branding may appear on your content or communications
- Support is limited to community forums or email with longer response times
- Export options may be restricted or include watermarks
- API access is typically limited or not available
- Advanced reporting and analytics require paid plans
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Free vs Team Plan Comparison
| Free $0 | Team $4/user/month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 4 included | 5+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | GitHub branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Individuals and organizations starting out | Advanced collaboration for teams |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is GitHub free?
Yes, GitHub offers a forever free plan with 4 core features included. However, there are limits on cicdminutes, storage that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in GitHub's free plan?
GitHub's free plan includes: Unlimited public/private repositories, Dependabot security, 2000 CI/CD minutes/month, Community support. Key limits include cicdMinutes: 2000, storage: 500MB.
03 What's NOT included in GitHub's free plan?
The free plan excludes: Everything in Free, GitHub Codespaces access, Multiple reviewers, Code owners, 3000 CI/CD minutes/month. You'll also have GitHub branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from GitHub's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like Everything in Free or GitHub Codespaces access, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $4/user/month.
05 Is GitHub's free plan really free forever?
Yes, GitHub's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.