Copilot code review: GitHub will switch the default mode to Balanced
Starting September 28, 2026, GitHub will change the default Copilot code review mode from Lite to Balanced. Organizations that want to keep the more economical option must select it manually.
Copilot code review: Starting September 28, 2026, the “Default” setting for GitHub Copilot code review will mean Balanced instead of Lite. The change may result in higher AI credit usage and, in some cases, GitHub Actions minutes.
GitHub says that Balanced uses a model with greater reasoning capabilities than Lite. This is not a change to the pricing of Copilot Business and Copilot Enterprise plans, whose prices remain unchanged according to the company. However, the default mode for the specific code review feature is changing.
Copilot code review will switch from Lite to Balanced under the Default setting
The transition affects administrators who have left the Default value at the organization or repository level. Starting September 28, this value will automatically mean Balanced, not Lite.
If an organization wants to remain on Lite, it must explicitly select this level in the organization or specific repository settings before the deadline. Simply leaving the item set to Default will no longer be enough to retain Lite.
Copilot code review is used to automatically review changes in pull requests. For teams that have reviews enabled automatically and process a larger volume of changes, the choice of default mode may therefore affect ongoing usage of GitHub services.
Difference in estimated AI credit usage
GitHub’s documentation provides an estimated AI credit cost for one review. For Lite, it is approximately $0.05 to $1 in AI credits. For Balanced, the range is approximately $0.25 to $5. These amounts do not include any potential usage of GitHub Actions minutes.
According to GitHub, Balanced may also slightly increase the use of Actions minutes compared with Lite. However, the company has not stated a uniform percentage by which costs will increase after the change. Actual usage depends, for example, on the number and size of pull requests, the use of automatic reviews, configured budget limits, and Actions minutes usage.
- Lite: approximately $0.05 to $1 in AI credits per review.
- Balanced: approximately $0.25 to $5 in AI credits per review.
- Actions: potential minutes usage is not included in the credit estimates above.
GitHub has not disclosed how many customers currently use the Default value or what the total additional usage will be after the switch. Organizations with paid AI credit usage may therefore want to check their code review level and budget settings before the deadline.
Other changes to Copilot registration and billing
In the same announcement, GitHub also outlined changes concerning registration and billing for Copilot Business and Copilot Enterprise plans. Starting September 1, 2026, the company will resume registrations for new customers paying by card or through PayPal.
Starting October 1, 2026, existing customers on these plans who use a card or PayPal will be charged in advance for assigned seats. This adjustment is separate from the change to the default code review mode.
The nearest date for Copilot administrators is September 28. Until then, they can explicitly set Lite wherever they do not want Default to switch automatically to Balanced. It remains to be seen whether GitHub changes the transition date or parameters before it takes effect and whether it adds usage data after its introduction.
Sources
- GitHub Changelog – Confirms the dates for changes to the default code review mode, seat billing, and the unification of Copilot policies.
- GitHub Docs – About GitHub Copilot code review – Describes the differences between Lite and Balanced, estimated AI credit usage, possible Actions minutes usage, and the budget limit mechanism.
Verified and updated: 08/31/2026 10:55
