Free dev tools for students 2026: Copilot $10 vs Plus ₱999

You do not need a cheap country for these four. You need a school a vendor recognises. After graduation, GitHub Copilot Pro is $10 everywhere. ChatGPT Plus is a different merchant: US $19.99, Philippines ₱999 / $16.16, dated 29 Aug 2026, gift cards false. Rails: /how-to-pay/.

Tool	Free while verified	Check	Catch
GitHub Copilot Pro	Full Pro	School email + enrollment via GitHub Education	Then $10 everywhere; 2026 usage-credit shift
JetBrains IDEs	Ultimate / Pro suite	Application + proof	Non-commercial forever; 40% off personal for two years after
Figma Education	Professional-team features	SheerID + school email	One year; view-only if it lapses
Notion Plus	Plus upgrade	School email domain only	Single-member workspace; WHED-listed schools

Canva Education is K-12 and excludes university. Notion Plus-for-students is the university door. Mixing those two is how people wait on a Canva form that will never approve a .edu.

Copilot $10 versus Plus ₱999 versus Claude Rs4,900

Paid AI after graduation is where country math returns:

Copilot Pro: $10 worldwide (GitHub plans, 29 Aug 2026).
ChatGPT Plus: Philippines ₱999 / $16.16; India ₹1,999 / $20.88 surcharge; gift cards false.
Claude Pro: Pakistan Rs4,900 / $17.69; Philippines ₱1,290 (not a Plus-style bargain); Apple credit works.

Copilot vs Plus · Is ChatGPT Plus worth it?.

Microsoft A1 is web Office, not Copilot Pro. Microsoft 365 student.

JetBrains: no freelance, no internship on the education licence. Figma: export before the year ends or the team goes view-only. Notion: files stay; Plus features drop when the email check lapses.

A VPN does not verify GitHub Education, and it does not recode Copilot off $10.

Methodology: methodology.

Questions

Is GitHub Copilot Pro free for students?

Yes while GitHub Education verifies you. After graduation Copilot Pro is $10 everywhere. GitHub moved paid plans toward usage-based AI credits on 1 June 2026 — check the current tier, not a 2025 blog.

Should I pay for ChatGPT Plus as a student?

Only if you need the paid-model tools. US Plus is $19.99. Philippines Plus is ₱999 / $16.16, dated 29 Aug 2026. Gift cards are false. Copilot at $0 (student) or $10 (grad) is a different merchant.

Is Notion Plus free for university students?

Yes on a school email Notion recognises — Plus upgrade, domain only, no ID-card fallback. Canva Education is K-12 and excludes university. Do not mix those two.

Can I freelance on a JetBrains student licence?

No. Educational licences are non-commercial, including internships. After graduation JetBrains offers 40% off a personal licence for two years.

How often do these expire?

JetBrains annually (email ~two weeks before). Figma Education one year then reapply. GitHub has its own renewal. Access ends quietly. Rails: /how-to-pay/.

Is there country arbitrage on the free student tier?

No. Zero is zero worldwide. Country tables matter after you graduate — Copilot $10 flat, Plus Philippines ₱999, Claude Pakistan Rs4,900.