TL;DR
- GitHub Copilot has now reached 20 million all-time users, up from 15 million in April.
- Used by 90% of Fortune 100 companies, with 75% quarter-over-quarter enterprise growth.
- Competitors like Cursor and Google-backed Windsurf intensify the AI coding tools race.
Copilot Hits 20 Million Milestone
GitHub Copilot, the AI pair programmer developed by Microsoft-owned GitHub, has now been used by over 20 million developers globally. This update was disclosed by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella during the company’s latest earnings call.
A GitHub representative confirmed to TechCrunch that this figure includes all-time users. Since April 2025, when GitHub reported 15 million users, another 5 million developers have adopted the tool — a significant milestone.
However, neither Microsoft nor GitHub disclosed how many users remain actively engaged on a daily or monthly basis, suggesting the retention rate could be lower than the total.
GitHub Copilot Growth Overview
| Metric | Value | Source |
| Total All-Time Users (July 2025) | 20 million | TechCrunch |
| All-Time Users (April 2025) | 15 million | TechCrunch |
| Fortune 100 Adoption Rate | 90% | Microsoft Earnings |
| Q/Q Growth in Enterprise Usage | 75% | TechCrunch |
AI Tools Gaining Ground in Enterprise Use
Copilot’s enterprise traction is significant. It’s now used by 90% of the Fortune 100, and its enterprise adoption has risen by 75% quarter over quarter, according to Microsoft.
These numbers underscore the value businesses see in AI-powered coding tools. GitHub Copilot, which runs on models like Codex, is seen as an accelerator for developer productivity. Nadella highlighted on the earnings call that Copilot is now a larger business than GitHub itself was at the time of its 2018 acquisition.
The broader AI software market is also shifting, as developers increasingly pay premiums for AI coding tools that can reduce debugging time, improve documentation, and write boilerplate code more efficiently.
Cursor, Google, and OpenAI Challenge Copilot
The competition is intensifying. Cursor, a newer AI coding platform, has reportedly attracted over 1 million daily users as of March and is generating $500 million in annual recurring revenue, per a Bloomberg report. Cursor is known for hiring talent from early-stage AI startups and aims to rival Copilot in the enterprise market.
Google and Cognition, creator of Devin, have made notable strides by acquiring Windsurf, a startup specializing in AI-powered code generation. These tools are expanding fast into the same territory Copilot once dominated.
Meanwhile, OpenAI and Anthropic are pushing their own AI coding agents: Codex and Claude Code, respectively. Each aims to automate workflows, analyze pull requests, and correct bugs — innovations that GitHub and Cursor are already embedding into their ecosystems.
Software Engineering: A Niche, But Profitable AI Use Case
Despite the impressive milestones, the AI coding tools user base is modest compared to mainstream tools like ChatGPT or Gemini, which attract hundreds of millions of monthly users. But where AI chatbots serve general informational tasks, coding tools target software engineers—a smaller but high-value segment.
That value is evident in how these tools are monetized. Enterprise developers and CTOs are willing to pay for AI copilots that can speed up development and reduce bugs before code hits production.
The Battle for AI Coding Supremacy
As the developer experience evolves, Copilot and Cursor are converging into similar solutions. Both are deploying AI agents to help with reviews, debugging, and eventually autonomous code execution. Nadella stated that GitHub is witnessing “strong momentum” in this area, pointing to a long-term shift in how coding will be done.
With a mix of enterprise partnerships, developer trust, and integrated AI services, GitHub Copilot remains the frontrunner—but for how long remains a question as competition heats up.
