Top 5 Best VS Code Extensions to Use with GitHub Copilot in 2025

GitHub Copilot is transforming how developers write code—but pairing it with the right VS Code extensions can unlock even more power. In this blog, we’ll dive into the top 5 best VS Code extensions to use with GitHub Copilot in 2025.

What is GitHub Copilot?

GitHub Copilot is an AI pair programmer developed by GitHub and OpenAI. It suggests code snippets, entire functions, and even complex logic based on natural language prompts and existing code context. It works seamlessly in VS Code, offering real-time suggestions to speed up development.

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Why Combine Copilot with Other Extensions?

While GitHub Copilot offers powerful autocomplete and AI assistance, combining it with strategic VS Code extensions can significantly improve:

• Code quality
• Team collaboration
• Debugging capabilities
• Project maintainability
• Code styling & formatting

These add-ons supercharge your workflow, letting Copilot shine even brighter.

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Top 5 Best VS Code Extensions to Use with GitHub Copilot

1. Tabnine – AI Coding Assistant

Why it’s great:
Although GitHub Copilot is already an AI assistant, Tabnine provides complementary autocomplete suggestions. It’s ideal for balancing multiple AI sources and comparing results.

Features:

• Local AI inference for privacy-sensitive environments.
• Multi-language support (Python, JS, Go, Rust, etc.).
• Context-aware code suggestions.

Pairing Tip: Use Tabnine in tandem with GitHub Copilot to experiment with different suggestion engines for more accurate completions.

🔗 Tabnine Official Site
🔗 Tabnine on VS Code Marketplace

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2. GitLens – Git Supercharged

Why it’s great:
GitHub Copilot helps you write code—GitLens helps you understand it. It enhances Git integration by giving you blame annotations, commit history, and contributor insights right inside VS Code.

Features:

• Inline Git blame annotations.
• Powerful commit search and history explorer.
• Code authorship insights.

Pairing Tip: Use GitLens with GitHub Copilot to trace who wrote specific code lines and understand their intent—this improves contextual understanding when Copilot suggests changes.

🔗 GitLens on GitKraken
🔗 GitLens Extension on VS Code

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3. Prettier – Code Formatter

Why it’s great:
Copilot generates great code—but it may not always be properly formatted. That’s where Prettier steps in. It enforces a consistent code style, improving readability and team collaboration.

Features:

• Automatic code formatting on save.
• Supports HTML, JS, CSS, TypeScript, JSON, Markdown, etc.
• Custom rules via .prettierrc files.

Pairing Tip: Use Prettier with GitHub Copilot to keep your code clean, structured, and consistent across team projects.

🔗 Prettier Official Site
🔗 Prettier Extension on VS Code

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4. Error Lens – Real-Time Error Highlighting

Why it’s great:
Copilot might sometimes suggest code that introduces bugs. Error Lens highlights issues directly in your code with bright, descriptive overlays, saving time during debugging.

Features:

• Inline error messages next to code.
• Customizable highlight colors and styles.
• Works with ESLint, TypeScript, and other language servers.

Pairing Tip: Error Lens acts like a safety net for Copilot’s suggestions—instantly flagging type mismatches, logic errors, and other common issues.

🔗 Error Lens Extension

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5. Live Share – Real-Time Collaboration

Why it’s great:
If you’re using GitHub Copilot in a team or mentoring setting, Live Share allows seamless real-time pair programming, code reviews, and debugging sessions.

Features:

• Share terminal, servers, and debugging sessions.
• Collaborative editing in real time.
• Works across platforms without sending code files.

Pairing Tip: Live Share + GitHub Copilot = the future of collaborative AI coding. Use it to work with others and get instant feedback on AI-generated code.

🔗 Live Share on VS Code

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Bonus Tips for Optimizing GitHub Copilot Workflow

Here are a few additional strategies and plugins to amplify your Copilot usage:

• Code Spell Checker – Catch spelling mistakes in comments and variable names.
• Bracket Pair Colorizer 2 – Helps visually match opening and closing brackets in Copilot-generated code.
• Settings Sync – Save and sync your VS Code setup across multiple machines.

For more VS Code hacks, check out our guide on Top 10 VS Code Shortcuts & Tricks for Full-Stack Devs.

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Final Thoughts

GitHub Copilot is a groundbreaking tool that redefines software development. But like any powerful tool, it works best when used with the right extensions. The top 5 best VS Code extensions to use with GitHub Copilot—Tabnine, GitLens, Prettier, Error Lens, and Live Share—will enhance every aspect of your coding experience.

By combining AI assistance with visual cues, team collaboration, and code quality tools, you’ll not only code faster but also smarter.

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Quick Recap

Extension	Purpose	Best For
Tabnine	AI Autocomplete	Enhanced Suggestions
GitLens	Git Insights	Code History
Prettier	Formatting	Style Consistency
Error Lens	Real-Time Errors	Debugging
Live Share	Collaboration	Team Programming

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