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AI provider on ChatMitra

GitHub Models for WhatsApp business

GPT, Claude, Llama, Phi via GitHub — free for verified students & OSS.

  • Free tier ✓
  • Cost: Free–$10/mo
  • Speed: Moderate
  • Best for: GitHub developers + students
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What is a GitHub Models chatbot?

It's a WhatsApp bot powered by AI models accessed through GitHub Models / Copilot. With ChatMitra you bring your GitHub Personal Access Token — setup takes about 5 minutes.

Founded
2024
HQ
San Francisco, USA

What it looks like in real businesses

Four chats from real industries, all using GitHub Models (openai/gpt-5-mini) inside ChatMitra. Mix of English, Hindi, and Hinglish — the way customers actually type.

InsightCRM
B2B / SaaS • Online
english
Looking for a CRM for our 50-person sales team. What's your pricing?
3:08 PM ✓✓
For 50 seats, our Growth plan is ₹1,800 per user / month — ₹90,000 total. That includes pipeline, automations, and our WhatsApp integration. Want me to share your details so our team can set up a 30-min demo?
3:08 PM
Yes, Thursday 4 PM works
3:08 PM ✓✓
Got it. I've shared your interest and preferred slot with our sales team — they'll confirm Thursday 4 PM availability and send the calendar invite shortly.
3:08 PM
Pixel Grove Agency
Agency / B2B services • Online
english
We need a brand identity + website for a new D2C skincare brand. What's a typical timeline?
1:14 PM ✓✓
For D2C skincare we usually run 8 weeks end-to-end — 3 weeks brand (logo, palette, pack design), 4 weeks website, 1 week launch prep. Indicative budget: ₹4–6 lakhs depending on photography and copy scope. Want me to forward your details so our founder can set up a discovery call?
1:14 PM
Yes please, sometime next week
1:14 PM ✓✓
Got it. Share your email and 2-3 preferred slots — I'll forward to our founder and she'll confirm one back to you in a few minutes.
1:14 PM
Aspire GMAT Coaching
EdTech • Online
english
I'm looking for the GMAT prep course. What's the schedule?
8:14 PM ✓✓
We run weekday morning batches (7–9 AM) and weekend batches (Sat–Sun, 10 AM–2 PM). 12 weeks, ₹35,000 includes mocks and study material. Which slot suits you?
8:14 PM
Weekend. Can I attend a demo class first?
8:14 PM ✓✓
Yes, we run free demos most Saturdays at 10 AM. Share your name and email — our team will confirm the next available demo slot and send you the Zoom link directly.
8:14 PM
Skyline Realty
Real estate • Online
english
Hi, do you have any 3BHK options in Powai? What's the typical price range?
11:32 PM ✓✓
Yes, we cover Powai including Hiranandani Gardens — 3BHKs there typically run ₹2.2–2.6 Cr, 1,200–1,400 sq ft, mostly semi-furnished. Would you like our area agent to share the latest listings?
11:32 PM
Yes please. Can I do a site visit this Saturday?
11:32 PM ✓✓
Sure — share your name and a preferred time on Saturday. I'll forward this to our Powai agent and they'll confirm available slots and the exact addresses in a few minutes.
11:32 PM

Picked by ChatMitra customers who are developers running side projects — Copilot Pro doubles as their bot's AI key.

Best for
GitHub developers + students
Cost
Free–$10/mo
Speed
Moderate
Setup time
~5 minutes

In simple terms: this is the safest middle-ground for developers who already use GitHub. Free Copilot tier (2,000 completions + 50 chats / month) covers low-volume; $10/month Pro is great for solo devs; $39/month Pro+ unlocks everything.

Not 100% sure GitHub Models is right for you?

That's okay — you can switch any time inside ChatMitra. Quick orientation:

  • • If cost is your main concern, Groq or DeepSeek are worth a look
  • • If top-shelf quality matters more, OpenAI or Anthropic are the usual picks
  • • If you want balance, Gemini sits well in the middle

Still unsure? Start with GitHub Models — switching later is one click inside ChatMitra without rebuilding your bot.

What is GitHub Models, really?

Honestly, this is the safest middle-ground for developers who already live in GitHub. Models are accessed through your existing GitHub account — no separate signup, no separate billing.

GitHub Models is Microsoft / GitHub's AI gateway, launched in 2024 as part of Copilot. They offer GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, GPT-5 mini, Claude variants, Gemini, and Llama models. All Copilot plans transition to usage-based 'AI Credits' on June 1, 2026.

GitHub Models models in 2026

The model with the green badge is what we usually recommend for everyday WhatsApp business chats. Step up only if you actually need it.

openai/gpt-5-mini Pick
SmartCheap
Context:400K tokens
Input: $0.125(~₹10)
Output: $1(~₹85)
Best for:everyday WhatsApp chat — GPT-5 Mini through GitHub Models
openai/gpt-4o
SmartMultimodal
Context:128K tokens
Input: $2.5(~₹210)
Output: $10(~₹830)
Best for:GPT-4o through GitHub Models
anthropic/claude-3-5-sonnet
Smart
Context:200K tokens
Input: $3(~₹250)
Output: $15(~₹1200)
Best for:Claude Sonnet through GitHub Models
meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct
FastCheap
Context:128K tokens
Input: $0.59(~₹50)
Output: $0.79(~₹65)
Best for:Llama 3.3 through GitHub Models

Pricing in USD as published on GitHub Models's pricing page. INR figures are approximate. Verified on 2026-04-30.

Source: official model docs · official pricing page

What will GitHub Models cost my business?

Three rough volumes, costs in approximate INR. Your actual number will vary — see assumptions below.

GitHub Models has a free tier: Copilot Free tier: 2,000 code completions + 50 chat messages per month. Free for verified students, teachers, and maintainers of popular open-source projects via GitHub Education.
Small store
100 chats / month
~₹10
Busy store
1,000 chats / month
~₹125
Diwali / festive scale
10,000 chats / month
~₹1200
Assumptions used:
  • • Avg 15–20 messages per conversation
  • • Avg 50–100 tokens per message
  • • Pricing as published by GitHub Models on 2026-04-30 — may change. Source: github.com/features/copilot/plans
Common mistake on GitHub Models: Subscribing to Copilot Pro just for the AI chatbot. The $10 / month is mostly for IDE features non-developers won't use. If you're not coding daily, go direct to OpenAI ($5 free credit) or Gemini (real free tier). Copilot Pro is great if you ALSO write code.

Best for these businesses

Pick GitHub Models when you already use GitHub for your code and want one less account / billing relationship.

  • Solo developers / freelancers already on Copilot Pro
  • Verified students, teachers, OSS maintainers (free)
  • Small dev shops bundling multiple AI features into one Copilot subscription
Where it doesn't fit
  • Non-developer business owners — Copilot Pro pays mostly for IDE features you won't use
  • Heavy production traffic — usage-based pricing kicks in fast

GitHub Models is great if you're already on GitHub. As a standalone WhatsApp chatbot AI choice, you're paying for IDE features you don't need — go direct to OpenAI / Gemini instead.

How to get your GitHub Models API key

Whole flow takes about 5 minutes. Mockups below are deliberately generic — GitHub Models's dashboard may look slightly different by the time you read this, but the steps stay roughly the same.

1. Sign in to GitHub

Go to github.com and sign in with your existing GitHub account.

github.com/login
Sign-up form
your-email@business.com
••••••••
Continue

2. (Optional) Subscribe to Copilot Pro

If you don't have Pro yet, subscribe at github.com/settings/copilot. Free tier exists but is limited (50 chats / month).

github.com/settings/copilot
Billing • Payment method added

3. Generate a Personal Access Token

Go to github.com/settings/tokens and click 'Generate new token (classic)'. Give it the 'models:read' scope.

github.com/settings/tokens
API keys
prod-key-1
+ Create new key

4. Copy the token

Token starts with 'ghp_'. Copy it now — GitHub won't show it again.

Your new API key
sk-•••••••••••••••••
⚠ Copy now — won't be shown again

5. Paste it into ChatMitra

In ChatMitra's AI Chatbot wizard (Step 2), pick GitHub Models, paste your ghp_... token. Validation happens on the spot.

Sign-up form
your-email@business.com
••••••••
Continue

UI may change slightly as GitHub Models updates their dashboard. The flow stays roughly the same — sign up, add a payment method (if needed), find the API keys section, create a key, copy it.

Set up GitHub Models in ChatMitra (about 5 minutes)

Once you've copied your API key from GitHub Models, the rest happens inside ChatMitra. Same wizard you'd use for any other provider — just pre-filled for GitHub Models.

Step 2 of 5

Pick GitHub Models as your AI

In the ChatMitra AI Chatbot wizard, Step 2 shows the provider grid. Click GitHub Models's tile, paste the API key you just copied. ChatMitra checks the key right then — green tick = ready.

GitHub Models GitHub Models Selected
Valid
Step 2b

Pick a model

ChatMitra auto-selects openai/gpt-5-mini as the default — that's our pick for everyday WhatsApp business chat. You can override if you want a different one.

openai/gpt-5-mini
everyday WhatsApp chat — GPT-5 Mini through GitHub Models
Step 3 of 5

Write the bot's personality

Tell ChatMitra about your business — name, industry, a one-line description. Then write the personality prompt yourself, or click Generate with AI and tweak the draft. GitHub Models reads this prompt before every reply.

Step 4 of 5

Add a fallback (optional, recommended)

Add up to 3 backup providers. If GitHub Models rate-limits or has an outage, ChatMitra automatically switches to the backup — your customers don't see an error. Most teams add one of Openrouter or Openai here.

Step 5 of 5

Test, then activate

Built-in chat simulator lets you message your bot before any real customer does. Try a tricky question. When it looks right, hit Activate — and the bot starts answering on the WhatsApp number you've already connected to ChatMitra.

In simple words: GitHub Models is the brain. ChatMitra is the body — the WhatsApp connection, the inbox, the dashboard, the analytics. You don't have to choose between them.

Worried about getting locked in? You can change AI providers any time inside ChatMitra. The bot's personality, conversation history, and customer data stay exactly where they are — only the underlying AI changes. Try GitHub Models first, switch later if something better fits.

GitHub Models for Indian SMBs — pros & cons

What's good

  • Free tier for everyone (50 chats / month) and totally free for verified students / teachers / OSS maintainers
  • $10/month Pro is excellent value if you're already using Copilot for coding
  • One account / billing relationship for IDE + chatbot AI

What to watch out for

  • Usage-based AI Credits start June 1, 2026 — pricing model changes
  • If you don't already use Copilot, $10/month is mostly for features you won't use as a non-developer
  • Smaller model catalog than OpenRouter

Compare with other providers

Which is better — GitHub Models or OpenRouter? It depends what you need.

Each label is what the provider does best. Match it to your priority — that's usually the right pick.

Top picks by category:

  1. OpenAI — best for accuracy and complex replies
  2. Groq — best for cost and high-volume chat
  3. Google Gemini — best balanced choice for most Indian SMBs
  4. GitHub Models — gpt, claude, llama, phi via github — free for verified students & oss

Direct comparisons:

Or explore other ChatMitra options:

See all 18 supported AI providers ↑

Sources & references

Every model name, context window, and price on this page is copied from GitHub Models's own public pages on 2026-04-30. Providers update pricing fairly often — please double-check before you commit to a plan.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is GitHub Models free?

There's a Free tier (50 chats / month + 2,000 completions). Pro is $10/month, Pro+ is $39/month. Verified students, teachers, and OSS maintainers get Pro free via GitHub Education.

Should I use GitHub Models for my WhatsApp chatbot?

Only if you already pay for Copilot for coding. Otherwise you're paying $10/month mostly for IDE features. Go direct to OpenAI ($5 free credit, then pay-per-token) instead.

What changes on June 1, 2026?

All Copilot plans transition to usage-based 'AI Credits'. Code completions stay unlimited; everything else (chat, agents, AI calls) consumes credits. Watch for billing changes.

Can I use GitHub Models in production for WhatsApp?

Yes — Pro and Pro+ plans support production use within their AI Credits allotment. Free tier (50 chats / month) is for testing only.

Which model should I pick on GitHub Models?

GPT-5 Mini or Llama 3.3 70B for everyday chat. GPT-4o for higher-quality replies. Claude 3.5 Sonnet if you specifically want Claude behaviour.

Try GitHub Models now →