GitHub Copilot CLI vs Devin Desktop — Feature Comparison

Quick answer: GitHub Copilot CLI supports 17 of 18 tracked features; Devin Desktop supports 18 of 18. Matrix last updated November 13, 2026.

GitHub Copilot CLI (by GitHub) vs Devin Desktop (by Cognition): a side-by-side comparison of tracked features, release cadence, and the latest releases of each tool. Data as of November 14, 2026, refreshed daily.

Verdict: Copilot vs Devin Desktop

Devin Desktop edges out GitHub Copilot CLI for most developers seeking a full-featured AI coding environment, but GitHub Copilot CLI remains the stronger choice for developers who live in the terminal and work deeply within the GitHub ecosystem. Devin Desktop achieves a perfect tracked-feature score of 18/18, including exclusive JetBrains IDE support that GitHub Copilot CLI lacks, making it a more complete solution for teams that span multiple editors and IDEs. GitHub Copilot CLI, however, is no slouch: it supports 17 of 18 tracked features and maintains a notably higher release cadence — 26 releases in the last 90-day window compared to Devin Desktop's 17 — suggesting a faster iteration cycle and potentially quicker bug fixes or feature additions. That cadence advantage may matter more to developers who track upstream improvements closely or depend on the tool in CI/CD workflows where stability and freshness both count. The single feature gap for GitHub Copilot CLI is JetBrains integration, which is decisive for teams standardized on IntelliJ, PyCharm, or similar JetBrains IDEs but irrelevant to those working exclusively in VS Code, the terminal, or GitHub-native workflows. In practice, the choice is less about raw quality and more about workflow fit: Devin Desktop wins on breadth of IDE coverage, while GitHub Copilot CLI wins on release velocity and tight GitHub integration. Neither tool is a clear loser — the right pick depends on your editor ecosystem and how much you value iteration speed versus feature completeness.

Choose GitHub Copilot CLI if: Choose GitHub Copilot CLI if your team works primarily in the terminal or VS Code and values a faster release cadence with tight GitHub ecosystem integration.

Choose Devin Desktop if: Choose Devin Desktop if you or your team use JetBrains IDEs or want the broadest possible feature coverage across multiple development environments.

Key differences

At a glance

ToolLatest versionRelease dateReleases tracked
GitHub Copilot CLIv1.0.112November 13, 2026199
Devin Desktopv3.12.57November 12, 2026153

Copilot vs Devin Desktop: key feature differences

GitHub Copilot CLI supports 17 of 18 tracked features; Devin Desktop supports 18 of 18. Both support 17 features.

What Copilot has that Devin Desktop doesn't

None in the tracked matrix.

What Devin Desktop has that Copilot doesn't

Release cadence: Copilot vs Devin Desktop

Copilot ships more often: 30 releases in the last 90 days versus 21 for Devin Desktop. Counts are as of November 14, 2026.

MetricCopilotDevin Desktop
Releases in the last 30 days1313
Releases in the last 90 days3021
Median gap between recent releases1 day2 days
Releases tracked199153
First tracked releaseSeptember 26, 2025November 13, 2024

What's new in Copilot and Devin Desktop

Latest GitHub Copilot CLI releases

Latest Devin Desktop releases

Core Editing

Multi-file editing, streaming, undo capabilities

FeatureCopilotDevin Desktop
Multi-file Editing — Edit multiple files in a single operation✓ since v1.0.76✓ since 3.11.231
Streaming Output — Real-time streaming of AI responses✓ since v1.0.110✓ since 3.10.23
Undo/Redo — Ability to undo and redo changes✓ since v1.0.109✓ since 3.7.16
Diff View — Visual comparison of changes✓ since v1.0.110✓ since 3.12.59

Terminal Integration

Shell and command execution support

FeatureCopilotDevin Desktop
Command Execution — Run shell commands✓ since v1.0.110✓ since 3.12.57
Shell Integration — Integration with user shell environment✓ since v1.0.107✓ since 1.13.3
Background Tasks — Run tasks in background✓ since v1.0.110✓ since 3.12.57

MCP Support

Model Context Protocol server and client capabilities

FeatureCopilotDevin Desktop
MCP Client — Connect to MCP servers✓ since v1.0.110✓ since 3.12.32
MCP Server — Expose as MCP server✓ since v1.0.110✓ since 3.12.32
Custom Tools — Define and use custom tools✓ since v1.0.108✓ since 3.7.16

IDE Integrations

VS Code, JetBrains, and other editor support

FeatureCopilotDevin Desktop
VS Code — Visual Studio Code integration✓ since v1.0.109✓ since 3.12.32
JetBrains — IntelliJ/WebStorm integration—✓ since 1.11.0
Vim/Neovim — Vim or Neovim integration✓ since v1.0.110✓ since 1.12.31
Web UI — Browser-based interface✓ since v1.0.110✓ since 3.11.231

Agentic Features

Planning, tool use, and autonomous capabilities

FeatureCopilotDevin Desktop
Planning Mode — Plan before executing changes✓ since v1.0.110✓ since 3.12.57
Autonomous Mode — Extended autonomous operation✓ since v1.0.110✓ since 3.11.212
Task Decomposition — Break complex tasks into steps✓ since v1.0.110✓ since 2.2.17
Context Management — Manage context across conversations✓ since v1.0.110✓ since 3.11.234

Feature timeline: who shipped first

First release where Copilot and Devin Desktop each shipped a notable feature, and which tool led.

FeatureCopilotDevin DesktopWho led
Skills / PluginsJanuary 22, 2026January 12, 2026Devin Desktop first, 10d ahead
Sandboxing / Permission ModesJanuary 13, 2026June 16, 2026Copilot first, 153d ahead
Subagents / Parallel AgentsJanuary 2, 2026October 16, 2025Devin Desktop first, 79d ahead
Background TasksOctober 28, 2025April 15, 2026Copilot first, 168d ahead
Extended ThinkingJanuary 7, 2026February 25, 2025Devin Desktop first, 316d ahead
HooksFebruary 3, 2026December 10, 2025Devin Desktop first, 56d ahead
Image / Vision InputOctober 2, 2025November 27, 2024Devin Desktop first, 310d ahead
MCP SupportMarch 3, 2026February 13, 2025Devin Desktop first, 384d ahead
Voice Input—July 17, 2025only Devin Desktop
Web Search / FetchJanuary 2, 2026January 17, 2025Devin Desktop first, 351d ahead
Headless / Non-interactive ModeApril 20, 2026April 28, 2026Copilot first, 7d ahead
Checkpoints / RewindJanuary 23, 2026—only Copilot
Custom Slash CommandsSeptember 29, 2025May 6, 2025Devin Desktop first, 147d ahead
Project Memory FilesJanuary 19, 2026December 11, 2024Devin Desktop first, 405d ahead
Git / PR IntegrationFebruary 27, 2026April 2, 2025Devin Desktop first, 332d ahead
Planning ModeJanuary 20, 2026June 10, 2025Devin Desktop first, 224d ahead
Todo / Task ListFebruary 5, 2026—only Copilot
VS Code ExtensionFebruary 12, 2026—only Copilot
JetBrains Support—November 13, 2024only Devin Desktop

Frequently asked questions

Which is better, GitHub Copilot CLI or Devin Desktop?

Devin Desktop edges out GitHub Copilot CLI for most developers seeking a full-featured AI coding environment, but GitHub Copilot CLI remains the stronger choice for developers who live in the terminal and work deeply within the GitHub ecosystem. Devin Desktop achieves a perfect tracked-feature score of 18/18, including exclusive JetBrains IDE support that GitHub Copilot CLI lacks, making it a more complete solution for teams that span multiple editors and IDEs. GitHub Copilot CLI, however, is no slouch: it supports 17 of 18 tracked features and maintains a notably higher release cadence — 26 releases in the last 90-day window compared to Devin Desktop's 17 — suggesting a faster iteration cycle and potentially quicker bug fixes or feature additions. That cadence advantage may matter more to developers who track upstream improvements closely or depend on the tool in CI/CD workflows where stability and freshness both count. The single feature gap for GitHub Copilot CLI is JetBrains integration, which is decisive for teams standardized on IntelliJ, PyCharm, or similar JetBrains IDEs but irrelevant to those working exclusively in VS Code, the terminal, or GitHub-native workflows. In practice, the choice is less about raw quality and more about workflow fit: Devin Desktop wins on breadth of IDE coverage, while GitHub Copilot CLI wins on release velocity and tight GitHub integration. Neither tool is a clear loser — the right pick depends on your editor ecosystem and how much you value iteration speed versus feature completeness.

What is the difference between Copilot and Devin Desktop?

GitHub Copilot CLI supports 17 of 18 tracked features; Devin Desktop supports 18 of 18. Only Devin Desktop: JetBrains. Both support 17 tracked features.

Which gets updated more often, Copilot or Devin Desktop?

GitHub Copilot CLI ships more often. In the 90 days to November 14, 2026, Havoptic tracked 30 Copilot releases and 21 Devin Desktop releases (199 and 153 releases tracked in total). Copilot's median gap between its last 21 releases is 1 day. Devin Desktop's median gap between its last 21 releases is 2 days.

What are the latest versions of Copilot and Devin Desktop?

The latest GitHub Copilot CLI release is v1.0.112, released November 13, 2026. The latest Devin Desktop release is v3.12.57, released November 12, 2026.

Do Copilot and Devin Desktop support MCP (Model Context Protocol)?

GitHub Copilot CLI supports MCP Client, MCP Server, and Custom Tools. Devin Desktop supports MCP Client, MCP Server, and Custom Tools.

Release velocity

Havoptic tracks 199 Copilot releases and 153 Devin Desktop releases. See release frequency charts for side-by-side velocity analysis, or browse the GitHub Copilot CLI changelog and Devin Desktop changelog.

Related comparisons

More GitHub Copilot CLI comparisons

More Devin Desktop comparisons

Data source

Feature data is maintained in feature-matrix.json under a CC-BY-4.0 license. Release data comes from releases.json. Both are updated daily. See the methodology page for details on sourcing and human review.

Compare all AI coding tools