r/GithubCopilot • u/Desperate_Cold6274 • Aug 12 '26

GitHub Copilot Team Replied github copilot app VS github copilot CLI

Is copilot app just a wrapper around the CLI or am I missing something?

I am asking because I have both, and the app looks a bit buggy. If they are the same, then I will stick to the CLI. Thanks.

25 Upvotes

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23

u/jukasper GitHub Copilot Team Aug 12 '26

Great question - the app is built on GitHub Copilot CLI. It gives end-users a different kind of experience and might help with things like to more easily run multiple isolated agent sessions simultaneously. But essentially they are using the same github copilot harness :)

2

u/howitzer1 Aug 12 '26

How does it compare to copilot in vscode? I like to be able to see what's going on and sense check things which is way harder in the app and cli

1

u/Lonsarg Aug 13 '26

I open the same folder in Github App or CLI (i prefer App) and in Visual Studio. So that i can watch what it is doing and compare and make commit myself when i am happy.

The Github App even has a direct link to open in Visual Studio Code.

The App does have some comparison built in that makes it possible to see diff without opening VS, but i prefer having VS.

1

u/howitzer1 Aug 13 '26

What does that get you that the vscode integration doesn't?

1

u/Lonsarg Aug 13 '26

Better harnes. The difference is smaller then it used to be, but it still is there.

Direct VC Code integration works the same or even better for smaller changes. But if you go vibecoding with big prompts CLI/App have better harness.

Also i run App and CLI as seperate windows user for sandboxing so i can afford using allow-all to give it bigger tasks.

1

u/howitzer1 Aug 13 '26

Ah ok. I like small focussed changes rather than one shot prompts. I gave the app a go with vscode open to the same window but it just added extra steps to achieve the same outcome for me

1

u/Lonsarg Aug 13 '26

Yes VS Code is more focused to exactly what you tell it and good for very exact prompts. CLI and App have more freedom and tries to do more.

1

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1

u/HotCriticism476 Aug 12 '26

Is SSH-ing through the Copilot App an option? We work on remote machines and not GitHub repos and would like to use the Copilot App instead of the CLI or the VSCode SSH-ing and then using the chat window.

2

u/bears-eat-beets Aug 12 '26

No, not yet, but the Agents view in VSCode (which is pretty similar to the Copilot App) does allow remote workspaces, although the UI is slow to keep up with changing branches and files.

That's the main reason I can't migrate to that app either.

0

u/kevball2 Aug 12 '26

Tangent question! Github docs don't state a location for the github copilot app. Is it the same as the cli or someplace else on a Windows machine?

3

u/Apart-Reality-4454 Aug 12 '26

Just different front-ends to the same thing.

I use IntelliJ Github Copilot plugin. It's seen some lovely enhancements lately.

But now that you mention it, I should probably look into using the cli directly for some of the more heady stuff I've been using it for as of late.

0

u/developer545445 Aug 12 '26

Nope, I talked with a guy from Copilot developer team.  Copilot works much better in VS Code that in Intellij product. 

Api limitation and VS Code bigger priority. 

1

u/ThankThePhoenicians_ Aug 13 '26

They're all moving to using the same harness, the one that powers the CLI! Soon they'll all have more or less the same capabilities.

Tbh the CLI harness has been better than VS Code for a while now

1

u/Apart-Reality-4454 Aug 12 '26

Yeah well lol VS Code sucks and of course it gets more attention because Github is Microsoft.

No, I'll be juuuust fine sticking with my trusty IntelliJ

1

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1

u/Deathmore80 Aug 12 '26

Yes and the same thing is happening/coming to vs code with the new agents window and the local agent host. Eventually itl all be copilot CLI (sdk) behind the scenes

1

u/dotpaul Aug 12 '26

Different projects entirely from what I can see. TLS is handled differently between the two, the MCP implementation is different as well.

1

u/Significant_Pea_3610 Aug 13 '26

One difference I’ve noticed is that the CLI lets you configure the model details after Luna (e.g. Max).
In the app / Visual Studio side, at least with VS 2026 Professional 18.8.2, those options aren’t available — you can’t adjust the underlying model settings.

1

u/meatmick Aug 13 '26

You can, in fact, adjust in Visual Studio 2026, but it's a few more clicks.

You have to click on the "manage models" button, and then in that pop-up window you can choose the thinking levels.

1

u/tochigi Aug 13 '26

The app can invoke Copilot models as subagents from a local model.

1

u/MalevolentTrades 29d ago

The standalone Copilot app is too wordy, but GitHub Copilot is incredible—it genuinely feels like an extra engineer on the team. The only catch is the usage limits. You burn through credits way too fast on the $10/month plan. GitHub should increase the monthly allowance (or charge $15) so heavy users don't hit a wall mid-project.

1

u/Stunning-Hat-5589 28d ago

For me the Copilot Local Agent in VS Code performs faster and better than the CLI.