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MAI-Code-1.1-Flash Rolls Out in GitHub Copilot

Microsoft's MAI-Code-1.1-Flash, a small-tier coding model, is now available in GitHub Copilot, introducing native vision support and a 73% lower list price compared to its predecessor.

By Illumora Editorial

Source · Aug 11, 2026, 6:13 PM · On Illumora · Aug 11, 2026, 6:23 PM

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Read the source →GitHub Changelog (Copilot) — MAI-Code-1.1-Flash available in GitHub Copilot - GitHub Changelog
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Microsoft's MAI-Code-1.1-Flash coding model is rolling out in GitHub Copilot. This new small-tier model builds upon MAI-Code-1-Flash by adding native vision support for image understanding. It also delivers improvements across several key areas, including coding quality, instruction following, tool use, and overall performance.

Key Points

  • MAI-Code-1.1-Flash is a small-tier coding model from Microsoft.
  • It introduces native vision support for image understanding.
  • The model offers improvements in coding quality, instruction following, tool use, and performance.
  • MAI-Code-1.1-Flash has a 73% lower list price than MAI-Code-1-Flash.
  • For annual GitHub Copilot subscribers, the model is charged at a 0.25x premium request multiplier.
  • It is available to Copilot Free and Student users via auto model selection.
  • Copilot Pro, Pro+, Max, Business, and Enterprise SKUs can manually select the model.
  • Copilot Enterprise and Copilot Business plan administrators must enable the MAI-Code-1.1-Flash policy, which is off by default.

Context

According to the GitHub Changelog, the model's enhanced efficiency in both its architecture and serving has contributed to its reduced cost. This makes MAI-Code-1.1-Flash a cost-effective option for lightweight coding workflows that require a balance of capability and cost efficiency. The model is billed at provider list pricing under usage-based billing.

Why It Matters

This release provides GitHub Copilot users with an updated coding model that includes multimodal capabilities and a significantly lower cost. Builders and organizations can leverage the vision support for new use cases while benefiting from improved performance and cost efficiency for various coding tasks.

What To Do

  • Review the GitHub Copilot pricing details for models and requests to understand billing specifics.
  • Copilot Enterprise and Copilot Business administrators should enable the MAI-Code-1.1-Flash policy in Copilot settings if they wish to use it.
  • Explore the model picker in GitHub Copilot to manually select MAI-Code-1.1-Flash if using Pro, Pro+, Max, Business, or Enterprise SKUs.
  • Consult the documentation on models to explore all available options in GitHub Copilot.