GitHub Copilot CLI vs Rovo Dev CLI: pricing, features and which to choose

GitHub Copilot CLI is GitHub's terminal-native coding agent, launched in public preview in September 2025. It is distributed as the @github/copilot npm package and uses a GitHub account for authentication. The product works with local repositories while connecting to GitHub context, including repository history, issues, and pull requests. GitHub documents support for Linux, macOS, and Windows, with PowerShell 6 or later required on Windows. The current CLI is distinct from the older gh-copilot extension. GitHub announced that gh-copilot would stop working on October 25, 2025, and presented the agentic CLI as its replacement. That distinction matters because the older extension offered command suggestions, while the current product can plan and execute multi-step repository work.

A normal session starts with copilot in a repository and a natural-language request. The agent can inspect files, propose a plan, edit code, debug, refactor, and run terminal commands. GitHub context lets it work from repository tasks, issues, and pull requests, while the included GitHub MCP server connects the session to GitHub capabilities. Custom MCP servers and custom agents extend that setup. GitHub says each file change and command execution requires explicit approval. Release notes also describe streaming output, parallel tool calls, model selection, image input, session continuation, delegated work, and granular tool permissions. The workflow combines shell access with repository context, but users must review proposed edits and commands before allowing them, particularly when a request can affect files or external GitHub state.

Copilot CLI suits developers who keep repositories, issues, and pull requests in GitHub and want organization controls around terminal agents. Its limits are clear: it requires GitHub authentication, access depends on a Copilot plan, and agent work consumes credits. The product also depends on remote GitHub-hosted AI services, so it is not a local-only runtime or a self-hosted deployment. Crush offers provider and local-model choice, Claude Code centers Anthropic's service, and OpenCode emphasizes support for multiple providers. Pick Copilot CLI when GitHub context and centralized policy outweigh endpoint freedom. Pick Crush for local models, Claude Code for Anthropic-centered workflows, or OpenCode for provider flexibility.

Rovo Dev CLI is Atlassian's command line interface for software development tasks, with local repository access and connections to Atlassian work data. Atlassian began rolling it out in October 2025 after beta testing. The service targets teams using Jira Standard or Premium, where administrators can enable the CLI separately from Rovo Dev code reviews. Atlassian now says Rovo Dev is reaching end of life as a standalone product. Its capabilities are moving into eligible Jira and Teamwork Collection subscriptions, and Rovo Dev CLI is becoming Rovo CLI. That gives the current tool a clear practical use, but also makes its name and billing model transitional. Atlassian does not publish a company founding or Rovo Dev user count in these product documents.

A normal session starts with `acli rovodev run`, either interactively or with one instruction for a discrete task. From the terminal, the agent can inspect a repository, explain code, generate documentation, create or refactor files, and run development tasks. Jira commands show connection status, set a global project, apply a workspace-specific project, or disable the integration, helping teams align terminal work with tracked issues. The `--worktree` option isolates changes in a Git worktree, which is useful for parallel experiments or safer reviews. Session controls restore, fork, rename, clear, or prune context. Administrators can configure MCP servers, memory files, saved prompts, hooks, subagents, and permitted directories. Plan and read-only ask modes support review before edits, while model selection, usage reporting, server mode, and an optional IDE plugin extend the workflow.

The largest limitation is the product transition. Atlassian says standalone Rovo Dev is ending, while the move to Rovo CLI changes commands, settings, authentication, and credit accounting. Teams evaluating it should therefore test migration procedures before standardizing scripts, configuration files, or onboarding documentation. The rollout documentation says Rovo Dev does not support data residency, is not HIPAA compliant, and has not yet been externally audited for ISO 27001 or SOC 2 compliance. The free allowance can support initial trials, but usage stops when 350 credits are exhausted; Standard costs $20 per developer monthly for 2,000 organization-level credits, with extra usage priced at $0.01 per credit. GitHub Copilot CLI, Claude Code, and Aider offer different terminal approaches. Rovo Dev suits Jira-centered teams willing to manage transition risk and needing Atlassian context inside development sessions.