Agent mode vs Coding agent

Hello, I'm new to GitHub Copilot. After using it for two days, I finally figured out the differences between the two and how the Premium request fees are calculated.

Requests in GitHub Copilot - GitHub Docs

https://preview.redd.it/01nb3s31zrnf1.png?width=1138&format=png&auto=webp&s=44309cf6dd2beb73c6a063c4e3b4eb9b3415cf12

Agent Mode

Agent Mode is a feature of VSCode that enables automated content editing within the editor. To use it, you need to select the "Edit" or "Agent" options in the dialog box. Both "Agent" and "Ask" fall under the Chat category, which is why the full product name is "Agent Mode in Copilot Chat."

Asking GitHub Copilot questions in your IDE - GitHub Docs

https://preview.redd.it/twg4adoczrnf1.png?width=951&format=png&auto=webp&s=6182ad5d871c4c2540a5c29ff3f36c6ba116dffb

Note: After making a selection, you must click the send button (airplane icon) to enter Chat mode. Although the documentation mentions Premium request consumption, the current Pro plan allows unlimited usage of Agent Mode with GPT-5 Mini & GPT-4.1.

https://preview.redd.it/n84krxis2snf1.png?width=1727&format=png&auto=webp&s=70c18b2238cc1e407ba4e4ae5af0bb24e10300c4

The model with \"0x\" doesn't send premium request

Coding Agent

About GitHub Copilot coding agent - GitHub Docs

Compared to Agent Mode, Coding Agent can operate independently of the editor. It functions like an independent developer - you simply write prompt, and it works in the background without requiring an editor. This mode is more similar to Claude Code or Gemini CLI. You can issue prompt directly in the GitHub web UI (Agents · GitHub Copilot) without an editor environment. If you are using VSCode, you need to click the "cloud" icon button "Delegate to Coding Agent" to send commands.

https://preview.redd.it/wlv2mu3ezrnf1.png?width=940&format=png&auto=webp&s=cce8dca8bd72a22463ecea683cc63cdb11b04cbd

Coding Agent charges one Premium request per prompt, regardless of which model is selected. Even if you are currently using GPT-4.1 or GPT-5 Mini, it does not exempt Premium request charges. This is because Coding Agent runs entirely in the cloud using GitHub’s integrated models (might be GPT-5) and does not use the model selected in the editor. This aspect is often misunderstood.

P.S. Sorry for my AI-like style, I am not English speaker and use AI to translate it to make it looks better.