AI-TOOLS

Should I self-host GitHub Copilot?

$10/mo · Pro · alternative: Tabby

RATING

NOT REALLY

OUTLOOK

NOT ASSIGNED

RATIONALE

Tabby self-hosts code completion competently — on a GPU you have to rent or own. $10/mo buys frontier-model completions; a capable inference GPU runs multiples of that in electricity alone. The math inverts only if idle GPU hardware already exists in your house.

WHAT YOU LOSE

Frontier model quality at a subsidized price — Copilot is cheaper than the compute it uses

WHAT YOU'RE PAYING FOR

AI code completion · chat in editor · multi-file suggestions

Self-Hosting Facts

1 app per panel · GitHub Copilot

Assumes 1 seat on 1 always-on box you already run

Amount per month% of sub *

Subscription$10.00

VPS share0.000%

Storage + backup0.000%

Your hours · 30 min @ $2010.00100%

Self-hosted all-in10.00100%

Effective markup1.0×

Setup · 15 min measured$5.00 once

Break-evennever

VERDICT

NOT REALLY

OUTLOOK

NOT ASSIGNED

What's your hour worth? $20/h

* Percent of the subscription price. Your time is priced at the slider's rate — $0/h ("my homelab time is free and I love it") is a legitimate position. Every number is derived from the record, never hand-written. Price source, checked 2026-08-06.

ALTERNATIVES

Ranked alternatives

TabbyA code-completion server on a GPU you control, so the surrounding file never leaves your building to get an autocomplete.

TabbyML/tabby · ★ 33,821 · 87d

Tabby running from the boot-verified compose file — Tabby, running from the compose file on this page — screenshot from our verified instance, not marketing material.

EVIDENCE

PROTOCOL

VERIFIED BY

zernonia

REVIEWED

10 AUG 2026

SETUP MEASURED

15 MIN

AI ASSISTANT

CLAUDE-CODE · STATED

FULL TIMED LOG

# GitHub Copilot — verdict log

- **Date:** 2026-08-10
- **Verdict:** NOT REALLY — keep paying
- **Protocol:** v1 (2GB reference env, Docker preinstalled, AI assistant: claude-code)

## Why no compose file

- This verdict is decided by economics/capability, not setup effort — the rubric doesn't require a timed install to conclude the subscription should stay (or that the replacement's cost lives elsewhere, e.g. GPUs, egress, or an installer script).

## The call

Tabby self-hosts code completion competently — on a GPU you have to rent or own. $10/mo buys frontier-model completions; a capable inference GPU runs multiples of that in electricity alone. The math inverts only if idle GPU hardware already exists in your house.

HISTORY

10 AUG 2026UNRATED → NOT_REALLYInitial verdict: Tabby self-hosts code completion competently — on a GPU you have to rent or own.