---
title: "GitHub Copilot code review vs Review Runners"
description: "How GitHub Copilot code review is turned on and what it does, beside StarSling Review Runners: where review runs, the model and account, rules and billing."
url: https://starsling.dev/compare/github-copilot-code-review
canonicalUrl: https://starsling.dev/compare/github-copilot-code-review
---

# Review Runners vs GitHub Copilot code review

- [How StarSling works](https://starsling.dev/)

[Comparisons](https://starsling.dev/compare) / Review Runners vs GitHub Copilot code review

Last updated: 2026-10-06

Review Runners is StarSling's product for AI code review: review runs as a GitHub Actions job on the `starsling-review` runner, on your own model and provider key.

GitHub Copilot code review reviews a pull request when you request Copilot as a reviewer or turn on automatic review, and Review Runners run review as a job in your own GitHub Actions workflow, calling your own model through your own provider key. Hosted review bots let you customize their reviewer. Review Runners let you run your own.

## Table of contents

- [Head to head](#head-to-head)
- [How GitHub Copilot code review is turned on](#how-github-copilot-code-review-is-turned-on)
- [What GitHub Copilot code review does](#what-github-copilot-code-review-does)
- [Where the review runs](#where-the-review-runs)
- [Which AI model and account each one uses](#which-ai-model-and-account-each-one-uses)
- [How review rules are written and kept in the repository](#how-review-rules-are-written-and-kept-in-the-repository)
- [What each one bills](#what-each-one-bills)
- [Best fit](#best-fit)
- [Sources](#sources)
- [References](#references)

<a id="head-to-head"></a>

## Head to head

| Category | Review Runners | GitHub Copilot code review |
|---|---|---|
| How it is turned on | A job in the pull request workflow you already have, on the `starsling-review` runner. Early access starts on the [Review Runners page](/products/review-runners). | Request Copilot under Reviewers on a pull request, or turn on automatic review in your Copilot settings or with a repository ruleset ([using](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/use-copilot-agents/use-code-review), [configuring](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-on-github/set-up-copilot/configure-code-review)). |
| Where review runs | In a GitHub Actions job in your pull request workflow, on the `starsling-review` runner. | On GitHub Actions for its agentic capabilities: standard GitHub-hosted runners by default, or larger GitHub-hosted runners or self-hosted ARC runners on Ubuntu x64 Linux ([about](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/code-review), [runners](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-on-github/set-up-copilot/configure-runners)). |
| AI model | You bring your own model through your own provider key. | A mix of models, prompts and system behaviors that GitHub tunes for review, with the model selected automatically for each review ([about](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/code-review), [models and pricing](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-billing/models-and-pricing)). |
| Account | Your own model provider account, through your own provider key. The review job leaves its comments with `pull-requests: write`. | Reviews come from `copilot-pull-request-reviewer[bot]`, and AI credits are charged to the person who requests the review, or to the pull request author when a policy triggers it ([using](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/use-copilot-agents/use-code-review), [models and pricing](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-billing/models-and-pricing)). |
| Review rules in the repository | Skills and instructions in your repository, loaded from the trusted base branch. | `.github/copilot-instructions.md`, path-specific `*.instructions.md` files under `.github/instructions/`, `AGENTS.md` and repository agent skills, plus organization custom instructions ([about](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/code-review), [custom instructions](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-on-github/customize-copilot/add-custom-instructions/add-repository-instructions)). |
| Changing the rules | A change to a skill takes effect once it merges to the base branch, so every review runs the reviewer your base branch holds. | Copilot reads instructions and skills from the pull request's head branch, so a change to them is tested in the same pull request ([about](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/code-review)). |
| Billing model | Per-minute billing for the `starsling-review` runner, plus your model provider's bill for the tokens. | Tokens are billed in AI credits, and the agentic infrastructure uses GitHub Actions minutes attributed to the repository ([models and pricing](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-billing/models-and-pricing)). |
| Availability | Early access, starting from the [Review Runners page](/products/review-runners). | GitHub.com, GitHub CLI, GitHub Mobile, VS Code, Visual Studio, Xcode and JetBrains IDEs, with Azure DevOps in public preview ([about](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/code-review)). |

<a id="how-github-copilot-code-review-is-turned-on"></a>

## How GitHub Copilot code review is turned on

On a pull request, open Reviewers in the right sidebar and click Request next to Copilot ([Using GitHub Copilot code review](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/use-copilot-agents/use-code-review)). If your organization provides Copilot, it enables the Copilot code review option in its Copilot policy settings ([About GitHub Copilot code review](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/code-review)).

For automatic review, turn on Automatic Copilot code review in your Copilot settings for the pull requests you create, or add a branch ruleset with Automatically request Copilot code review to cover a repository ([Configuring code review by GitHub Copilot](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-on-github/set-up-copilot/configure-code-review)).

<a id="what-github-copilot-code-review-does"></a>

## What GitHub Copilot code review does

Copilot reviews the pull request, identifies issues and suggests fixes you can apply in a couple of clicks ([About GitHub Copilot code review](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/code-review)). It posts as `copilot-pull-request-reviewer[bot]`, labels each comment High, Medium or Low, and leaves a Comment review by default ([Using GitHub Copilot code review](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/use-copilot-agents/use-code-review)).

Review effort comes in two levels: Lite, a standard review, and Balanced, the default, which routes the pull request to a higher-reasoning model. Copilot can also use the repository's agent skills and MCP servers when they are relevant to the review ([About GitHub Copilot code review](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/code-review)).

<a id="where-the-review-runs"></a>

## Where the review runs

Copilot code review runs its agentic capabilities, including full project context gathering, on GitHub Actions. It uses standard GitHub-hosted runners by default, and can use larger GitHub-hosted runners or self-hosted runners on Actions Runner Controller, on Ubuntu x64 Linux ([About GitHub Copilot code review](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/code-review), [Configuring runners](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-on-github/set-up-copilot/configure-runners)).

A Review Runner is a GitHub Actions job in the workflow you already have, on the `starsling-review` runner. The job reads the repository with `contents: read` and holds `pull-requests: write` to leave its review as comments on the pull request.

<a id="which-ai-model-and-account-each-one-uses"></a>

## Which AI model and account each one uses

Copilot code review runs on a mix of models, prompts and system behaviors that GitHub tunes for review, and GitHub selects the model for each review automatically. AI credits are charged to the person who requests the review, or to the pull request author when a policy triggers it ([About GitHub Copilot code review](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/code-review), [Models and pricing](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-billing/models-and-pricing)).

A Review Runner calls the model you choose through your own provider key, on your own provider account. [AI code review in GitHub Actions](/ai-code-review-github-actions) walks through model choice and reviewer context.

<a id="how-review-rules-are-written-and-kept-in-the-repository"></a>

## How review rules are written and kept in the repository

Hosted review bots let you customize their reviewer. Review Runners let you run your own.

Copilot code review reads repository-wide rules from `.github/copilot-instructions.md`, path-specific rules from `*.instructions.md` files under `.github/instructions/`, shared rules from `AGENTS.md`, and the repository's agent skills, and organization owners can add custom instructions in organization settings ([About GitHub Copilot code review](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/code-review), [Adding repository custom instructions](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-on-github/customize-copilot/add-custom-instructions/add-repository-instructions)). Copilot reads them from the pull request's head branch, so a change to them is tested in the same pull request.

With Review Runners, the reviewer is yours: its skills and instructions live in your repository and load from the trusted base branch, so a change to a reviewer takes effect once it merges.

<a id="what-each-one-bills"></a>

## What each one bills

Each Copilot code review is billed in two ways: tokens in AI credits, and GitHub Actions minutes for the agentic infrastructure, with the minutes attributed to the repository ([Models and pricing](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-billing/models-and-pricing)).

Review Runners bill per minute for the `starsling-review` runner that executes the review job, and your model provider bills your own key for the tokens. [How to run automated code review in GitHub Actions](/automated-code-review) covers the setup and the cost of a review job.

<a id="best-fit"></a>

## Best fit

**Choose Review Runners if:** Teams that want AI review to run inside their own GitHub Actions workflow, on their own model and provider key, with reviewer skills versioned in the repository.

**Choose GitHub Copilot code review if:** Teams on GitHub Copilot that want review requested from the pull request sidebar or turned on by a ruleset, with GitHub selecting the model.

## FAQ

### How do I turn on GitHub Copilot code review?

Click Request next to Copilot under Reviewers on a pull request. For automatic review, turn on Automatic Copilot code review in your Copilot settings, or add a branch ruleset with Automatically request Copilot code review ([Configuring code review by GitHub Copilot](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-on-github/set-up-copilot/configure-code-review)).

### Can GitHub Copilot code review be customized?

Yes. It reads `.github/copilot-instructions.md`, path-specific `*.instructions.md` files, `AGENTS.md` and agent skills from the repository, and organization owners can add custom instructions ([About GitHub Copilot code review](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/code-review)). Review Runners run reviewers you define in your own repository.

### Is Review Runners a GitHub Copilot code review alternative?

Review Runners is a way to run AI code review yourself: as a GitHub Actions job on the `starsling-review` runner, calling your own model through your own provider key, with reviewer skills loaded from your repository's trusted base branch. Review Runners is in early access, starting from the [Review Runners page](/products/review-runners).

### Who pays for the model with Review Runners?

You do, through your own provider key. Your provider bills you for the tokens, and StarSling bills per minute for the `starsling-review` runner that executes the review job.

<a id="sources"></a>

## Sources

- [GitHub Docs: About GitHub Copilot code review](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/code-review), read 2026-10-06
- [GitHub Docs: Using GitHub Copilot code review](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/use-copilot-agents/use-code-review), read 2026-10-06
- [GitHub Docs: Configuring code review by GitHub Copilot](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-on-github/set-up-copilot/configure-code-review), read 2026-10-06
- [GitHub Docs: Configuring runners for GitHub Copilot code review](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-on-github/set-up-copilot/configure-runners), read 2026-10-06
- [GitHub Docs: Adding repository custom instructions](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-on-github/customize-copilot/add-custom-instructions/add-repository-instructions), read 2026-10-06
- [GitHub Docs: Models and pricing for GitHub Copilot](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-billing/models-and-pricing), read 2026-10-06

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<a id="references"></a>

## References

- [Review Runners](https://starsling.dev/products/review-runners)
- [AI code review in GitHub Actions](https://starsling.dev/ai-code-review-github-actions)
- [How to run automated code review in GitHub Actions](https://starsling.dev/automated-code-review)
- [All StarSling comparisons](https://starsling.dev/compare)