GitHub Copilot labels its $100 Max plan "BEST VALUE" by multiples of Pro credits

The psychology

Why it nudges

Expressing the upper tiers as multiples of Pro makes each step up look like more per dollar, and "BEST VALUE" on the top tier invites comparison against the ones beneath it. Pro+ sits between Pro and Max, which can make Max look relatively good value; whether that is intended as a decoy is not public. "$0" with "No credit card required" removes the risk of trying. Whether this lifts upgrades is not public. With the cheaper tiers alongside, the middle options may also benefit from the compromise effect.

● Strong evidence · More on authority, with sources →

Context

An AI coding assistant sold per user. Prices are in US$ as served to our capture (US egress); UK prices were not shown.

Honest nudge or dark pattern?

Honest nudge

Honest nudge if the per-credit maths holds; "best value" depends on actually using the credits.

Sources: Captured by Nudgeswipe, 16 Oct 2026 (logged out)

Steal this, honestly

If you say "best value", show the per-unit maths behind it.
Keep the free tier truly free to start, as Copilot does.

What to test: With vs without the "BEST VALUE" label. Measure plan mix and credit utilisation per tier.

Next: run it on your product

Apply this with your agent

Take the steps above into your own flow. The prompt carries this teardown, the honest-vs-dark line and the steps.

You are helping me apply a behavioural-design pattern ethically.

Pattern: GitHub Copilot: GitHub Copilot labels its $100 Max plan "BEST VALUE" by multiples of Pro credits
Bias: Authority: We defer to signals of expertise or official endorsement.
Why it nudges: Expressing the upper tiers as multiples of Pro makes each step up look like more per dollar, and "BEST VALUE" on the top tier invites comparison against the ones beneath it. Pro+ sits between Pro and Max, which can make Max look relatively good value; whether that is intended as a decoy is not public. "$0" with "No credit card required" removes the risk of trying. Whether this lifts upgrades is not public. With the cheaper tiers alongside, the middle options may also benefit from the compromise effect.
Our verdict: Honest nudge. Honest nudge if the per-credit maths holds; "best value" depends on actually using the credits.
Source page: https://nudgeswipe.com/examples/github-copilot-four-tiers-best-value-max/ (JSON: https://nudgeswipe.com/api/teardowns/github-copilot-four-tiers-best-value-max.json)

Rules: say a brand "uses" a tactic, never that it "worked"; outcomes are not public unless the company published them; no invented uplift estimates; flag mixed evidence. Honest nudge = true, visible, easy to reverse, and in the user's interest. Dark pattern = hides costs, fakes scarcity or popularity, shames, or makes leaving harder than joining. Quote company-published results as "X reports", with the source link, and don’t generalise them. Don’t cite retracted or failed-to-replicate studies as support (e.g. Ariely & Wertenbroch 2002). Don’t state study figures unless they’re on this page or in a source you can link. If an idea crosses the line, link the matching deceptive.design pattern.

Tasks:
1. Ask me for my product, the flow (URL or screenshots) and the goal.
2. Audit where this pattern already appears, or could, in that flow.
3. Propose 2-3 ethical experiments: hypothesis, variant copy or UI, primary metric, and a guardrail metric (refunds, complaints, cancellations).
4. Flag every dark-pattern risk and say how to stay on the honest side.

Open in ChatGPT Open in Claude Open in Grok Open in Cursor

ChatGPT, Claude, Grok and Cursor open with the prompt filled in (it is also copied, in case the prefill doesn't load). Gemini and Codex don't support prefilled links, so the prompt is copied and the app opens; paste it in.

Sources

Our capture of github.com, 16 Oct 2026
Milgram (1963), Behavioral study of obedience. doi.org/10.1037/h0040525
Captured by Nudgeswipe, 16 Oct 2026 (logged out): github.com

GitHub Copilot labels its $100 Max plan "BEST VALUE" by multiples of Pro credits

Why it nudges

Honest nudge

Apply this with your agent

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