Never get your AI
lobotomized mid-subscription again.
Code Pirate is a 1:1 GitHub Copilot replacement built for developers who are done being held hostage and gaslit by SaaS bait-and-switches. Your key. Your models. No throttling. No silent downgrades. No vendor lock-in.
Zero middlemen • Zero rate limits • Zero silent downgrades
They pulled the rug. We’re taking the ship.
Read the GitHub thread that started it all →
// providers
Where to get an API key.
One key unlocks 200+ models. Or bring your own from any compatible provider — Ollama and LM Studio need no key at all.
// features
Everything Copilot does. No bait ‘n switch.
Full Copilot Pro+ surface area — inline completions, sidebar chat, multi-file diffs, terminal error explain, commit message generation — routed through YOUR API key with real-time cost tracking.
Bring Your Own Key
Use any API key from any provider. Stored encrypted in VS Code’s SecretStorage. Never transmitted to CodePirate.cc — goes straight from your machine to the provider.
Virtually all Providers, One Extension
OpenRouter, Anthropic Direct, Groq, Mistral, Gemini, Together AI, Ollama, LM Studio, or any custom OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Switch with one click.
Ghost Text Completions
Inline tab completions as you type — same muscle memory as Copilot. No daily cap, no silent throttling. Pick a fast model for completions, a powerful one for reasoning.
Lead Architect Chat
Full sidebar chat with @workspace context toggle, thinking budget dial, and three personas: Lead Architect, Diff Agent, and Snippet Engine.
Multi-File Diff & Apply
Preview AI-proposed changes side-by-side in VS Code’s native diff viewer. Apply all, reject all, or review file by file. Ghost Diff detects manual edits before overwriting.
Captain’s Ledger
Real-time cost tracker: input tokens, output tokens, actual USD spent this session, and how much you saved vs. Copilot. Prompt caching applied automatically (60–90% savings).
Thinking Budget Dial
Five positions — Off, Low, Medium, High, Max. Control how much reasoning the model does before responding. Higher = better answers, higher cost.
Inline Chat (Ctrl+I)
Highlight code, press Ctrl+I (Cmd+I on Mac), type your instruction. Same keybinding, same workflow, zero retraining.
Blueprint Vault
Save and reuse prompt templates, project-specific instructions, and system prompt fragments. Supports .projectrules, copilot-instructions.md, and .cursorrules.
Fully Offline Capable
Point at Ollama or LM Studio and work without internet. No license server required. Air Gapped AI.
Provider Fallback Chain PRO
Configure multiple providers simultaneously and set a priority fallback order. If OpenRouter is down, automatically route to Anthropic Direct, then Ollama. Switch providers on demand via dropdown.
.projectrules Generator
A guided wizard that interviews you about your stack, conventions, and preferences, then generates a .projectrules file. Zero setup friction.
// vs copilot
The honest comparison.
They sell you a Senior Engineer, lock you into a contract, and silently downgrade it to a Junior Dev to pad margins. Here’s what you actually get.
| ☠ Code Pirate | Copilot Pro+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Model choice | Any model, any provider (200+) | GitHub-selected, silently swapped |
| Rate limiting | None — your API, your limits | Hard caps + invisible throttling |
| Token transparency | Real-time cost per message | Obfuscated Black box |
| Offline mode | Full (Ollama / LM Studio) | No |
| Inline completions | Unlimited — pick your own model | Capped, model chosen for you |
| Multi-file diff | Side-by-side preview, apply/reject | Limited inline suggestions |
| Workspace context | @workspace toggle, full codebase | Partial, opaque selection |
| Custom system prompts | Blueprint Vault + .projectrules | No user control |
| Thinking / reasoning | Adjustable budget dial (5 levels) | Not exposed |
| Prompt caching | Automatic — 60-90% savings | Not available |
| Vendor lock-in | None — Source Available, BYOK | Full Microsoft ecosystem lock-in |
| Cost | Free core + API costs you control | $39/mo + token multipliers, throttling and hidden caps |
// commands
Command Palette.
All commands accessible via Ctrl+Shift+P (Cmd+Shift+P on Mac).
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
Code Pirate: Open Sidebar | Opens the Code Pirate panel in the right sidebar |
Code Pirate: Set Up API Key | Re-runs the setup wizard — change provider or update key |
Code Pirate: Inline Chat | Opens inline chat at your cursor (Ctrl+I / Cmd+I) |
Code Pirate: Explain Terminal Error | Sends the last terminal error to chat for explanation and fix |
Code Pirate: Generate Commit Message | Reads staged git diff and writes a commit message |
Code Pirate: Generate .projectrules | Wizard that interviews you and generates a .projectrules file |
Code Pirate: Activate License | Enter a Pro license key |
Code Pirate: Run Diagnostics | Self-test with live-streaming results panel |
// install
Up and running in 90 seconds.
No account creation. No credit card. No approval queue. Install, paste your API key, and start building.
Install Code Pirate in VS Code
Search Code Pirate in the VS Code Extensions sidebar and click Install — automatic updates included. Or install from a .vsix file for SSH Remote, Cursor, or offline use.
Add your API key
The setup wizard opens automatically. Pick a provider, paste your key. Key is stored in VS Code’s encrypted SecretStorage — never transmitted to CodePirate.cc.
Get an OpenRouter key →Open the sidebar
Code Pirate lives in the right sidebar — exactly where Copilot sat. 200+ models unlocked. No rate limits. No surprises.
Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P → Code Pirate: Open Sidebar// personas
Three specialists. One sidebar.
Switch between modes optimized for different tasks — all within the same conversation.
Lead Architect
Systems thinking and targeted edits. Understands your codebase holistically before diving into implementation. Uses SEARCH/REPLACE blocks for minimal, precise changes.
Diff Agent
Pure code modification. Produces exact SEARCH/REPLACE hunks with context lines for unique matching. Minimal explanation, maximum precision.
Snippet Engine
Fast, focused code generation. No preamble, no “Here’s the code:” — just clean, idiomatic code starting with the opening fence. Ask questions after.
// pricing
No bait. No switch.
Free core forever. Lifetime is a one-time ransom paid now — all future Pro features, no recurring charges, no surprises. Pro subscription opens after the beta closes. You always pay only for the API tokens you actually use — we never mark them up.
Free
+ your own API costs (you control)
- Sidebar chat with 200+ models
- All 3 personas (Architect, Diff, Snippet)
- Inline chat (Ctrl+I / Cmd+I)
- Ghost text completions — unlimited
- Multi-file diff & apply with preview
- Captain’s Ledger cost tracking
- @workspace context toggle
- Thinking budget dial (5 levels)
- Blueprint Vault for prompt templates
- Air Gap mode (Ollama / LM Studio)
- Terminal error explain
- Commit message generator
- .projectrules generator wizard
Pro — Lifetime
Lock in lifetime access during beta — moves to subscription after launch
⚠ Closes at 500 slots or when Pro launches — whichever comes first
- Everything in Free
- Multi-provider hub — configure multiple providers simultaneously; switch instantly via dropdown or set a priority fallback order
- Custom personas — create & save your own system prompts
- Handoff export — one-click session export to markdown
- Git-aware context — branch diff, recent commits, PR description
- Model benchmark mode — compare 3 models side-by-side
- Multi-session continuity — named sessions, persist across restarts
- Usage analytics dashboard — spend & tokens by project
- Team vault — shared Blueprint Vault via Git-synced JSON
- Priority support
- All future Pro features — forever
Pro
or $99 / year — save 17%
- Everything in Free
- Multi-provider hub — configure multiple providers simultaneously; switch instantly via dropdown or set a priority fallback order
- Custom personas — create & save your own system prompts
- Handoff export — one-click session export to markdown
- Git-aware context — branch diff, recent commits, PR description
- Model benchmark mode — compare 3 models side-by-side
- Multi-session continuity — named sessions, persist across restarts
- Usage analytics dashboard — spend & tokens by project
- Team vault — shared Blueprint Vault via Git-synced JSON
- Priority support
- All future Pro features included
// faq
Frequently asked questions.
☠ Code Pirate • Built by developers, for developers
© 2026 CodePirate.cc • They pulled the rug. We took the ship.