What is MAI-Code-1.1-Flash?
MAI-Code-1.1-Flash is Microsoft AI's small coding model, built and trained inside GitHub Copilot's own harness. It replaced MAI-Code-1-Flash on 11 August 2026 and adds image input, so it can work from screenshots, diagrams and mock-ups. It has a 256K-token context window.
Microsoft says it gains 22% on Terminal-Bench 2.1 in Copilot CLI and 15% on .NET tasks over the June model, streams tokens 25% faster, uses 25% fewer tokens per task and costs a quarter as much. Its model card gives 72.6% on SWE-bench Verified and 62.9% on Terminal-Bench 2.1.
It is available across GitHub Copilot, in VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Xcode, Eclipse, Copilot CLI, the cloud agent and GitHub Mobile. Free and Student users get it only through auto model selection; paid users can pick it, and Business and Enterprise admins must switch on its policy first. On 7 October Microsoft added a 3-bit quantised local version that keeps the full context and runs on machines with more than 120GB of RAM. The weights are not otherwise released.
Is MAI-Code-1.1-Flash worth it?
MAI-Code-1.1-Flash is a model built for one product. Microsoft trained it on hundreds of thousands of reinforcement-learning environments inside GitHub Copilot, and Copilot is where it lives: there is no general public API, only Copilot's model picker, its auto selector and a local build.
Inside that harness it is a clear step up. Its model card puts it at 72.6% on SWE-bench Verified and 62.9% on Terminal-Bench 2.1, against 71.6% and 51.7% for MAI-Code-1-Flash and 49.4% on Terminal-Bench for Claude Haiku 4.5. Microsoft's production numbers, 4% more code surviving to commit and 9% more return visits, are measured only against its own earlier model.
Outside the Copilot comparison the picture changes. The Decoder lists DeepSeek-V4-Flash at 82.7% on Terminal-Bench 2.1 and $0.14 input and $0.28 output per million tokens, against MAI-Code's $0.20 and $1.20. Microsoft's own announcement leaves those comparisons out.
For most Copilot users the price is what matters. On annual plans it bills at a 0.25x premium request multiplier, and on usage billing its list price is 73% below the June model, so it stretches a $10 Pro allowance much further than a frontier model. Free and Student users cannot choose it, only receive it from auto selection, and Business and Enterprise admins must enable a policy that is off by default.
The local version is a curiosity for now. Microsoft's 3-bit quantised build keeps the 256K context and carries no inference charge, but it recommends more than 120GB of RAM, which rules out almost every laptop.
Where it earns its place
A solo developer on Copilot Pro at $10 a month
Make the included AI Credits last the month
Set MAI-Code-1.1-Flash for routine refactors and test fixes in VS Code and keep a frontier model for hard problems; at $0.20/$1.20 per million tokens, ordinary edits use a small share of the $15 credit allowance.
A .NET team of 25 on Copilot Business
Speed up everyday C# changes from the terminal
An admin enables the MAI-Code-1.1-Flash policy, which is off by default; developers use it in Copilot CLI, where Microsoft reports a 22% gain on Terminal-Bench 2.1 and 15% on .NET tasks.
A front-end developer building from design mock-ups
Turn a screenshot into a first-pass component
Attach the image in Copilot Chat and ask for the component; image input is new in 1.1, and the 256K context leaves room for the surrounding code.
Before you commit
- Setup
- Select MAI-Code-1.1-Flash in Copilot's model picker on Pro, Pro+, Max, Business or Enterprise; Business and Enterprise admins first enable its policy.
- Integrations
- GitHub Copilot in VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs, Eclipse, Xcode, Copilot CLI, the cloud agent, Copilot Chat on GitHub and GitHub Mobile; feedback through the microsoft/MAI-Code repository.
- Data and privacy
- Falls under GitHub Copilot's data terms for the plan in use; the local build keeps code on the machine.
- Cost at scale
- At list prices, 1 billion input and 100 million output tokens a month cost about $320, before caching at $0.02 per million.
- Limits
- 256K context; no public API outside Copilot; Free and Student plans get it only through auto selection; local build needs more than 120GB of RAM.
What’s good
- 72.6% on SWE-bench Verified, ahead of Claude Haiku 4.5 and GPT-5.4 mini in its model card
- 0.25x premium request multiplier on annual Copilot plans
- Image input for screenshots and mock-ups, with a 256K context
- Tuned for Copilot CLI and .NET work
- Local 3-bit build with no inference charge
What’s not
- DeepSeek-V4-Flash scores 82.7% on Terminal-Bench 2.1 at lower prices
- No general API outside GitHub Copilot
- Admins must enable a policy that is off by default
- Local version needs more than 120GB of RAM
Best for
GitHub Copilot users and teams who want a cheap, fast default for routine edits and CLI tasks without leaving Copilot.
MAI-Code-1.1-Flash alternatives
MAI-Code-1.1-Flash: common questions
- Is MAI-Code-1.1-Flash worth it?
- MAI-Code-1.1-Flash is a sensible cheap default inside Copilot, but it trails DeepSeek's Flash models on both price and Terminal-Bench and is barely available anywhere else. We rate it 3.6 out of 5.
- How much does MAI-Code-1.1-Flash cost?
- Provider list price $0.20 per 1M input tokens, $0.02 cached and $1.20 output, 73% below MAI-Code-1-Flash; billed through GitHub Copilot usage, or at a 0.25x premium request multiplier on annual Copilot plans. Local calls carry no inference charge.
- What are the downsides of MAI-Code-1.1-Flash?
- DeepSeek-V4-Flash scores 82.7% on Terminal-Bench 2.1 at lower prices; no general API outside GitHub Copilot; admins must enable a policy that is off by default; local version needs more than 120GB of RAM.
- Who is MAI-Code-1.1-Flash best for?
- GitHub Copilot users and teams who want a cheap, fast default for routine edits and CLI tasks without leaving Copilot.
- How much does MAI-Code-1.1-Flash cost for a team or in production?
- At list prices, 1 billion input and 100 million output tokens a month cost about $320, before caching at $0.02 per million.
- Is MAI-Code-1.1-Flash safe for company data?
- Falls under GitHub Copilot's data terms for the plan in use; the local build keeps code on the machine.
- What are the best MAI-Code-1.1-Flash alternatives?
- The closest alternatives we have reviewed are DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash, Claude Haiku 5.5, Devstral Small 2 and Codestral 25.08.
Answers checked Nov 6, 2026.