Microsoft

If you're using a free account on GitHub, you're now able to create and share private software projects.

The company on Monday said the platform will give users of its free plan access to unlimited private repositories, which are software projects only shared with certain collaborators instead of the public. Private repositories were previously only available on GitHub's paid plans, which start at $7 per month.

Developers now can use GitHub for private projects with up to three collaborators per project for free, according to Microsoft's blog. Public repositories are still available at no cost and can have an unlimited number of collaborators.

Microsoft bought GitHub for $7.5 billion in October last year. GitHub is a popular platform for software developers to share codes programs. Microsoft said GitHub would continue to operate independently after the acquisition.