Microsoft has created an entire ecosystem of AI assistants under the “Copilot” brand, each tailored for specific use cases and audiences. Microsoft has several Copilot AI virtual assistants, including Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft Security Copilot, GitHub Copilot, and Copilot Studio. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of each type:

Microsoft 365 Copilot

Target Audience: Business professionals and knowledge workers
Purpose: Productivity enhancement across Microsoft Office applications
Key Features:

• Integrated into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams
• Microsoft 365 is specifically designed to work within the family of 365 applications, as opposed to Windows Copilot, which acts on a broader level
• Helps with document creation, data analysis, email composition, and meeting management
• Access to your organization’s Microsoft Graph data
• Pricing: Approximately $30 per user per month (enterprise licensing)

GitHub Copilot

Target Audience: Software developers and programmers
Purpose: AI-powered coding assistance
Key Features:

• GitHub Copilot, on the other hand, is a tool dedicated to technical users, developers, who must carry out programming and development activities
• GitHub’s generative AI Copilot can auto-complete code based on context, translate natural language into code, answer coding-related questions
• GitHub Copilot’s latest experience is integrated into Visual Studio and combines the capabilities of Copilot and Copilot Chat into one package
• Code suggestions, bug fixes, and documentation generation
• Recent Update: Microsoft announced during its Build 2025 keynote that it will open source GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Code
• Pricing: Github Copilot is $10.00 user/month
• Free for some people, like verified students and teachers

Microsoft Security Copilot

Target Audience: Cybersecurity professionals and IT security teams
Purpose: AI-powered security analysis and threat detection
Key Features:

• Microsoft Security Copilot is an AI-powered, natural language, security analysis solution designed to help security professionals defend against sophisticated attacks at machine speed and scale
• Threat hunting and incident response
• Security posture assessment
• Natural language security queries
• Integration with Microsoft’s security ecosystem

Microsoft Copilot for Sales

Target Audience: Sales professionals and revenue teams
Purpose: Sales process automation and customer relationship management
Key Features:

• Lead qualification and opportunity management
• Customer interaction insights
• Sales forecasting and pipeline analysis
• CRM integration and data enrichment
• Automated follow-up suggestions

Copilot Studio

Target Audience: IT administrators and business analysts
Purpose: Custom AI agent creation and deployment
Key Features:

• Build custom Copilots for specific business needs
• No-code/low-code development environment
• Integration with various data sources and systems
• Workflow automation capabilities
• Enterprise governance and management tools

Windows Copilot (Legacy)

Status: Being phased out and integrated into other Copilot experiences
Purpose: System-level assistance within Windows operating system
Note: Microsoft is consolidating this functionality into other Copilot offerings

Microsoft Copilot (Consumer)

Target Audience: Individual consumers and personal users
Purpose: General-purpose AI assistant
Key Features:

• Web search and information retrieval
• Image generation and analysis
• Creative writing and brainstorming
• Personal productivity assistance
• Available through web browsers and mobile apps
• Pricing: Free tier available, with premium features in paid plans

Key Differences Summary

Scope of Use:

• Microsoft Copilot is designed to increase the productivity of all users who use Microsoft products in their work
• GitHub Copilot assists developers with coding by suggesting code snippets and improvements, while Microsoft 365 Copilot boosts productivity in office tasks like writing and Data Analysis

Pricing Structure:

• Copilot Pro is more expensive ($20.00 user/month) while Github Copilot is $10.00 user/month. In exchange, Copilot Pro has Office 365 integration

Usage Recommendation: If you write code, go with GitHub Copilot for development work, while Microsoft 365 Copilot is better for business productivity tasks.

Separate Subscriptions: They are separate subscriptions, and many professionals use both for different workflows depending on their role requirements.

Each Copilot is designed for specific workflows and user types, allowing organizations to choose the right combination based on their needs and budget.