GitHub Copilot vs Microsoft Copilot: two AI-powered tools from Microsoft, but designed for entirely different audiences. While GitHub Copilot acts as a pair programmer for developers, Microsoft Copilot streamlines workflows in Office 365 apps like Teams and Outlook. In this detailed comparison, we break down their features, pricing, use cases, and limitations to help you choose the right Copilot for your needs.
Understanding the Basics
What Is GitHub Copilot?
GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered coding assistant developed by GitHub (a Microsoft subsidiary) in collaboration with OpenAI. It integrates directly with popular code editors like Visual Studio Code and Visual Studio, offering real-time code suggestions, auto-completions, and even generating entire functions based on the context of your work.
🗝️ Key Features:
- Context-Aware Suggestions: Offers code completions based on your existing code.
- Multi-Language Support: Works with a variety of programming languages and frameworks.
- Pair-Programming Experience: Acts as a virtual pair programmer to boost productivity.
- Seamless Integration: Easily fits into your development environment, reducing the need for context switching.
What Is Microsoft Copilot?
Microsoft Copilot is a more recent AI innovation designed to enhance productivity across Microsoft 365 applications. Embedded within apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, Microsoft Copilot assists users in drafting documents, creating presentations, analyzing data, and even managing emails—all powered by AI.
🗝️ Key Features:
- Document Creation & Editing: Helps draft, summarize, and refine content.
- Data Analysis: Assists in creating dynamic charts, generating insights from data, and automating repetitive tasks.
- Meeting Assistance: Can schedule, summarize, and even generate follow-up tasks based on meeting discussions.
- Deep Integration: Embedded within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem for a seamless user experience across business tools.
GitHub Copilot vs Microsoft Copilot Differences
While both tools share the “Copilot” name and a foundation in AI, they serve different purposes. Here’s a closer look at their differences and similarities:
GitHub Copilot | Microsoft Copilot | |
Target Audience | Ideal For: Developers, programmers, and coding enthusiasts. Use Cases: Writing code, debugging, learning new programming languages, and exploring new frameworks. | Ideal For: Business professionals, content creators, and data analysts. Use Cases: Drafting emails, creating reports, generating presentations, and automating data tasks in Excel. |
Core Functionality | Code Generation: Provides code completions and suggestions. Error Reduction: Helps catch potential mistakes by suggesting best practices. Learning Aid: Great for those learning new coding techniques or languages. | Content Creation: Assists in drafting and refining text across Microsoft 365 applications. Data Insights: Helps create visualizations and perform data analysis. Workflow Automation: Simplifies repetitive tasks, such as summarizing meetings or managing emails. |
Integration and Ecosystem | Integration: Works with popular Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) such as VS Code and Visual Studio. Ecosystem: Perfect for developers who spend most of their time in code-centric environments. | Integration: Embedded within Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, and Outlook. Ecosystem: Tailored for users deeply entrenched in the Microsoft ecosystem who need AI support across a range of productivity tasks. |
Pricing and Availability | Subscription Model: Generally available via a monthly or yearly subscription, often around $10/month or $100/year. Availability: Already available to developers worldwide with widespread adoption in the coding community. | Subscription/Bundle Model: Likely to be available as an add-on or integrated feature within existing Microsoft 365 subscriptions, with pricing varying based on organizational needs. Availability: Currently being rolled out and may initially be available to enterprise users before broader consumer access. |
Pros and Cons of GitHub Copilot vs Microsoft Copilot
GitHub Copilot
✅Pros:
- Boosts Developer Productivity: Speeds up coding by suggesting code snippets and auto-completing functions.
- Supports Multiple Languages: Ideal for programmers who are familiar with different programming languages.
- Reduces Routine Work: Automates boring coding tasks, letting developers focus on complex problems.
- CLI Integration: New features for terminal commands and scripting.
❌Cons:
- Context Limitations: May not always perfectly understand the specific meaning of your project.
- Reliance on Suggestions: Over-reliance might reduce a developer’s engagement with the underlying code, especially for beginners.
- Limited Team Features: For sharing prompts you require Enterprise tier.
Microsoft Copilot
✅Pros:
- Enhances Productivity: Automates routine tasks across Microsoft Office applications.
- User-Friendly: Designed for non-technical users to streamline content creation and data analysis.
- Time Saver: Quickly drafts documents, emails, and presentations, reducing manual effort (e.g., =SUMIF from natural language).
❌Cons:
- Learning Curve: Users may need time to understand how to interact effectively with AI within various applications.
- Initial Rollout: Being a newer tool, it might still face early-stage challenges or limitations in integration.
Which Tool is Right for You?
The choice between GitHub Copilot and Microsoft Copilot ultimately depends on your professional needs:
🧑💻For Developers: If you’re spending most of your time coding and need a tool that can act as a virtual pair programmer, GitHub Copilot is the clear winner. It’s tailored to understand coding contexts, offering precise suggestions that can significantly speed up your development process.
👨💼For Business Professionals: If your day-to-day tasks involve content creation, data analysis, or managing emails and documents, Microsoft Copilot offers various features that can enhance productivity within the familiar Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
Summing up:
1. Data Analysts: Use both! GitHub Copilot for Python/R scripts and Microsoft Copilot for Excel insights.
2. Managers: Microsoft Copilot for meeting summaries + GitHub Copilot to understand team codebases.
Limitations and Risks
GitHub Copilot
- Legal Risks: Potential exposure to GPL licensed code in suggestions.
- Code Ownership: Who owns AI-generated code? Microsoft’s terms are unclear.
- Bias in Training Data: Dependence on public repositories like GitHub may prioritize common languages (JavaScript) over niche ones.
Microsoft Copilot
- Data Privacy: Copilot accesses SharePoint/OneDrive files to ensure sensitive data is tagged correctly.
- Output Accuracy: Illusion in Excel formula suggestions (e.g., =SUMIF misapplied).
- Cost: At $30/user/month, it’s expensive for small teams.
Integration of GitHub Copilot with IntelliJ Idea
Prerequisite: You must have a GitHub account.
Step 1: Install the GitHub Copilot Plugin
- Open IntelliJ IDEA.
- Navigate to File → Settings (or Preferences on macOS).
- Go to Plugins.
- In the search bar, type GitHub Copilot.
- Click Install on the GitHub Copilot plugin.
- Restart IntelliJ IDEA to apply the changes.
Step 2: Sign In to GitHub
- After restarting, go to File → Settings → Tools → GitHub Copilot.
- Click Sign in to GitHub.
A browser window will open, asking for GitHub authentication. - If prompted, authorize IntelliJ IDEA to access your GitHub account.
- Once authenticated, return to IntelliJ IDEA.
Step 3: Enable and Configure GitHub Copilot
- In IntelliJ IDEA, go to File → Settings → GitHub Copilot.
- Enable GitHub Copilot Suggestions.
- (Optional) Customize settings like:
- Inline suggestions: Enable/disable inline AI suggestions.
- Languages to use Copilot with (e.g., Java, JavaScript, Python).
- Enable Copilot in tests (decide whether to use Copilot in test files).
- Click Apply and OK.
Step 4: Using GitHub Copilot
- Open a new or existing file in IntelliJ IDEA.
- Start writing code. Copilot will suggest auto-completions.
- Press Tab to accept a suggestion or Esc to dismiss it.
- To see multiple suggestions:
- Use Ctrl + Enter (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Enter (macOS).
- You can also trigger manual suggestions using Alt + \ (Windows/Linux) or Option + \ (macOS).
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is Microsoft Copilot and GitHub Copilot the same?
No, they are not the same. Microsoft Copilot refers to the AI-powered features integrated into Microsoft 365 applications (like Word, Excel, and Outlook) to enhance productivity. In contrast, GitHub Copilot is designed specifically for developers—it offers code suggestions and completions within coding environments like Visual Studio Code.
2. Is anything better than GitHub Copilot?
Whether something is “better” really depends on your needs. GitHub Copilot is highly regarded for its seamless integration and robust code suggestions. However, there are alternatives such as Tabnine and Amazon CodeWhisperer that some developers prefer for their unique features, pricing, or specific language support. It’s best to evaluate a few options to determine which best fits your workflow.
3. Is Microsoft Copilot good for coding?
Microsoft Copilot (often associated with Microsoft 365 Copilot) is not intended for coding. It is designed to help users with productivity tasks in Office applications. For coding assistance, GitHub Copilot is the tool tailored to offer code generation, completions, and suggestions to enhance a developer’s workflow.
4. Is Microsoft Copilot the same as ChatGPT?
No, they are different. ChatGPT is an AI conversational model developed by OpenAI, used for generating human-like text in chat applications and various other contexts. Meanwhile, Microsoft Copilot is an integration of AI into Microsoft 365 applications to help with tasks like document creation and data analysis. Although both utilize advanced AI, they serve very different purposes.
Ready to Try?
Developers: Start GitHub Copilot’s free trial.
Teams: Contact Microsoft for Copilot licensing.
Still unsure? Contact us with your role (developer, manager, etc.), and we’ll recommend the right Copilot!