GitHub Copilot vs Microsoft Copilot

Comparison March 19th 2025

Productivity tools which are powered by artificial intelligence (AI) are becoming popular day-by-day for both professionals and developers. For this purpose, there are the most prominent tools – Microsoft Copilot vs GitHub Copilot – available. The main goal of these features is to enhance productivity, cater to the needs of the audience, and serve various purposes. In this blog, we will explore the features, use cases, and differences between Microsoft Copilot and GitHub Copilot.   

What is Microsoft Copilot? 

Microsoft Copilot is an AI-powered assistant integrated into Microsoft 365 applications. Microsoft 365 Copilot is designed to assist you in every task whether it is analyzing the data, drafting a document, or creating a presentation. It uses AI advanced models to help users with various tasks. It makes their everyday work easy and more efficient.  

What are the Key Features of Microsoft Copilot? 

The features/ benefits of Microsoft Copilot are: 

1. Drafting Documents: In Microsoft Word, Microsoft Copilot can help you to write a document by suggesting words, and summarizing content, and it can even generate a paragraph by the prompt you mention to Microsoft Copilot.  

2. Creating Presentations: While using Microsoft PowerPoint, Copilot can help you by suggesting slide layout, design ideas, and it can also help you by suggesting speaker notes.  

3. Analyzing Data: Whereas in Microsoft Excel, can analyze data sets, create charts & generate insight allowing users to make informed decisions. 

4. Managing Emails: In Outlook, it can help in summarizing long thread emails, suggesting replies and managing the inbox. 

5. Collaborations: It fosters collaboration by enhancing teamwork as it summarizes meetings in Microsoft Teams to make the work more efficient. 

What is the Target Audience of Microsoft Copilot? 

Microsoft Copilot is designed for a broad audience including professionals, students, writers, and teams who use Microsoft 365 applications for their daily tasks. 

How to Access Microsoft 365 Copilot? 

To access Microsoft Copilot, the requirements are: 

1. Subscription: Microsoft Copilot is available through various Microsoft 365 subscriptions. Users can subscribe to use it for business as well as personal use. 

2. Integration: It is seamlessly integrated into Microsoft allowing a cohesive user experience. 

What are the Use Cases of Microsoft Copilot? 

Use Cases are:  

1. Business Reports: In this case Microsoft Copilot can command its functionality to draft a Report from Excel data and give insights from previous reports.  

2. Handling of Data: An analyst can use Copilot in Excel to build complex formulas and visualize data trends without extensive Excel expertise.  

3. Team Collaboration: While working on a project, team members can leverage Microsoft Teams with Copilot to summarize conversations and parse out tasks, keeping everyone on the same page. 

What is GitHub Copilot? 

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered coding assistant developed by GitHub in collaboration with OpenAI. It is specially designed for developers to help them write code efficiently and seamlessly. 

What are the Features of GitHub Copilot? 

Here are the main features of GitHub Copilot: 

1. Code Suggestion: It provides real-time code suggestions to the developers based on the context of the code they are writing. It can also suggest what developers can type next. 

2. Function Generation: It can generate entire functions or code snippets from comments & existing code, saving developers time and effort. 

3. Multi-Language Support: GitHub Copilot supports various programming languages, including Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Ruby and more languages, 

4. Pair Programming: It acts as a virtual pair programmer and helps developers brainstorm solutions. 

What is the Target Audience of GitHub Copilot? 

GitHub Copilot is developed for software engineers, technical users, and developers to assist them in coding tasks. 

How to Access GitHub Copilot? 

To access GitHub Copilot: 

1. Installation: Users need to install the GitHub Copilot extension in the preferred code edition like Visual Studio Code, JetBrains IDEs, etc.

2. Subscription: GitHub Copilot is also available through a subscription model with different pricing models. 

What are the Use Cases of GitHub Copilot? 

Use Cases are: 

1. Prototyping Rapidly: A developer can prototype any component of a new feature quickly by having GitHub Copilot churning out code snippets based on comments outlining the necessary functionality.  

2. Learning New Languages: If a developer is learning a new programming language, Copilot can be of great help. Copilot can provide suggestions and examples that help a developer understand syntax and best practices.  

3. Debugging: Simply run into an error, and a developer can have GitHub Copilot in mind, suggesting potential fixes or different ways to implement the code. 

Comparison Table: GitHub copilot vs Microsoft copilot 

Here is a detailed comparison of various features; Microsoft Copilot Vs GitHub Copilot 

Feature	Microsoft Copilot	GitHub Copilot
Primary Purpose	It enhances productivity in office tasks.	It assists with coding and software development.
Target Audience	Professionals, students, writers, and teams	Software engineers, technical users, and developers.
Supported Applications	Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).	Code editors (VS code, JetBrains).
Functionality	Document creation, data analysis, email management, collaboration, etc.	Code suggestion, function generation, multi-language support, etc.
Collaborative Features	Team collaboration in Microsoft Teams.	Virtual pair programming.
Data Utilization	Uses Microsoft graph data for context.	Based on OpenAI Codex, trained on public code
Installation	Integrated into Microsoft 365 Applications.	Requires installation of an extension.
Licensing Model	Available through a Microsoft 365 subscription.	Subscription-based model.

What are the Pros and Cons of Microsoft Copilot and GitHub Copilot? 

Tool	Pros	Cons
Microsoft Copilot	Integration with Microsoft 365: Seamlessly integrated into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.	Limited to Microsoft Ecosystem: Primarily tied to Microsoft 365 applications.
	User-Friendly: Intuitive and accessible for users of all skill levels.	Subscription Cost: Requires a Microsoft 365 subscription.
	Enhanced Productivity: Helps draft documents, analyze data, create presentations, and manage emails.	Learning Curve: Some users may need time to fully understand all features.
	Collaboration Features: Summarizes meetings and facilitates communication in Microsoft Teams.	Dependence on the Internet: Requires a stable Internet connection to function optimally.
	Context-Aware Suggestions: Provides relevant suggestions based on user data.
GitHub Copilot	Real-Time Code Suggestions: Provides instant code suggestions as you type.	Code Quality: The quality of generated code may vary; requires review and testing.
	Multi-Language Support: Supports a wide range of programming languages.	Subscription Cost: Requires a subscription, which may not be feasible for all developers.
	Learning Tool: Helps new developers learn coding with examples and suggestions.	Limited Context Understanding: May not always understand the broader context of a project.
	Pair Programming: Acts as a virtual coding partner for brainstorming and problem-solving.	Dependence on Internet: Requires an internet connection to access features.
	Integration with Popular IDEs: Works with popular code editors like Visual Studio Code and JetBrains.	Privacy Concerns: Some developers may worry about sharing their code with an AI tool.

Why Choose Microsoft Copilot? 

Choose Microsoft Copilot because Microsoft Copilot is a powerful assistant that adds a layer of productivity to office applications, and therefore it is appropriate for any group of people, from professionals to students and even teams. It simplifies processes from creating documents to organizing data to managing emails, which will make people more productive and work better collaboratively. 

Why Choose GitHub Copilot? 

Choose GitHub Copilot because GitHub Copilot is purpose-built for developers and software engineers. Helps with coding tasks by producing real-time suggestions, code snippets, and pair programming. This tool, of course, can save you a lot of time doing this, in addition to continuously ranking your pages. 

Conclusion 

Robust AI tools, such as Microsoft Copilot and GitHub Copilot, are becoming indispensable for Productivity as technology continues to evolve. Understanding the interplay of these two tools can ensure you choose the right one and work more efficiently. If you are writing a report, doing any kind of data analysis, or just need to write some code, then these AI assistants can help you make your jobs easier and achieve more in a shorter time. Incorporate AI into your daily work and be prepared to notice a transformation in how you work!  

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

Q 1. What is Microsoft Copilot? 

Ans. Microsoft Copilot is an AI-powered assistant integrated into Microsoft 365 applications. Microsoft Copilot is designed to assist you with every task whether it is analyzing the data, drafting a document, or creating a presentation. 

Q 2. What is GitHub Copilot? 

Ans. GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered coding assistant developed by GitHub in collaboration with OpenAI to help developers, software engineers, and technical users. 

Q 3. How do I get rid of Copilot in Word? 

Ans. To disable Copilot in Word, go to File < Options < General and uncheck the option for Copilot. 

Q 4. How do you turn on Copilot in Word? 

Ans. To turn on Copilot in Word, go to File < Options < General and check the option for Copilot. 

Q 5. What is the target audience of both Microsoft Copilot vs GitHub Copilot? 

Ans. Target Audience:  

• For Microsoft Copilot: Professionals, students, writers and teams  

• For GitHub Copilot: Software engineers, technical users, and developers.