/ Research
How Cassidy and Microsoft Copilot compare at a glance
| Strategic Goal | Microsoft Copilot | Cassidy |
|---|---|---|
Overall positioning | Microsoft 365-native AI chat with an agent layer built into Copilot | An AI platform for everyday Agents plus auditable, cross-system Workflows built for high-stakes work Win |
Chat and agent quality | Business users can start simple agents in Agent Builder; heavier automation typically involves IT and Power Platform makers | Business teams describe the process and build the Agent or Workflow themselves, with IT setting guardrails Win |
Multi-step workflows and event triggers | Cowork runs scheduled and event-driven tasks, and broader automation extends through Copilot Studio and Power Automate | CRM records, meetings, forms, tickets, and any event from your apps, inside and outside Microsoft 365, trigger Workflows across 100+ connected systems Win |
Knowledge Base and company context | 100+ Copilot connectors, plugins, and federated connectors reach beyond Microsoft 365, with coverage and setup varying by experience | 100+ integrations treated as equal, first-class connections Draw |
Model choice and provider flexibility | OpenAI and Anthropic across Copilot surfaces; Copilot Studio adds further model options in some agent scenarios | OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and open source models, picked per task by the builder Win |
Deployment surfaces | Native across Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, Word, Excel, and more | Native, but Microsoft 365 is one of many equal integrations Lose |
Governance, permissions and audit logs | Agent 365 extends Entra, Purview, and Defender to agents across Microsoft and third-party stacks, with admins still working across multiple consoles | RBAC, SSO, and audit logs are built-in platform controls Draw |
Everyday usability and learning curve | Familiar to anyone comfortable in Microsoft 365's apps | Just as familiar, across the same apps plus Slack and Chrome Draw |
/ Data current as of October 2026
Looking for a broader view?
Multi-step workflows and event-triggered automation
What it takes to make something happen automatically, across more than one app.
Microsoft Copilot’s workflow automation
- Cowork runs long-running, multi-tool tasks in the Copilot app, beyond single-turn chat
- Cowork supports scheduled prompts and event-driven tasks, like matching emails or Teams messages
- Copilot Studio extends this with agents that use other triggers and agent flows
- Broader business automation spans several separate systems: Copilot Studio, plugins, many individual connectors, and Power Automate
Cassidy’s workflow automation
- CRM changes, meetings, forms, tickets, Teams messages, and any other event from your connected apps, inside and outside the Microsoft suite, can start a Workflow automatically
- A single Workflow can pull context from one system and take action in another in the same run
- No Power Platform environment, Dataverse, or separate flow tool is needed to get a Workflow live
- Business teams describe what they need and build the Workflow themselves, so heavy automation does not need Power Platform specialists
Knowledge base, integrations, and deployment surfaces
What the AI can see, and where your team actually encounters it.
Microsoft Copilot’s integrations and deployment
- External reach runs through 100+ Copilot connectors plus synced and federated connector models
- Connector content surfaces in Copilot Chat, Search, Excel, Researcher, and custom agents
- Connectors bring external content in for search and grounding, while write actions come through plugins, agents, and Copilot Studio
- Rollout help is available through Microsoft documentation, FastTrack, and partner services
Cassidy’s integrations and deployment
- Knowledge Base syncs continuously from Google Drive, SharePoint, Confluence, and CRMs, so Agents work from current company context
- Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, Notion, and Confluence sit alongside Microsoft 365 as equal, first-class integrations
- Deploys natively inside Slack, Teams, Chrome, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, so the same Agents show up in the tools employees already use
- A dedicated solutions team is available to help teams that want guidance launching their first Agents and Workflows
Model choice and provider flexibility
Who decides which AI model does the work, and how fast you can take advantage of a new one.
Microsoft Copilot’s model options
- Microsoft Copilot supports Anthropic alongside OpenAI across the Copilot app, supported Microsoft 365 app experiences, Researcher, Cowork, and Copilot Studio
- In the EU, UK, and EFTA, Anthropic availability depends on admin settings, and Word, Excel, and PowerPoint carry a separate app-level Anthropic setting
- Microsoft Copilot exposes a model selector in some experiences and uses a real-time router by default, with availability varying by surface and license
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Cassidy’s model options
- Choose OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or open source models for each Agent or Workflow, directly from the builder
- The person building the Agent sees the available models and picks the one that fits the task
- Switch models any time a better one ships, with no need to rebuild the Agent or Workflow
- Route different models to different steps in the same Workflow, matching each model to the task
- A recommended models selector, kept current by the Cassidy team, makes it easy to pick the right model for the task at hand while keeping costs efficient
- Admins decide which models are available to end users, controlling both cost and quality
Governance, permissions, and audit logs
What IT has to manage once this is live, and who owns each automation.
Microsoft Copilot’s governance controls
- Microsoft Agent 365 provides an agent registry plus lifecycle, identity, security, and compliance controls
- It covers Microsoft-built, partner, and registered third-party agents
- Agent 365 is available standalone or bundled in Microsoft 365 E7, paired with E5-class security and compliance foundations for full coverage
- Admins manage the underlying controls across Microsoft 365 admin center, Entra, Purview, and Defender
Cassidy’s governance controls
- RBAC, SSO, and audit logs are built into the platform and apply to every Agent and Workflow
- Controls cover connected systems beyond Microsoft's stack, not just Microsoft 365 data
- The person closest to the work owns the Workflow, while IT sets the guardrails and permissions around it
- Spend caps and role-based controls are set before usage ramps up
Implementation, onboarding, and support model
What it takes to get this live, and who's around to help once it is.
Microsoft Copilot’s support model
- Basic Copilot setup rides along with existing Microsoft 365 licensing and admin controls
- Agent Builder lowers the bar for simple agents; Copilot Studio carries a separate learning curve
- Cross-system agents can involve makers, admins, and Power Platform skills depending on the setup
- Rollout help comes from Microsoft documentation, FastTrack, and partner services
Cassidy’s support model
- A dedicated solutions team helps design and launch the first Workflows
- The person closest to the work builds and owns the automation, so requests don't wait in an IT or Power Platform queue
- Describe an automation in plain language to build it, so getting a complex use case live does not require a separate implementation project
- Self-serve learning through Cassidy University sits alongside the dedicated solutions team
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Everyday task help inside Microsoft 365
What it feels like to get quick help with a document, email, or spreadsheet day to day.
Microsoft Copilot’s everyday experience
- Copilot appears directly in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and the Copilot app
- Drafting, summarizing, analysis, and search happen without leaving Microsoft 365
- Familiar to teams already comfortable with Microsoft 365's UI and permissions
- Depending on the surface and license, responses draw on the open file or thread plus broader work data through Graph and Work IQ
Cassidy’s everyday experience
- Agents answer the same everyday questions, grounded in the Knowledge Base rather than only the open file or thread
- Available in the same Microsoft 365 apps, plus Slack, Teams, and Chrome, so employees use it where they already work
- One interface for everyday Q&A and for the Workflows that take action on the answer afterward
- Employees stay in the same tool when a quick question turns into a multi-step task, with no handoff to a separate builder
Choosing between Cassidy and Microsoft Copilot
Match your situation to the lists below. If most of the Cassidy list describes your work, choose Cassidy. If the other list does, choose that platform and skip the demo.
Choose Cassidy if…
- You want business teams to build heavier automation themselves in plain language, without Power Platform environments, connectors, or solutions to manage
- A process needs to run when something happens, not only when someone remembers to ask
- Your work goes beyond everyday small tasks into complex, high-stakes, or regulated processes that touch a CRM, support tools, Confluence or Notion, and internal docs
- You want to pick the best model for each task instead of whatever your license includes
Choose Microsoft Copilot if…
- Your team runs mainly inside Microsoft 365 and needs help with individual tasks: drafting, summarizing, analyzing
- The work mostly stays inside Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, or the Copilot app
- You don't need the person doing the work to build or adjust the automation themselves
More enterprise AI platform comparisons
Continue exploring Cassidy
FAQ
Find answers to common questions about the platform, security, and getting started. Still have questions? Talk to our team!
Are Cassidy Agents basically the same as Microsoft Copilot?
Partly. They overlap on everyday Q&A, and the bigger difference is that Microsoft spans chat, agents, and Cowork inside its own stack, while Cassidy pairs everyday agents with event-triggered workflows that run across your broader system stack. For quick, simple help in the apps you already use, Copilot is fine. For regulated or high-stakes work that needs audit trails and control, Cassidy is the better fit.
What's the difference between Microsoft Copilot and Copilot Studio?
Microsoft Copilot is the user-facing assistant in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and the Copilot app, with Agent Builder available for simpler agents. Copilot Studio is the broader low-code platform for custom, autonomous, multi-channel agents and workflows.
Does Cassidy replace Microsoft 365, or work alongside it?
Alongside it. Cassidy deploys through Slack, Teams, Chrome, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, so it fits into the tools your team already has open.
Can Cassidy trigger a Workflow from something happening in Outlook, Teams, or SharePoint?
Yes. Microsoft 365 is one of more than 100 integrations Cassidy connects to, so an event there can kick off a Workflow the same way one in Salesforce or Notion can.
Is Cassidy tied to one AI model the way Copilot depends on Microsoft's rollout schedule?
No. Microsoft Copilot runs on OpenAI plus Anthropic across several licensed surfaces, with admin settings governing Anthropic in some regions, and Microsoft's model lists do not include Google or Gemini models. Cassidy builders choose OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or open source models per Agent or Workflow.
How does Cassidy handle governance compared to Copilot?
Microsoft Agent 365 extends Entra, Purview, and Defender controls to agents, available standalone or through Microsoft 365 E7. Cassidy ships SSO, RBAC, and audit logs as built-in platform controls across connected systems, including those outside Microsoft's stack.
Does Cassidy meet the same security bar as Copilot?
Cassidy is SOC 2 Type II attested, GDPR compliant, HIPAA compliant, and CASA validated, with no model training on customer data.
Is Cassidy only useful for companies already on Microsoft 365?
No. It connects to Google Drive, SharePoint, Confluence, Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, Zendesk, and more, so it works whether your team runs on Microsoft, Google, or both.
