Can you remember a time before AI? Honestly, I can’t.
I use AI nearly every day to write my emails, summarize meetings, and create presentations.
And of my preferred AI tools based on large language models, Microsoft Copilot is one I frequently return to—especially when I’m using other Microsoft 365 programs.
But Microsoft Copilot has its drawbacks. It offers no integrations for tools outside of Microsoft 365 and has limited support for generating codes and humanized text outputs. The AI technology can also be slow, processing limited data at a time (it caps at 500 rows of information on Excel).
That’s when I began to ask: Is there a Microsoft Copilot alternative (with AI capabilities) I could use instead? My colleagues were kind enough to share recommendations and I’ve compiled my own research to come up with a definitive list.
In this guide, I’ll cover the 10 best Microsoft Copilot alternatives in detail and mention their features, benefits, limitations, and pricing.
- What to Look for in a Microsoft Copilot Alternative
- The 10 Best Microsoft Copilot Alternatives
- 1. ClickUp (Best for AI content creation and project management)
- 2. IBM Watson Studio (Best multi-language AI tool for developers)
- 3. Tabnine (Best AI assistant for developers)
- 4. ChatGPT (Best for human-like responses)
- 5. Claude (Best for content teams)
- 6. Simplified (Best for content templates)
- 7. Writesonic (Best for SEO writing)
- 8. GitHub Copilot (Best for software teams)
- 9. IntelliCode (Best for intelligent coding suggestions)
- 10. Wipro Holmes (Best for IT workflow automation)
- Don’t Just Use AI, Master It
What to Look for in a Microsoft Copilot Alternative
As generative AI technology goes, Microsoft Copilot isn’t bad. But there are a few things that can become a hindrance in your work.
For instance, it can’t remember previous conversations and it’s not great at producing code. Plus, it’s written output sounds distinctly Ai-written (think zero personality).
Based on my experience, you might be better off with Microsoft Copilot alternatives that give you the following AI capabilities.
- Long-term conversational memory: What I particularly struggled with Microsoft Copilot was its inability to recall information across multiple interactions. An ideal AI assistant should be able to provide you with relevant answers, while factoring in information shared from your previous chats
- Humanized responses: AI tools are notorious for their repetitive, algorithmic way of responding to prompts. Since I was using Microsoft Copilot for content, the mechanical responses were a major challenge for me, and I had to put a lot of effort into constantly humanizing the content
- Personalization: Microsoft Copilot lacks a personality. I know it’s a weird thing to say about an AI model, but your AI assistant should generally understand your unique writing style, tone, and vocabulary, and be able to replicate it without sounding generic
- Data privacy: Forbes pointed out that Microsoft claims to offer “commercial data protection for free” to business users signed in with Microsoft Entra ID, ensuring their chat data isn’t saved and used for training. However, this protection is not extended to individual users of Microsoft Copilot Pro
- Coding competency: Microsoft Copilot’s coding abilities are inconsistent. While it can offer helpful suggestions, there are bugs in the code, and the quality of the output heavily depends on the developer’s ability to prompt accurately
With that, here are 10 alternatives to Microsoft Copilot you should try out.
The 10 Best Microsoft Copilot Alternatives
1. ClickUp (Best for AI content creation and project management)
ClickUp’s strength lies in its all-in-one solution, which is excellent for content creation and project management.
I use it regularly to create, assign, and track tasks and collaborate on projects with my team. It’s like using a bunch of different apps—but in a single centralized hub with an intuitive interface—which is now even easier to use with ClickUp’s AI assistant, ClickUp Brain.
With ClickUp Brain, the platform provides intelligent, customized support for teams of all sizes (even if you are a one-person army). The tool achieves that with lightning-fast automation and intelligent humanized responses. Pair it with ClickUp Automation, and you will have a powerful sidekick that can automate all those pesky repetitive tasks.
My favorite part? You can also use the AI Writer tool to generate ideas, create article outlines, and write content through ClickUp Brain—this makes it an ideal AI content creation tool for most users. And there’s more. You never miss out on important updates with ClickUp Chat. It lets you chat, assign, communicate, and share attachments and company-wide updates in real time with your team.
Additionally, custom templates like the ClickUp Brainstorming Template make it easy to generate ideas and discuss them with your team—creating a space that promotes collaboration and innovation.
Designed for efficiency and innovation, this template captures ideas effectively and facilitates seamless feedback integration. Whether you’re launching new products, planning events, or simply sparking creativity, it empowers your team to achieve more by providing custom views like:
- List View to collect ideas for later
- Timeline View to organize ideas according to priority and effort needed
- Department View to create dedicated brainstorming spaces for specific teams
- By Stages View to plan and execute those ideas step by step
- Priorities View to rank the most important ideas to focus on
ClickUp best features
- Visualize project timelines, dependencies, and priorities with ClickUp Views
- Break down complex tasks into manageable steps through AI-generated subtasks via ClickUp Tasks
- Create custom fields for specific project data (e.g., subcontractors, budgets)
- Review and annotate documents, images, and plans with ClickUp Proofing
- Perform calculations for estimates, quantities, and materials using ClickUp Time Estimates
- Work simultaneously with your team through real-time editing and collaboration via ClickUp Docs
- Use pre-built ClickUp Templates for various project types (e.g., construction, client management)
- Access and manage projects on the go with the mobile app
- Connect with other tools via easy integrations to enhance your workflow
ClickUp limitations
- Full access to ClickUp Brain requires a paid plan
ClickUp pricing
- Free plan
- Unlimited: $7/month per user
- Business: $12/month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
- ClickUp Brain: Add to any paid plan for $7 per member per month
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (6,700+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (3,600+ reviews)
2. IBM Watson Studio (Best multi-language AI tool for developers)
I love being spoiled for options, which is why IBM Watson Studio is one of the best alternatives to Microsoft Copilot, in my opinion—if you’re a developer, that is.
Here’s what I mean: The platform unifies open-source tools (PyTorch, TensorFlow) with IBM’s code-based or visual data science tools (Jupyter notebooks, R, Scala). This makes it one of the best AI tools for developers and analysts to build, run, and manage AI models.
Watson Studio best features
- Collaborate across your entire AI lifecycle, from building to deployment and monitoring
- Integrate with your preferred frameworks like PyTorch, TensorFlow, and scikit-learn, using Python, R, or Scala
- Automate model building and save time, especially if you’re new to the field
- Clean and shape data effortlessly with Watson’s visual editor
- Develop models visually using IBM SPSS Modeler, making AI accessible to everyone
- Track and improve model performance and fairness after deployment
Watson Studio limitations
- Costs vary based on your usage, as Watson Studio is a cloud-based service
- Getting started with AI and data science might still be challenging for complete beginners, despite the automation offered
- Consider potential lock-in to the IBM Cloud ecosystem due to its integration with open-source frameworks
Watson Studio pricing
- Free
- Professional: $1.02 USD/Capacity Unit-Hour
Watson Studio ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.2/5 (162 reviews)
- Capterra: Not enough reviews
3. Tabnine (Best AI assistant for developers)
Tabnine is essentially a coding buddy powered by artificial intelligence, allowing users to write code faster by suggesting the next coding lines. It’s like having someone who knows your coding style well, and can handle all the boring, repetitive stuff.
Plus, it works with pretty much any programming language or code editor you use.
This makes Tabnine one of the best AI tools available for software development.
However, it’s not all magic. The quality of its suggestions depends on how complicated the code is and how much information it has to work with. The less complicated the code, the more Tabnine can help.
Tabnine best features
- Generate code efficiently and automate repetitive tasks
- AI-powered chat for support throughout your development journey
- Experience code suggestions tailored to your style and project context
- Intellectual property protection through carefully curated training data
Tabnine limitations
- The quality of code suggestions can vary based on code complexity and available data
- Relying too much on an AI tool may hinder your problem-solving abilities
Tabnine pricing
- Free
- Pro: $12/user/month (Free for 90 days)
- Enterprise: $39/user/month
Tabnine ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.2/5 (40 reviews)
- Capterra: Not enough reviews
4. ChatGPT (Best for human-like responses)
I remember when ChatGPT first became an internet sensation—my LinkedIn feed was full of folks experimenting with it (and laughing at its early hallucinations).
I’ve been using ChatGPT for months now (particularly GPT-4 and 4o), and I love the wide variety of plugins available in the GPT store. This allows me to have GPT perform many AI-generated tasks within a single interface, such as writing a new blog post, creating website copy, refreshing existing content, performing data analysis, and testing my code.
One of its features I really like is that, unlike Microsoft Copilot, it can remember previous chats and generate output based on what it remembers.
But I still struggle with the fact that the number of prompts is limited per user. As a content creator, I need to get granular with my prompts, and ChatGPT limits how deep I can go. Once I hit the limit, GPT-4 switches over to GPT-3.5, which is like going from talking to a PhD to talking to an overworked and heavily caffeinated intern.
If that bothers you as well, there are other ChatGPT alternatives out there that can do a similar job.
ChatGPT best features
- Perform a wide range of tasks, from answering your questions to crafting creative text formats
- Converse with GPT 4 and ask it to perform data analysis, create designs, and summarize large pieces of information
- Access hundreds of user-submitted plugins from the GPT store that removes the need to generate prompts
ChatGPT limitations
- ChatGPT sometimes generates incorrect or misleading information due to its lack of real-world experience and reliance on training data
- The model can exhibit biases present in its training data, leading to potentially unfair or discriminatory outputs against certain audience
- The free version of ChatGPT often struggles with tasks requiring common sense or real-world understanding, while GPT Plus performs better
ChatGPT pricing
- Free
- Plus: $20/month
- Team: $25/month
ChatGPT ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (554 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (50 reviews)
5. Claude (Best for content teams)
Claude AI is basically like ChatGPT’s city cousin. The artificial intelligence writing assistant is really good at things like writing a blog post, creating copy for web pages, summarizing articles, fixing your writing, updating existing content, answering questions, and even helping you code.
The best part is that, unlike with Microsoft Copilot, you don’t have to worry about super long or complicated requests—Claude can handle them all with its great conversational memory. Looks like someone’s been having their almonds.
But, here’s where I think Claude fails compared to Microsoft Copilot: Claude can’t access the internet right now, so it won’t be able to find up-to-date information for you like some other AI tools can.
Claude best features
- Get free access to a top AI assistant model (Claude-2), which is one its most capable large language models
- Get 100,000 tokens and work with more complex prompts
- Convert text of any length into concise summaries
Claude limitations
- Unlike some competitors, Claude cannot access and process information from the real-time web
- Claude lacks features like image creation, data analysis, and web browsing
- Like other AI tools built on large language models, Claude can generate text that may not be entirely accurate and requires fact-checking
Claude pricing
- Free
- Pro: $20/month
- Team: $25/month
Claude ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (22 reviews)
- Capterra: Not enough reviews
Also Read: AI Content Creation Tool
6. Simplified (Best for content templates)
If your marketing team is looking for a Microsoft Copilot alternative, Simplified is the ideal AI assistant for your workplace.
I was blown away by their vast collection of AI templates for writing, images, designing, editing, and video creation. The only downside is that there are far too many different tools to use, which can be overwhelming for a first-time audience.
Simplified best features
- Fulfill your diverse creative needs, from AI writing to video editing, on a single intuitive interface
- Collaborate with your team and save time with real-time feedback and editing
- Maintain a consistent brand identity across platforms with its collection of design, video, and copywriting templates
Simplified limitations
- The AI writing assistant can sometimes produce imperfect outputs, requiring human intervention
- The toolset is broad, but some features lack the depth of specialized AI tools
Simplified pricing
- Pro: $9/month
- Simplified: $24/month
Simplified ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (4.5K reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (256 reviews)
7. Writesonic (Best for SEO writing)
When it comes to SEO-focused AI writing, not many tools can hold a candle to Writesonic.
The AI writing assistant is one of the best Microsoft Copilot alternatives for SEO blog post writing, and is highly rated among the SEO professionals I have worked with.
So while some tools may give you corporate gobbledygook like “comprehend the comprehensive comprehension, future-proofed at scale,” Writesonic is far more human-like in its effort. And it works well for content formats beyond blogs.
Writesonic also gives you an advanced chatbot, Chatsonic, which is great for images and exploring trending topics. The platform has an intuitive interface as well.
However, if your writing requirements are different, you can consider reviewing some Writesonic alternatives instead.
Writesonic best features
- Access a vast library of content templates for various content types and generate customized content with simple prompts
- Align generated content with your brand voice by uploading brand voice samples
- Automatically verify content originality with a built-in plagiarism checker (though additional checks are recommended)
- Streamline your workflows by integrating the AI tool with platforms like Zapier and WordPress
- Get answers to questions and generate creative responses via Chatsonic, Writesonic’s conversational AI tool
- Converse with any file format, including images, PDFs, websites, and even audio clips
Writesonic limitations
- Navigating the platform’s extensive set of features can be challenging
- Performance can vary given that the AI writing assistant is cloud-hosted (though this isn’t a recurring issue)
Writesonic pricing
- Free
- Chatsonic: $12
- Individual: $16
- Standard: $79
Writesonic ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (1.9K reviews)
- Capterra: 4.8/5 (2K+ reviews)
8. GitHub Copilot (Best for software teams)
Oh, what would a coder’s life be without GitHub Copilot.
We hear about AI taking over developer jobs, but GitHub is probably saving developer jobs from becoming too boring! (I got this joke from one of my developer friends.)
Here’s how it works: The AI suggests lines of code or even entire functions as you type, based on the context of your code and the programming language you’re using.
Think of it as having a highly skilled coding partner who can help you with repetitive tasks, suggest improvements, and even learn new coding patterns.
If you want your developer to focus on problem-solving, GitHub’s Copilot is the poster child for productivity via AI. This makes it one of the best Microsoft Copilot alternatives for coders.
GitHub Copilot best features
- Save time with the AI tool’s expertise to speed up coding by suggesting relevant code snippets
- Work with various programming languages and frameworks
- Discover new coding patterns and solutions based on smart suggestions
GitHub Copilot limitations
- Beware of potential variations in the quality and relevance of output generated by the AI tool
- Learning how to effectively use suggestions from the AI tool can be challenging
GitHub Copilot pricing
- Free
- Team: $4/month
- Enterprise: $21/month
GitHub Copilot ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (138 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (21 reviews)
9. IntelliCode (Best for intelligent coding suggestions)
IntelliCode is an AI-driven code-writing assistant that analyzes code patterns to deliver intelligent (it’s in the name!) suggestions for code completion.
Basically, the tool that learns from your code and suggests the best way to finish your lines or format your code.
It’s one of the most unique Microsoft Copilot alternatives that largely offers value to dev teams. Coders I know love its clean interface and code suggestions.
IntelliCode best features
- Get context-aware suggestions to optimize your code effort
- Identify recurring patterns and suggest optimal implementations
- Customize the AI tool to match your coding preferences
IntelliCode limitations
- Consider alternative approaches for entirely new codebases
- Expect potential inaccuracies in suggestions
IntelliCode pricing
- Free
IntelliCode ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (3.5K+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.8/5 (1.6K+ reviews)
10. Wipro Holmes (Best for IT workflow automation)
Wipro Holmes is a machine learning platform that helps companies automate their business processes with AI.
But here’s where the AI tool stands out as one of the best Microsoft Copilot alternatives—Wipro Holmes can predict and prevent issues before they arise.
I found it to be quite adept at handling common tech problems, but it wasn’t always a miracle worker for non-IT problems. This makes it a niche AI tool that works best for businesses that just need an IT automation solution.
Wipro Holmes best features
- Give users over 40 pre-configured solutions for common desktop, laptop, and software problems
- Respond to queries and issues, and create service tickets with the AI-powered conversational assistant
- Proactively identify and address potential problems before they impact user experience through predictive maintenance
- Free up IT staff for complex tasks by enabling users to self-resolve issues
Wipro Holmes limitations
- Some features may require basic technical knowledge for optimal utilization
- Pre-configured solutions may not address all specific issues
- Wipro Holmes focuses primarily on end-user IT issues, not broader business processes
Wipro Holmes pricing
- Not Available
Wipro Holmes ratings and reviews
- G2: Not enough reviews
- Capterra: Not Available
Don’t Just Use AI, Master It
Artificial intelligence is no longer the stuff of the future—I can already see it being used by teams all across industries, and everyone loves it!
And why won’t they? When used with proper training, the right tools with AI capabilities can help you save time, improve productivity, and enhance collaboration with your team in more meaningful ways.
But with so many AI tools on the market, it is important that you research and first identify your exact requirements. In my case, I realized that Microsoft Copilot was not ideal for all my work because of its limited exposure outside the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
I wanted my AI assistant to help me create content, collaborate with my team, and manage my daily tasks more efficiently. After trying out a bunch of different AI tools, (including Microsoft Copilot) I found my perfect fit—ClickUp.
With ClickUp Brain, I am always just a few prompts away from creating ideas and discussing them with my team. You can try it out here for free and see if it clicks for you!