Microsoft Copilot vs Ajelix: I Tested Both After the Agent 365 Launch

Microsoft launched Agent 365 on May 1, 2026. As the marketing and branding around it was quite confusing, I initially assumed it was a brand new agent alongside their Copilot. Turns out, that wasn’t quite the case.

Regardless, I knew it was finally the time to sort out the Microsoft Copilot vs Ajelix debate I’d been having in my head for months. 

So, our team bought a Microsoft license, plus a Copilot subscription, and I tested both tools on the same tasks.

What Is Microsoft Copilot And What Is Microsoft Agent 365?

Before running the tests, I had to figure out what I was even testing, as Microsoft’s messaging around Agent 365 and Copilot is, as I mentioned, quite confusing. Most people view them as the same product, but they’re not.

Microsoft 365 Copilot is the AI tool embedded in Word, Excel, Teams, and Outlook. It launched in 2023 and costs around $20/per user/per month as an add-on to your existing Microsoft 365 plan.

Microsoft 365 Agent, officially called Agent 365, is a separate product built for IT teams. It discovers, monitors, and governs AI agents running across your organization, including third-party agents built on AWS Bedrock, Google Gemini, or anything else teams have deployed without IT knowing about it. Microsoft calls this problem “Shadow AI,” and Agent 365 is their answer to it.

The clearest way to put it: Copilot is the tool your employees use. Agent 365 is the system your IT team uses to watch all those tools.

When you search “Microsoft 365 Agent pricing,” the pricing page doesn’t make this obvious, but you’re buying multiple products, not one.

What Is Ajelix?

Ajelix started in 2022 as a spreadsheet-focused AI tool, built specifically to help people work faster with Excel formulas and data. It has since grown into an agentic AI workspace used by over 320,000 professionals.

Here are examples of what Ajelix, as an AI agent, can do today:

• Spreadsheet work: build Excel and Google Sheets files from scratch, write and run VBA scripts and Apps Scripts, clean messy data, generate formulas, and build interactive dashboards;
• Presentations: turn data or a document into a full slide deck in PowerPoint or Google Slides;
• Reports, dashboards and analysis: analyze uploaded data and write formatted, shareable reports and executive summaries;
• Documents: draft, rewrite, and refine content inside Google Docs;
• Web apps and landing pages: build lightweight, embeddable web apps and tools.

The most recent addition is the agent also working outside its home – chat.ajelix.com. Ajelix is now available as an add-on within the Google Workspace, which means it runs directly inside Google Sheets, Docs, Slides, and Forms. You open the sidebar, type what you need, and the agent handles it without you leaving the app.

Ajelix is built on open-source AI models, is GDPR compliant, and was bootstrapped entirely from user demand.

Microsoft Copilot vs Ajelix: Key Differences

Both are agentic AI platforms. The difference is where they work, what they produce, and what you need to get started.

This is how both tools should work in perfect conditions. The day-to-day reality may vary.

Feature	Microsoft Copilot	Ajelix
What kind of agent is it?	Agentic AI embedded in Microsoft 365 apps – takes multi-step actions inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams on your behalf	Agentic AI workspace that plans, executes, and delivers finished work assets (dashboards, reports, decks, scripts) from a single prompt
Where it works	Microsoft 365 ecosystem only (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams)	Ajelix web workspace + Google Workspace add-on (Sheets, Docs, Slides, Forms)
Agent behavior	Agent Mode: makes multi-step edits inside your existing files – iterates, refines, and responds to follow-up prompts	Plans and chains multi-step tasks autonomously – produces a finished, shareable deliverable from start to finish
Output type	Edited documents, refined drafts, and updated files within the Microsoft 365 environment	Complete, ready-to-share assets: interactive dashboards, formatted reports, full slide decks, scripts, web apps
Spreadsheet capability	Multi-step edits in Excel (local + cloud), formula suggestions, chart generation, data cleaning prompts	Builds Excel and Google Sheets files from scratch, writes and executes VBA and Apps Scripts, builds dashboards
Presentation creation	Generates and refines slides in PowerPoint; Agent Mode in PowerPoint since April 2026	Builds complete decks in PowerPoint or Google Slides – structure, content, and design included
Multi-step task chaining	Agent Mode handles iterative tasks within a single app; cross-app chaining requires separate prompts	Chains tasks across formats in one session (e.g., analyze data → write report → build deck)
Data import	Works with OneDrive, SharePoint, and local files (local support added March 2026)	Supports 20+ file types including Excel, CSV, PDF, Google Sheets
Platform dependency	Requires an active Microsoft 365 subscription, no standalone option	Works independently; integrates with both Microsoft Office and Google Workspace ecosystems
Starting price	~$30/user/month add-on on top of existing M365 plan	$20/user/month (Lite plan); free tier available
Custom agent building	Copilot Studio (separate low-code tool for building custom agents and workflows)	Built-in prompt library and reusable asset library; no separate tool required
GDPR compliance	Yes, enterprise-grade Microsoft compliance	Yes, built on open-source models with data encryption standard
Best suited for	Organizations already running Microsoft 365 who want AI embedded in their existing workflow	Teams who want a platform-agnostic agent that delivers finished work, especially in Google Workspace

Key Takeaways

• Copilot makes sense if your organization is already on Microsoft 365. Ajelix works across both Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.
• Copilot’s Agent Mode iterates on files you already have. Ajelix hands you something ready to share.
• Copilot requires an active M365 subscription before the ~$30/user add-on even applies. Ajelix starts at $20/user with a free tier.

How I’m Testing Both: My Criteria

I didn’t want to only compare feature lists. Feature lists tell you what a tool can do in ideal conditions. I wanted to know what each tool does when you hand it the kind of messy, incomplete work that people work with on a daily basis.

Testing Environment: Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace

My team works in Google Workspace, which is important because Microsoft 365 Copilot is built to live inside the Microsoft ecosystem. If your team isn’t on Microsoft 365, Copilot isn’t an option without changing where you work.

To run a fair test, I set up a dedicated Microsoft 365 account. For Ajelix, I used the Google Workspace setup, plus the web interface for one of the tasks.

The Four Tasks I Ran on Both

Test 1: Build a Dashboard From Raw Data

The task: Upload a messy CSV and ask both tools to build an interactive dashboard showing revenue by region, top products, and month-over-month trends.

Prompt used on both:

Here is my sales data — build me an interactive dashboard showing revenue by region, deals closed by segment, and month-over-month revenue trend.

Test 2: Create a Presentation From a Document

The task: Give both tools a one-page brief and ask them to turn it into a slide deck for a client meeting.

Prompt used on both:

Turn this document into a 10-slide presentation for a client meeting. Include an agenda, key findings, and a summary slide.

Test 3: Analyze Data and Write a Report

The task: Upload a dataset and ask for a written analysis with key insights.

Prompt used on both:

Analyze this data and write a short executive summary with 3 key takeaways, any anomalies you spotted, and one recommendation.

Test 4: Multi-Step Task From a Single Prompt

The task: Give one complex prompt that requires planning, then multiple steps to complete.

Prompt used on both:

I've uploaded my monthly marketing report data. Analyze it, write a 3-paragraph summary of performance, and then build a 5-slide cleanly formatted, modern and sleek presentation I can download.

Testing Microsoft Copilot & Ajelix

To start with Copilot: Our team bought a Yearly Microsoft subscription for $22/u/m, with an additional $21/u/mo for Copilot access. We set up our accounts and I installed the full software, which took around an hour.

When the testing time came, I couldn’t find Copilot within my installed Microsoft apps. For example, in Excel, I wasn’t able to access Copilot, and instead could only add an in-app extension by the name Copilot for finance. Once I clicked on it, it showed an error asking me to log in, even though I was already logged in.

I researched for hours, trying to get Copilot to show up on both an Apple and a Windows laptop. I put my Excel file on the OneDrive as instructed for troubleshooting. I didn’t reinstall the apps, because I had just freshly installed them the same day.

In the end, my research showed that this is a known Microsoft inconsistency – sometimes Copilot disappears from the apps. Even our CEO & CTO, a tech expert, wasn’t able to troubleshoot the apps in order to get Copilot to turn up.

Because my original thought of how I would test Copilot didn’t work out, I ended up accessing Copilot through a web browser. 

This means that the attached screenshots from now on were taken on the Copilot web workspace, not inside the Microsoft apps, which was the original testing plan.

Copilot Test 1: Dashboard From Raw Data

Here is my sales data — build me an interactive dashboard showing revenue by region, deals closed by segment, and month-over-month revenue trend.

I entered this prompt and attached example sales data with all the needed information.

Unfortunately, after a few minutes of waiting, an error occurred, asking me to try again later.

I ended up trying again 30 minutes later, but I wasn’t able to simply refresh the prompt – I selected Regenerate, which offered options Think deeper, longer or shorter. I selected the first one.

Within a few minutes, it generated a Python code. I am not a coder, so I scrolled all the way down and asked it to create it as a CSV/Excel file.

It offered me code again, so I got rid of the Think deeper selection, assuming that’s at fault. Finally, it gave me options for an Excel file. I selected Analysis-ready workbook, as that’s what I originally prompted Copilot to create.

After a while, it once again gave me the error: I’m sorry, I’m having trouble responding to requests right now. Let’s try this again in a bit. I decided to start from scratch.

At the end of the prompt, this time I added:

The generated dashboard should be an Excel file I can download, not code.

I nearly cheered upon seeing Here’s your downloadable file. But it wasn’t a downloadable Excel file. It was more instructions for how to use the code to create the dashboards. I asked again to make it an Excel file, and it finally did something different – said there was something wrong with my file.

Spoiler alert for a later part in this article: there’s nothing wrong with the file. Ajelix AI agent read it perfectly, without any errors.

I tried one more time, genuinely frustrated at this point, and it once again gave me the error.

Copilot Result: No dashboard made, even after hours of trying and re-prompting. The errors seemed endless for this task.

Same task, different agent.

To start with Ajelix: I used my Ajelix team member account. This account would cost $20/mo for a paid user.

When using the Google Workspace add-on, first you need to install the extension – AI Agent for Work, and add your KPI key from the Ajelix web workspace. It will then be available with the same name under Extensions.

Ajelix Test 1: Dashboard From Raw Data

I entered the prompt in the add-on sidebar within Google Sheets.

In seconds, it created an additional sheet called Dashboard. At first, it transferred all the data from the original sheets into content it can create formulas from. Then, it created the visual dashboards. Finally, it made said dashboards interactive – I could hover over certain parts of them.

Ajelix Result: Ajelix AI agent completed the task successfully, under 5 minutes. The only thing I had to do after sending the prompt was adjust the locations of the created dashboards, as some were slightly covered by others. That took about 10 seconds.

The CSV file:  

Copilot Test 2: Presentation From a Document

Turn this document into a 10-slide presentation for a client meeting. Include an agenda, key findings, and a summary slide.

Fun fact: I couldn’t find a document online, so I asked the Ajelix AI agent to write one for me as example content.

Here’s the .doc file it created: 

I entered the prompt in the Copilot chat.

Immediately, it told me that the file can’t be read. It is a fully working Word file, which worked when I tested the same document in Ajelix later.

So, I copy-pasted the Word document’s text into Copilot manually.

In turn, it didn’t create a PowerPoint, but just gave me text that I should put in a presentation. When I told it to create a PowerPoint from the text, it gave me the same error as earlier.

So, I waited again, this time much longer. I went back to Copilot the next day, hoping that whatever’s wrong with it has been fixed. I entered the same prompt with the added .doc file, and it once again told me the file is invalid. I copy-pasted the full document, again.

This time, another error popped up. It promised it would finally generate the presentation, only I had to select what design I wanted for it. Which is good of it to ask, however…

…yes, another error. Once again, I gave up.

Copilot Result: Even after trying on different days, it still didn’t generate a PowerPoint deck.

It’s possible to generate a PowerPoint with Copilot. I know this because I tested the same tool previously for my other blog article, 7 Best AI Presentation Makers in 2026.

Ajelix Test 2: Presentation From a Document

Using the Ajelix add-on for Google Slides, I sent in the prompt on an empty Slides file.

After a few minutes, the presentation was finished.

However, I wasn’t fully happy with the design and formatting (which I also hadn’t specified in the prompt), so I sent a follow-up prompt:

Format this presentation elegantly. Make the design modern and sleek.

Ajelix Result: As I hadn’t specified my design wants, I sent a follow-up prompt. I liked the result better the second time. I slightly had to change some of the formatting, such as delete a few empty spaces in slides that the agent hadn’t caught.

AI agents are going to create a deliverable that is about 90% ready. Slight edits of errors that can be caught by humans are normal to be made.

The PowerPoint file: 

Copilot Test 3: Analysis from a dataset

Analyze this data and write a short executive summary with 3 key takeaways, any anomalies you spotted, and one recommendation.

Once again, I asked Ajelix to create an example dataset:

CSV file it created:

I entered the prompt and attached the CSV on Copilot, and for the first time in the testing so far, it gave me an answer immediately.

Unfortunately, Copilot’s analysis was only in a message format, and when I asked it to make it into a .doc, it gave me the familiar error again.

So, I copied what it said, and made it into a Doc file myself.

Copilot Result: It created the contents, but wasn’t able to create a .doc file on its own.

The .doc file I created:

Ajelix Test 3: Analysis from a dataset

I inserted the prompt and CSV file into the Ajelix AI Agent for Work inside a blank Google Docs.

After a few minutes of analyzing the data, it created the outline in the Google Doc. 

However, I wasn’t happy with the lack of formatting – which I hadn’t specified in the prompt, so I sent a follow-up prompt:

Make it look nice and sophisticated, you can use colors. Use bold and italics when necessary. Separate each part of the assignment into subsections.

Ajelix Result: After checking both results, Ajelix’s analysis and recommendations were more thorough, and it added an additional anomaly that Copilot missed.

The .doc file Ajelix created:

Copilot Test 4: Multi-Step Task

I've uploaded my monthly marketing report data. Analyze it, write a 3-paragraph summary of performance, and then build a 5-slide cleanly formatted, modern and sleek presentation I can download.

I inserted the prompt and CSV files of Ajelix’s YouTube channel analytics into Copilot.

It generated the 3-paragraph summary, but only showed the presentation content as written content, not a PowerPoint file:

When I prompted it to make it because I couldn’t find the file, Copilot admitted it didn’t generate the presentation and asked me to specify what design I wanted for it:

I selected the style I wanted, but once again, the presentation didn’t show up:

So I called it out again. It kept promising to make the presentation, but wouldn’t do it. It asked me whether I still want the presentation or if the summary it originally created was enough. I wanted the presentation – because it’s what I’ve been asking all along.

After prompting it again, Copilot finally admitted that it’s not able to perform multi-step tasks like this, and was confused about whether I wanted the presentation and 3-paragraph summary separately.

My attempt ended with one final error:

Copilot Result: The AI agent is not able to process multi-step tasks in one prompt.

Ajelix Test 4: Multi-Step Task

As the Ajelix add-on works inside Google Workspace in four tools separately – Sheets, Docs, Slides and Forms, it wouldn’t be possible to create both a presentation and word summary inside just one tool. Thus, I used the website interface for this test, chat.ajelix.com 

I inserted the same prompt and added the CSV files in a new project.

After about 30 seconds, it came up with a work plan, and I pressed Start task, as the work plan was in accordance to what I wanted.

A few minutes passed and Ajelix gave me first, the 3-paragraph summary…

…and the presentation file in the same answer:

Here’s a preview of the presentation it created:

Ajelix Result: It successfully completed the multi-step task in one prompt, without follow-ups.

Full PowerPoint: 

Key Takeaways After Testing

Copilot’s testing was doomed from the start, as the tool wouldn’t show up inside the dedicated Microsoft apps, after troubleshooting on multiple computers. Not just as a tester, but as a user, this showed me that the tool isn’t very reliable. 

The Copilot errors wouldn’t have been as painful and frustrating if Copilot was honest from the start about its capabilities. In my professional and personal opinion, the AI should be honest about what it can and can’t do. The lack of clarity on this made me feel like I’m doing something wrong.

I couldn’t help but imagine the experience of other paying users who use Copilot in their daily tasks. I only dealt with the errors and inconsistencies for less than a week. But experiencing so many issues every day could take a toll on you.

Meanwhile, Ajelix carried out all the tasks. I won’t say it carried them out perfectly – and it’s not supposed to either. AI agents and agentic AI are there to make your projects about 90% complete. Meaning, they do most of the work and you fine-tune and perfect it. Which, from my testing, I could see Ajelix is perfectly capable of.

Another thing to note: I have a clear bias as an employee at Ajelix – I won’t deny it. But I treated Copilot with as much grace and leniency as I could. Even when errors arose, I pushed through them and tried for as long as possible to receive a satisfying result.

Microsoft Copilot Pricing vs Ajelix Pricing

Pricing is where the two tools differentiate the most. Ajelix is a standalone subscription. Copilot is not – it is always an add-on on top of an existing Microsoft 365 licence, which you need to already own or purchase separately.

Microsoft 365 Copilot Pricing

Important: Microsoft 365 Copilot is an add-on. None of the prices below include the cost of your base Microsoft 365 subscription, which starts at $6/user/month (Business Basic) and is required before you can purchase Copilot.

Plan	Price (add-on)	User cap	Requires
Microsoft 365 Copilot Business	$18/u/mo (annual, billed yearly)*	Up to 300	M365 Business Basic, Standard, or Premium
Microsoft 365 Copilot Business (monthly)	$25.20/u/mo (monthly commitment)	Up to 300	M365 Business Basic, Standard, or Premium
Microsoft 365 Copilot (Enterprise)	$30/us/mo	No cap	Microsoft 365 E3 or E5
Microsoft 365 E7 (Frontier Suite)	$99/u/mo (includes Copilot, Agent 365, Entra Suite)	No cap	Enterprise Agreement
Copilot Chat (free tier)	$0	–	Any M365 subscription with a Microsoft Entra account

To summarize: If you have purchased, for example, Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Copilot Business, you are paying $33/user/month in total. 

Ajelix Pricing

Ajelix is a self-contained subscription with no base platform required. All paid plans include the AI agent workspace, asset saving and publishing, and the AI asset editor. The free tier gives you 10 requests per month to test the tool before committing.

Plan	Monthly price	Yearly price	Max file size	Workspace
Free	$0	$0	2 MB	20 MB
Lite	$20/u/mo	$18/u/mo	20 MB	500 MB
Pro (Most Popular)	$100/us/mo	$91/u/mo	100 MB	2 GB
Max	$200/u/mo	$183/u/mo	500 MB	10 GB

The main difference: Ajelix starts at $20/month with no prerequisites. Copilot starts at $18/month but requires a Microsoft 365 licence on top, so the realistic entry cost is closer to $24-$33/month per user depending on which M365 plan you are already on.

Which One Is Right For You: Copilot or Ajelix?

That depends on one thing more than anything else: where your team already works.

If you use Microsoft, Copilot is a deep integration into tools you’re already paying for. Ajelix is an independent agent that works whether you’re on Microsoft Office or Google Workspace. 

Both are agentic AI platforms, but they solve different problems for different teams.

Choose Microsoft Copilot if:

• Your team is already inside Microsoft 365. Copilot works best when it can access your OneDrive files, Teams history, and Outlook threads.
• You need AI embedded in Word, Excel, Outlook, or Teams specifically.
• You’re in a large organization where IT governance is of importance. Copilot Enterprise comes with the compliance and data residency controls enterprise procurement requires. Agent 365 adds a management layer for all AI tools running across the org.
• You want to build custom agents using Copilot Studio. The Microsoft copilot builder lets IT and power users create workflows connected to business data sources.

Of course, based on my testing, Copilot’s reliability turned out to be inconsistent. The errors in this review, such as not showing up in apps, repeated failures on basic tasks, are just some of the problems I documented. At ~$30+/user/month as an add-on, that should be taken into consideration.

Choose Ajelix if:

• Your team works in Google Workspace. Copilot doesn’t work inside Sheets, Docs, Slides, or Forms.
• You want finished deliverables, not just assisted editing. Ajelix hands you a complete project.
• You need multi-step task chaining from one prompt. This Microsoft Copilot comparison showed it clearly: Ajelix completed Test 4 (analysis + presentation in one session). Copilot couldn’t.
• You don’t want to pay for a Microsoft 365 subscription first. Ajelix starts at $20/month, no prerequisites.
• You do heavy spreadsheet or data work. Ajelix specializes in building files from scratch, running analysis and creating interactive projects.

Neither tool is right for everyone. If you’re running Microsoft 365 across 500 employees and want AI woven into Outlook and Teams, Copilot is the logical choice, reliability issues aside. 

If you want a platform-agnostic agent that finishes the work for you, start with Ajelix. As it has a free tier, you can test it without buying anything.

Try it now → chat.ajelix.com 

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