GitHub Copilot vs. Microsoft Copilot: What’s the difference?

Key takeaways

Microsoft Copilot is an artificial intelligence (AI) companion that can help with questions, writing, and image creation, while GitHub Copilot boosts developer productivity in integrated development environments (IDEs). 

• Developers mainly use GitHub Copilot for code generation and software development.

• You can utilize Microsoft Copilot across many different fields, including retail, finance, healthcare, and education.

• You can upgrade Microsoft Copilot to Microsoft 365 Copilot to gain integration with apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Discover the advantages and disadvantages of using Microsoft Copilot and GitHub Copilot. After, consider enrolling in the Microsoft Front-End Developer Professional Certificate. You’ll have the opportunity to optimize user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) by applying design principles, accessibility standards, and best practices in front-end development. By the end, you’ll have earned a Professional Certificate and developed strong coding skills through the application of programming techniques to build interactive and dynamic features.

GitHub Copilot vs. Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft Copilot supports users of all skill levels across Microsoft apps like Edge and Microsoft 365 and Windows operating systems, while GitHub Copilot integrates with integrated development environments such as Visual Studio Code, and is specifically for developers to boost productivity across coding and DevOps tasks. The main similarity between GitHub Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot is that both use AI to boost productivity and share the “Copilot” name.

What is GitHub Copilot used for?

You can use GitHub Copilot to receive code suggestions as you type, ask for help while programming, generate descriptions for your pull requests, and more. You can also use GitHub Copilot for real-world applications, such as learning a new programming language or automatically generating unit tests. 

Who uses GitHub Copilot?

Developers primarily use GitHub Copilot for code generation and software development. Both individuals and organizations can use GitHub Copilot, but they will access it in slightly different ways. Individuals can use the free version of GitHub Copilot or subscribe to a paid plan, like Copilot Pro. Some individuals, such as teachers, students, or open-source maintainers, may also be eligible to access GitHub Pro at no cost. Organizations, on the other hand, should purchase Copilot Business to gain GitHub Copilot access for their entire team [1]. 

Advantages of GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot goes beyond code completion by offering broader support that benefits the entire organization, like speeding up repetitive coding. Explore more advantages of GitHub Copilot:

• Supports many languages: GitHub Copilot performs especially well in C#, C++, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Go, and Ruby, while also supporting many other languages and frameworks.

• Flexible pricing: GitHub Copilot offers three pricing tiers depending on your needs: Free, Pro, and Pro+.

• Supports third-party extensions: GitHub Copilot expands functionality by integrating additional tools, services, and data, such as Docker and the Teams Toolkit.

Read more: How to Use GitHub Copilot to Improve Your Coding Workflow

Disadvantages of GitHub Copilot

You can expect a handful of disadvantages of using GitHub Copilot, such as the potential to generate incorrect code or overlook project-wide dependencies that humans can comprehend. Discover additional disadvantages to GitHub Copilot:

• Requires oversight: GitHub Copilot needs a developer with experience to oversee its work at a production level.

• Technical limitations: GitHub Copilot may experience difficulties with complex, deeply nested, or multi-join queries, especially with large datasets or unclear schema context.

• Requires internet access: GitHub Copilot needs an internet connection to provide code suggestions.

Does Microsoft 365 come with GitHub Copilot?

Microsoft 365 does not include GitHub Copilot; instead, it comes with Microsoft Copilot, though access to all Microsoft Copilot features depends on your pricing plan. You can access GitHub Copilot separately through GitHub’s website. 

What is Microsoft Copilot used for?

Microsoft Copilot is a digital companion for everyday life that uses AI to answer questions, help with writing, create images, and inform, entertain, and inspire. Microsoft Copilot can also enhance productivity and workflows by providing contextual help, automating tasks, and analyzing data.

Who uses Microsoft Copilot?

Professionals in many fields, such as retail, financial services, health care, and education, use Microsoft Copilot. For instance, you can use Microsoft Copilot in financial services to automate financial modeling and reporting, expediting analysis and improving accuracy, while streamlining customer service. Alternatively, you can use Microsoft Copilot in education to boost productivity and engagement by assisting with lesson planning, assessments, and administrative tasks. 

Advantages of Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft Copilot offers a variety of benefits that can help enhance your daily workflow. Learn more about the advantages Microsoft Copilot can provide:

• Security: Microsoft Copilot provides strong security, letting you work confidently while protecting your privacy.

• Integrations: You can upgrade Microsoft Copilot to Copilot 365, giving you access to integrations with other Microsoft apps, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

• Decision-making improvements: By offering smart insights, Microsoft Copilot can help you make data-driven decisions more quickly.

Disadvantages of Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft Copilot isn’t without flaws and is known to sometimes generate generic or redundant content, among other issues. Explore some of Microsoft Copilot’s disadvantages [5]:

• Inconsistent service availability: Microsoft Copilot can experience outages that prevent you from accessing it consistently. 

• Memory and personalization: Microsoft Copilot can forget details and require you to redefine previously established contexts. 

• Overrepresentation and underrepresentation: Microsoft Copilot may sometimes overrepresent, underrepresent, or fail to represent certain groups in its responses.

What is the difference between Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot?

Microsoft Copilot is free and offers a ChatGPT-style interface for personal queries, prompts, and image creation, accessible through a web browser or desktop app [2]. Meanwhile, Microsoft 365 Copilot requires a monthly subscription and integrates advanced language models with business data and apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams [3]. For example, 365 Copilot can provide you with formula suggestions in Excel or in Outlook to summarize an email.

Getting started: Microsoft Copilot vs. GitHub Copilot

You can use Microsoft Copilot for free outside of work by visiting copilot.microsoft.com or downloading the Copilot mobile app. You can then use the Copilot Learning Hub for training, documentation, and videos to learn more about Microsoft Copilot. To access GitHub Copilot for free, you can visit github.com/copilot. Alternatively, you can upgrade to Pro ($10/month) or Pro+ ($39/month) [4]. You can learn more about GitHub Copilot through their official documentation: https://docs.github.com/en/copilot. 

Explore our free resources for front-end developers

Subscribe to our weekly Career Chat newsletter on LinkedIn for the latest industry trends, career tips, and skill-building insights. Then, if you want to keep learning more about AI tools, check out these free resources:

• Watch on YouTube: Speed Up R Web Scraping: GitHub Copilot Tutorial

• Explore career paths: AI Career Paths: Explore Roles & Specializations

• Get certified: What Is a Microsoft Copilot Certification?

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