Alternative to Microsoft Copilot: 9 AI applications for greater efficiency
Microsoft Copilot is a bit like a gifted colleague... who never leaves the Office suite. Fully integrated into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, it helps you use Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams to write, calculate, summarise or reply without lifting a finger.
But let's be clear: practical as it is, Copilot isn't the only one that knows how to use AI to boost productivity. Other solutions exist, some of them more agile, more specialised - or simply less confining. And they're clearly worth testing.
In this article, we share with you our selection of the best alternatives to Microsoft Copilot, depending on your specific needs: writing, coding, automation, data analysis or meetings. With a comparison table, use cases and our expert opinion for each tool.
In short, the aim is simple: to help you find the AI assistant that really works for you, not just for Microsoft.
What is Microsoft Copilot?
Microsoft Copilot is the virtual right hand of Redmond. Since its integration into the Microsoft 365 suite, it has been transforming well-known software (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, etc.) into AI-powered assistants.
In concrete terms, we're talking about a set of co-pilots (the term is not insignificant), who enhance each tool with automation and natural language content generation functions.
The promise? Fewer repetitive tasks, more added value. Copilot summarises an email, suggests a reply, rephrases a text, creates a presentation, generates a graph, or even writes a line of code in GitHub. All without leaving your Microsoft environment.
The target audience is wide-ranging: employees, tech teams, managers, HR, finance, customer service... in short, any company already committed to the Microsoft ecosystem. And, of course, it makes a difference. According to Microsoft, more than 600 Fortune 1000 companies have already adopted it.
But however powerful it may be, Copilot remains a Microsoft product. Which means: strong when you stay in the family, less flexible when you try to leave it. And that's where the alternatives become interesting...
Main features of Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Copilot acts as a luxury co-pilot for Microsoft 365 tools. It reads, summarises, suggests, completes, and sometimes even guesses what you're going to do... before you know it yourself.
Here are the key features you need to know, broken down by application:
- In Word: writing text, rewording, summarising documents, suggesting styles and structures to suit the tone and purpose.
- In Outlook: sort emails, write replies, summarise conversations, automatically detect action items.
- In Excel: generate natural language formulas, view data, create forecasts, intelligent cleaning.
- In PowerPoint: create presentations from a prompt or an existing document, generate visuals, design suggestions.
- In Teams: meeting reports, decision tracking, automatic planning, collaboration assistance.
- In GitHub / Visual Studio: code suggestions, test generation, automatic documentation, error detection.
- With Copilot Studio: create conversational or automated agents to orchestrate internal processes.
In short, Copilot is your everyday AI partner, integrated directly into your familiar tools.
Copilot
Why consider an alternative to Copilot?
There's no denying it: Microsoft Copilot has some solid arguments. Integrated natively into Microsoft 365, it is powerful, fluid and well thought out for teams who live and breathe Word, Excel, Outlook and the like.
But all this comes at a price... and with a few limitations.
The benefits of Copilot :
- Real time savings on day-to-day tasks
- Native integration with the Microsoft ecosystem
- Versatility (writing, calculations, email, meetings, code, etc.)
- Increasing customisation with internal templates and Graph
But there are also a few drawbacks:
- High cost: $30/month/user, in addition to the Microsoft 365 licence
- Closed to the Microsoft ecosystem: little interoperability outside its tools
- Variable quality depending on use (particularly in Excel or PowerPoint)
- Little flexibility or advanced options for tech or data profiles
- Not always suited to European or RGPD-sensitive environments
In short, Copilot is a powerful solution... if you live 100% within the Microsoft galaxy. But if you're looking for an AI that's freer, more refined or more expert in a specific field, there are much smarter alternatives.
Comparative table of the 9 best alternatives to Copilot
Before diving into the details of each tool, here's a quick overview of the best alternatives to Microsoft Copilot. Each has its strengths: some are ultra-generalist, others focus on a specific business need.
1 of 9
| Copilot |  ChatGPT |  Claude |  Le Chat |  Amazon CodeWhisperer |  Formula Bot |  Kore.AI |  Otter.ai |  TabNine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies |
| See software | See software | See software | See software | See software | See software | See software | See software | See software |
| Learn more about Copilot | Learn more about ChatGPT | Learn more about Claude | Learn more about Le Chat | Learn more about Amazon CodeWhisperer | Learn more about Formula Bot | Learn more about Kore.AI | Learn more about Otter.ai | Learn more about TabNine |
Our selection of alternatives for Microsoft Copilot
The heavyweights of AI assistance
These generalist assistants are capable of covering several use cases at once: writing, code, synthesis, automation... Co-pilots in their own right, often more flexible (and sometimes more powerful) than Copilot itself.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, is one of the most versatile AI assistants on the market. Since the arrival of GPT-4 with integrated browsing, files and tools, it can do almost anything: write a report, generate a presentation, produce code, create an Excel formula, or even interact with your professional files.
It is not a compartmentalised tool. ChatGPT is used worldwide by freelancers, SMEs, product and finance teams. It integrates easily into your stack (via API or plugin), and works just as well for individual use as for team deployment.
Its strength? An ultra-powerful linguistic model, capable of understanding complex contexts, summarising long documents, or proposing content tailored to your business challenges.
ChatGPT
Key features
- Content generation and reformulation (emails, articles, pitches, documents, etc.)
- Automatic summaries of documents, PDFs and notes
- Generate code, algorithms, scripts or tests
- Analysis of data tables, creation of Excel formulas
- Q&A on your files with the "Code Interpreter" / "Advanced Data Analysis" tool
- Access to professional tools (web browsing, DALL-E, Python, files, etc.)
👉 To remember
ChatGPT is the most complete alternative to Copilot, with greater power in certain use cases (summaries, file exploration, flexibility in the ecosystem). It's the ideal tool for those who want an AI co-pilot that adapts to their environment, not the other way round.
Claude
Developed by Anthropic, Claude is positioned as a reliable, ethical conversational AI assistant that performs extremely well on writing tasks. It is particularly appreciated in companies for its ability to analyse and summarise long documents with remarkable accuracy.
Claude supports very broad contexts (up to 200,000 tokens depending on the version), making it an excellent choice for managing technical documentation, contracts, reports and internal archives. It is also used for writing, research, content structuring and decision support.
In terms of posture, Claude is 'calmer', more factual and less hallucinatory than some models. It is therefore particularly suited to sensitive contexts or regulated professions (legal, finance, HR, etc.).
Claude
Key features
- Summarising long documents (PDF, Word, emails, etc.)
- Reformulation, proofreading and writing of a variety of content
- Analysis of internal corpora (with possible RAG integration)
- Contextual chat with advanced memory (depending on version)
- Compliance with security, governance and ethical criteria (company focus)
👉 To remember
Claude excels at understanding complex language and documents. Less 'creative' than ChatGPT, but more stable, more cautious, and often preferred in B2B contexts. A real Copilot alternative for documented (and demanding) businesses.
Google Gemini (ex-Bard)
Gemini is Google's direct response to Copilot. Formerly known as Bard, this AI model is now integrated into Google Workspace (Docs, Gmail, Sheets, Slides, etc.), making it a natural alternative for companies already in the Google ecosystem.
Gemini offers similar functionality to Copilot: writing, summarising, creating presentations, generating formulas... all with a fluid interface that's well connected to your everyday tools. Its strength? Native integration with Google services, and the ability to work from your Drive documents, emails or spreadsheets.
It is available in a free (limited) version or an advanced version with Gemini for Workspace, designed for businesses.
Key features
- Write and rewrite text in Google Docs and Gmail
- Automated slide creation with Google Slides
- Generate formulas in Google Sheets
- Access Drive documents to summarise, synthesise or rephrase
- Contextual replies in Gmail or from your own data
👉 To remember
Gemini is a very logical alternative to Copilot... especially if your team is already using Google Workspace. AI integrates seamlessly into the Google environment, with advanced functions that cover most office use cases.
Le Chat (Mistral AI)
Cock-a-doodle-doo 🐓 (so to speak), Mistral AI's Le Chat is the European alternative to ChatGPT... and it's seriously starting to scratch. Designed for businesses, it is based on high-performance open source models (Mistral 7B, Mixtral), and offers a fluid, fast and secure conversational experience.
Accessible free of charge or via the paid 'Le Chat Premium' package, it can be used to generate content, summarise documents, structure ideas, and soon... much more. One of its major assets is its European hosting, which complies with RGPD regulations. And that's a real plus for IT Departments and regulated sectors.
We particularly recommend it for companies that want effective AI, but don't want to be dependent on the GAFAMs.
Le Chat
Key features
- Text generation, summaries, rephrasing
- Rapid understanding of complex instructions
- Highly responsive (ultra-short response time)
- Access to several (open-source) templates as required
- Data hosted in Europe (RGPD compliance)
👉 To remember
Chat doesn't (yet) have the ecosystem of Copilot or ChatGPT, but it gets to the heart of the matter brilliantly. Fast, smart, sovereign. It's an excellent alternative for European businesses that want to keep control of their data, without sacrificing performance.
Business tools for very specific uses
These alternatives are less general-purpose, but extremely effective in their field. They replace Copilot where it really needs to perform: code, spreadsheets, meetings, AI agents, etc.
Amazon CodeWhisperer
CodeWhisperer is Amazon's alter ego for developers. A direct competitor to GitHub Copilot, it is designed to speed up code writing in AWS environments (but not only). It suggests functions, completes entire blocks, generates unit tests and can even detect security flaws.
One of its big advantages is its extensive integration with AWS and tools like SageMaker, Lambda and Cloud9. Ideal for back-end, data or DevOps developers.
And to make matters worse, the free version is already very comprehensive (multi-languages, IDEs, embedded security, etc.).
Amazon CodeWhisperer
Key features
- Real-time code suggestions (over 15 languages)
- Direct integration with VS Code, IntelliJ, PyCharm, etc.
- Automated security analysis of code suggestions
- Optimised for the AWS ecosystem (IAM, S3, Lambda, etc.)
- Support for the most popular frameworks (Python, JavaScript, Java, etc.)
👉 Verdict
While GitHub Copilot is too Microsoft-centric, CodeWhisperer is more open... and more secure. It is clearly aimed at tech teams working in or around AWS. A precise, powerful and pragmatic alternative for professional developers.
Formula Bot
Do you dream of no longer googling "Excel formula to concatenate with si condition and recherchev"? Formula Bot is for you.
This little gem transforms your natural language instructions into ready-to-use Excel formulas, and it works on Google Sheets too.
Designed for professionals who handle data without necessarily being analysts or Excel experts, Formula Bot decodes your needs, creates the appropriate formula and explains how it works.
A huge time-saver for finance, sales ops, data teams, or any manager who spends their days working with spreadsheets.
Formula Bot
Key features
- Generates Excel formulas from a prompt
- Clear, educational explanation of each formula
- Excel & Google Sheets compatibility
- Translation and correction of existing formulas
- Automatic analysis of simple tables
👉 To remember
Formula Bot won't replace Power BI, but it's a great replacement for Copilot in Excel, often being faster, simpler and more accurate. A must-have for teams who handle Excel files but are not data scientists.
Kore.ai
Kore.ai is the ideal alternative to Copilot Studio. Where Microsoft lets you create internal copilots via Power Platform, Kore.ai goes further: it lets you build conversational or automated agents, without coding, and connect them to your business tools.
The tool is clearly aimed at support, HR, IT or operations teams looking to automate recurring requests, improve the internal user experience, or simply orchestrate business processes with an AI interface.
With a well thought-out no-code platform, Kore.ai simplifies the creation of personalised, multilingual and omnichannel agents, all with an enterprise-ready approach (SSO, security, analytics, etc.).
Kore.AI
Key features
- Creation of conversational agents via a no-code interface
- Orchestration of business workflows (HR, IT, support, etc.)
- Integration with your in-house tools (CRM, HRIS, ITSM, etc.)
- Multilingual, omnichannel (chat, email, voice)
- Analysis tools, agent performance measurement
👉 To remember
Kore.ai is more than an AI assistant, it's a true business process orchestra conductor. If Copilot Studio seems limited or too compartmentalised, Kore.ai offers far greater flexibility and functional depth for effective automation.
Otter.ai
Otter.ai is the AI assistant that never picks up the phone during a video call. Designed for professionals who have one Teams, Zoom or Google Meet meeting after another, Otter automatically transcribes your exchanges, generates clear summaries and extracts the actions to follow. All in real time.
The tool integrates directly into your calendar and can even join a meeting in your place to take notes (yes, seriously). It's the natural alternative to Copilot in Microsoft Teams, with a more open, refined and multi-platform approach.
Sales, product, HR or CSM teams will find it a huge time-saver and an automatic organisational memory.
Otter.ai
Key features
- Automatic real-time transcription (Zoom, Meet, Teams, etc.)
- Meeting summary, key points, to-dos
- Multi-participant voice recording
- Integration with calendar and video tools
- Transcript search, PDF or text export
👉 To remember
Otter.ai is a true meeting copilot, ultra-efficient for effortlessly documenting your discussions. Compared with Copilot, it's more accessible, compatible with all platforms, and frighteningly accurate. A must-try if your weeks are full of visios.
Tabnine
Tabnine is an AI assistant for developers... but not just for GitHub fans. Unlike GitHub Copilot, Tabnine focuses on confidentiality, private deployment and multi-IDE compatibility, making it a great alternative for tech teams concerned about their data.
It works simply: as you code, Tabnine intelligently suggests complete lines or blocks of code. It learns from your code base, integrates with your workflows, and lets you keep control of your models.
In short, a real technical co-pilot for dev teams who don't want to be dependent on Microsoft.
TabNine
Key features
- Real-time, multi-language code suggestions
- Private AI models (hosted on your servers)
- Compatible with the main IDEs (VS Code, IntelliJ, etc.)
- Deployment locally or in the cloud, depending on your security requirements
- Support for security standards (SOC2, ISO27001, etc.)
👉 To remember
Tabnine is the trusted AI alternative to GitHub Copilot, particularly for teams with confidentiality or sovereignty constraints. A reliable, stable tool that can be adapted to all dev environments.
Summary table: focus on the features of alternatives to Microsoft Copilot
| Software | Type of user | Key features | Key features | Entry price |
| ChatGPT | All pro profiles | Ultra-versatile, integrated tools, powerful API | Copywriting, code, data, search, summary, plugin, navigation | Free / from $20/month |
| Claude | Companies, lawyers, copywriters | Extensive context, detailed analysis, ethics | Long doc summaries, structuring, internal Q&A | Free / from $20/month |
| Google Gemini | Google Workspace users | Native integration, simplicity | Writing, slides, emails, Sheets, Drive access | Included in Workspace |
| Chat (Mistral) | European companies, tech | Sovereign model, fast, open source | Text generation, summaries, complex prompts | Free / Premium coming soon |
| Amazon CodeWhisperer | AWS and fullstack developers | Secure code, multi-language, free pro | Code suggestions, testing, vulnerability detection, IDEs | Free / Enterprise on quotation |
| Formula Bot | Analysts, sales ops, management | Very fast, simple, effective in Excel | Formula generation, explanation, Excel/Sheets compatibility | From $6.99/month |
| Kore.ai | HR, Support, IT, Ops | No-code, advanced automation | Creation of AI agents, integration of internal tools, analytics | On quotation |
| Otter.ai | Sales, HR, managers | Automatic note-taking, multi-media visios | Transcription of meetings, summaries, actions, history search | Free / from $10/month |
| Tabnine | Developers, CTOs, IT Directors | Private deployment, confidentiality, multiple IDEs | Code suggestions, auto-completion, IDE compatibility, internal templates | Free / from $12/month |
How to choose your AI assistant software?
Choosing an alternative to Microsoft Copilot isn't just a question of budget or technical taste. It's a real strategic decision that depends on your current tools, your use cases and your digital maturity.
Here are the essential criteria to consider before taking the plunge:
1. Your working environment
- If you're into Google Workspace, Gemini is a no-brainer.
- If you're really into AWS or GitLab, look at CodeWhisperer or Tabnine.
- Do you prefer a powerful, agnostic tool? ChatGPT or Claude can be integrated everywhere (with a good level of customisation).
2. The use case(s) to be covered
- Writing / summarising → ChatGPT, Claude, Le Chat
- Meetings & visios → Otter.ai
- Development → Tabnine, CodeWhisperer
- Excel / Sheets → Formula Bot
- Automation / AI agents → Kore.ai
👉 If you have several cases at once, opt for a transversal tool (ChatGPT, Gemini), or combine two specialised tools.
3. The sensitivity of your data
- Do you work in a regulated sector or manage sensitive internal data?
- Opt for a sovereign or locally hosted tool: Le Chat, Tabnine (self-hosted), Claude (RGPD-friendly).
- Avoid "all cloud" tools with no clear guarantees on confidentiality.
4. The technical level of your teams
- For use accessible to everyone, opt for no-code or simple interface solutions (Otter, Gemini, Formula Bot).
- For technical or data teams, opt for tools with APIs, private models or scripts (ChatGPT, CodeWhisperer, Tabnine).
👉 To remember
The Appvizer tip: try it out. Most of the tools listed offer free or freemium versions. Ideally, you should try them out in a small area of your business, before extending them to the whole company.
What if the best co-pilot... wasn't from Microsoft?
Microsoft Copilot has paved the way for a new generation of integrated AI assistants... but it is no longer alone in the race. Whether you're looking for a copilot that's more agile, more sophisticated, more sovereign, or simply better suited to your tools, there's no shortage of alternatives.
From ChatGPT to Otter.ai, via Claude or Formula Bot, each of these tools meets a specific need, with seriousness, efficiency and sometimes even a touch of panache.
In the end, the hardest part isn' t choosing an AI assistant, it's finding the one that really works for you.
And there you have all the cards in your hand.
Article translated from French