Agents
Assistants that follow instructions, draw on connected knowledge, and use tools. Some can be given their own account and work on tasks in the background.
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Microsoft Copilot Studio
a low-code studio from Microsoft for building AI agents and workflows that connect to business data and publish to Teams, Microsoft 365 Copilot, websites, and other channels
Who they are and what they are good at
Copilot Studio is Microsoft's graphical, low-code studio for agents and workflows. You can start by describing what you want in plain language, then refine it, test it, and publish it to Teams, Microsoft 365 Copilot, a website, or other channels.
Workflows and agent flows
Drag-and-drop automations, close to Power Automate, that can call agents, run prompts, and include human review steps.
Connectors and MCP
Prebuilt and custom Power Platform connectors, plus MCP servers that run on the same connector infrastructure and its data loss prevention controls.
Computer use
A tool that lets an agent work websites and desktop apps on a Windows machine with a virtual mouse and keyboard, for systems with no API.
Usage is billed in Copilot Credits, through prepaid packs or pay-as-you-go. For agents that answer from SharePoint, act in Outlook and Teams, and sit under your Microsoft admin controls, Copilot Studio is hard to beat.
Where Copilot Studio stops for messy back-office work
The trouble starts when a recurring procedure leaves Microsoft 365 for a property system, a legacy ERP, or a portal behind a named login.
Windows only
Computer use runs on a Windows machine: a hosted browser or Cloud PC pool, both in preview, or a Windows machine you register through Power Automate for desktop. Mac and Linux desks are not covered.
The model decides each step
Computer use follows written instructions, and Microsoft advises spelling out each click on complex screens. Exact math has to be built elsewhere, in a flow expression or a spreadsheet.
Credits per step
Each computer use step costs 5 Copilot Credits on a standard model or 15 on a premium one.
Shared credentials
Microsoft warns that sharing an agent set to maker-provided credentials lets anyone using it act with the author's access on that machine. Password entry might not work in Citrix and other virtualized apps.
Setup sits with IT
Environments, billing policies, connectors, and machine registration usually involve an admin or Power Platform maker, not only the person who does the work.
LaunchAI runs on the process owner's own desk, on Mac, Windows, or Linux, or on an enrolled agent PC, with their existing logins. See Product →.
Side by side
| Copilot Studio | LaunchAI | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Agents across Microsoft 365, Teams, and Power Platform | Recurring back-office procedures on any screen |
| Who builds | Makers and IT, low-code | The process owner, by talking and showing |
| How it reaches software | Connectors, MCP, and computer use | The screen, through the Vision Layer; no APIs needed |
| Where it runs | Microsoft cloud; computer use on Windows machines | The user's machine or an enrolled agent PC |
| Screen work on Mac or Linux | No | Yes |
| Logins | Stored credentials, Azure Key Vault, or the end user's credentials | The user's signed-in sessions; an encrypted local vault when needed |
| Exact math | Flow expressions and Excel | Deterministic rules, no model call |
| Human review | Review steps in workflows and agent flows | A review step anywhere in the workflow |
| Evidence | Run history and analytics | Before-and-after screenshots of every action |
| Cost unit | Copilot Credits; computer use billed per step | License, plus your model account |
When to choose Copilot Studio
- An HR agent in Teams answers policy questions from SharePoint and opens a ticket through a connector. Every system is in Microsoft's world, and the licenses may already be paid for.
- IT wants every agent in one admin center, under Microsoft's governance and data loss prevention controls.
- A web form with no API needs filling a few times a week, and a Windows machine is already registered for Power Automate.
When to choose LaunchAI
- Monthly owner statements in AppFolio: pull the rent roll, tie cash to the bank download to the cent, and stop for the controller before anything posts.
- The person who knows the procedure works on a Mac, or should build it without learning flows, connectors, and machine setup.
- An auditor asks who changed a number, and the answer should be a screenshot.
Better together
Keep Copilot Studio for the Microsoft parts: the Teams agent people ask questions of, SharePoint knowledge, and approval flows. LaunchAI writes each finished statement to a folder, and a flow files it in SharePoint and posts a notice in Teams. LaunchAI's model steps can also run on your Azure OpenAI account.
FAQ
Does Copilot Studio already do computer use?
Yes. It is a tool you add to an agent. It runs on a Windows machine and bills per step in Copilot Credits. The hosted browser and Cloud PC pool options are in preview; a Windows machine you register is the other option.
Can the hosted browser reach apps inside our network?
Microsoft says it is not joined to your tenant and does not support enterprise resource access or custom desktop apps. Internal systems need a Cloud PC pool or your own registered machine.
Does Copilot Studio have human review?
Yes. Workflows and agent flows can include human review steps. Computer use can also email a named supervisor when it detects instructions that look harmful.
How is this different from the Power Automate comparison?
Power Automate is Microsoft's flow and desktop automation tool. Copilot Studio is where agents are built, and computer use is one of its tools. Our Power Automate page covers desktop flows and computer use side by side.
Is LaunchAI a replacement for Microsoft 365?
No. It covers screens outside Microsoft 365 and hands finished files back to the tools you already use.
No prompts. No babysitting. No Integrations.