Copilot Studio is Microsoft's tool for building AI agents that connect to other systems and run workflows. Most small teams do not need it to start. The agent builder inside Copilot makes a simple agent that answers from your documents, with no extra licence. Your company pays per use each time staff without the paid Copilot seat use the agent. Copilot Studio is for agents that reach other systems.
Copilot Studio builds agents that do more than answer
An agent is an assistant set up for one job, such as answering staff questions from the HR handbook. Microsoft gives you two places to build one:
- The agent builder, inside Copilot. You describe the agent in plain words, point it at a few files or a SharePoint site, and share it with your team. No code.
- Copilot Studio, a separate tool. It does what the agent builder does, and more. An agent can connect to other systems and follow a set of steps. It can also start when something happens, and hand over to a person. More details.
The agent builder is for an agent that answers. Copilot Studio is for an agent that also does things in other systems.
Copilot Studio bills by use, in Copilot Credits
Building an agent is free. Running it uses Copilot Credits, and Microsoft sells them two ways:
- Pay as you go. You pay for the credits your agents use each month, at US$0.01 a credit. This needs an Azure subscription. More details.
- A monthly pack. 25,000 credits for US$200 a month, which works out lower per credit.
More details on Microsoft's Copilot Studio pricing page.
How many credits a task uses depends on what the agent does: the AI model, how much it reads, and how many steps and tools it uses. That makes the monthly bill hard to predict before you try it. Microsoft lets admins set spending limits and alerts.
Your company pays per use when staff on Copilot Chat (free) use agents that read company files. More details. Microsoft changes these rules often, so check Microsoft's Copilot Studio pricing page before you plan a budget.
When a small team needs Copilot Studio
You likely need Copilot Studio when the agent has to:
- Reach a system outside Microsoft 365, such as Xero, Shopify or your own database.
- Follow a fixed process, such as checking an order, then updating a record, then emailing the customer.
- Start on its own, when an email or a form arrives, not only when someone types a question.
You likely do not need it when the agent only has to answer questions from your documents. Start with the agent builder for that.
An IT person or a partner usually builds in Copilot Studio
Copilot Studio says no code is needed, and a simple agent is easy to start. Connecting it to other systems, testing it and looking after it is real work. In most small companies, that work falls to an IT person or a Microsoft partner.
Ask three questions before you start:
- Who builds the agent, and how many days will it take?
- Who fixes it when a connected system changes?
- Who watches the monthly credit bill?
Getting from personal AI to company AI takes 3 steps
You now know what Copilot Studio can build, and who usually builds it. An agent that reaches your systems is step 3 in the figure. The Copilot comparison shows how an agent we build and look after for you fits beside Copilot. To choose the assistant itself, read Claude vs Copilot.
- Personal AIOne person uses Copilot or Claude for their own emails, files and meetings.
- AI set up for the teamCompany accounts that keep data safe, a staff AI policy, training so everyone uses it the same way, and shared agents. See the Copilot course.
- AI that does a team's jobAn agent connected to your systems, such as Xero, WhatsApp or your stock system. It does a shared job and asks before it acts. See Glimmer.
Someone has to pick the plans, write the staff rules, train the team and connect AI to the company's systems. If nobody in your company has the time, Glints does that setup with you. Book a call about setup.
Questions people also ask
Is Copilot Studio free?
Building an agent is free. Running agents uses Copilot Credits, which you pay as you go or buy in monthly packs. More details.
What is the difference between Copilot Studio and the agent builder?
The agent builder makes a simple agent that answers from your files, inside Copilot. Copilot Studio builds agents that also connect to other systems and follow steps.
Do I need a developer for Copilot Studio?
Not for a simple agent. For one that connects to your other systems, most small companies use an IT person or a partner, because someone has to build the connections and keep them working.
Where to start
This week, build one simple agent in the agent builder, from one document your staff ask about often. See whether people use it before you look at Copilot Studio.
To get your managers using Copilot well first, register your interest in our Copilot course. To talk about an agent that reaches your other systems, book a call.