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Microsoft Copilot−3 Mixed

Where It Fits

Where does Microsoft Copilot belong in the stack?

Microsoft Copilot's primary role: Microsoft 365 AI Assistant & Work Search. It is Core across Assist and Find and supports Create, Analyze, and Automate.

  1. Assist

    1. AI assistant: Core

  2. Find

    1. Web research: Supports
    2. Enterprise search: Core

  3. Create

    1. Documents: Supports
    2. Meeting notes: Supports

  4. Analyze

    1. Data analysis: Supports

  5. Automate

    1. Automation: Supports
Layer by layer

Microsoft Copilot beside the rest of its stack

Every product we cover on AI Knowledge Work, on the layers it owns, placed by what its practitioners report. Pick any of them to compare.

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Microsoft Copilot−3Mixed

Each product sits on the layers it owns, placed left to right by how far its positive sources lead its negative ones. A disc's area is its sources in this view and its tone is its band. Products with fewer than 20 sources from 15 authors have no net and sit at the right, under Unscored. The teal line joins Microsoft Copilot across its layers.

Read the field as a table
AI Knowledge Work, Leaders and teams: every product with its layers, its Overall Signal and the sentiment split behind it
ProductCore onSupportsOverall SignalNetSourcesPositiveMixedNegative
HexData analysisAutomationStrong positive+653322110
ClaudeAI assistantWeb research, Enterprise search, Documents, Data analysis, AutomationPositive+442815112
Databricks GenieData analysisAI assistant, Enterprise search, AutomationPositive+364121146
Snowflake CoWorkData analysisAI assistant, Enterprise search, AutomationPositive+362612104
ChatGPTAI assistantWeb research, Enterprise search, Documents, Meeting notes, Data analysis, AutomationMixed+1438171110
ConfluenceEnterprise search, DocumentsAI assistant, AutomationMixed+83618315
FirefliesMeeting notesEnterprise search, Documents, Data analysis, AutomationMixed+63618216
Notion AIEnterprise search, DocumentsAI assistant, Web research, Meeting notes, AutomationMixed+521957
n8nAutomationEnterprise searchMixed0278118
Microsoft CopilotAI assistant, Enterprise searchWeb research, Documents, Meeting notes, Data analysis, AutomationMixed−340121513
ZapierAutomationNoneMixed−4249510
Power AutomateAutomationData analysisMixed−648151518
LookerData analysisAutomationMixed−82771010
GeminiAI assistant, Enterprise searchWeb research, Documents, Meeting notes, Data analysis, AutomationNegative−2446101620
PerplexityAI assistant, Web researchEnterprise search, Documents, Data analysis, AutomationNegative−25205510
OtterMeeting notesEnterprise search, Documents, AutomationStrong negative−69363528
Open WebUIAI assistantWeb research, Enterprise search, AutomationStrong negative−74352528
MakeAutomationNoneBelow minimumnone19676
Microsoft Copilot StudioAutomationEnterprise searchBelow minimumnone152310
GleanEnterprise searchAI assistant, AutomationBelow minimumnone14941
GranolaMeeting notesEnterprise search, Documents, AutomationBelow minimumnone14824
FathomMeeting notesEnterprise search, AutomationBelow minimumnone9243
Gemini EnterpriseAI assistant, Enterprise searchWeb research, Documents, Data analysis, AutomationBelow minimumnone8044
GrokAI assistantWeb research, Enterprise search, Documents, Data analysis, AutomationBelow minimumnone0000

Each author counts once.

Stack Footprint

What is Microsoft Copilot used for, and by whom?

See where it fits

AI Assistants, also listed under enterprise search and productivity suites.

Microsoft Copilot across the AI Knowledge Work stack. Bar height is its role on each layer.

  1. Assist

    1. AI assistant: Core

      AI assistant, core. Copilot Chat is included with eligible Microsoft 365 subscriptions for Entra users. The Copilot app on web, desktop, and mobile offers model choice, including Anthropic and OpenAI models, under Microsoft's enterprise data protection.

  2. Find

    1. Web research: Supports

      Web research, supports. Copilot Chat uses web grounding by default. The Researcher agent writes multi-source reports for licensed users. A dedicated answer engine still owns quick cited research for people who work mostly outside Microsoft 365.

    2. Enterprise search: Core

      Enterprise search, core. With a Microsoft Copilot license, answers draw on Microsoft Graph, Work IQ, and semantic indexing across the email, files, sites, meetings, and chats a user can open. More than 100 Copilot connectors add line-of-business data, always within existing Microsoft 365 permissions.

  3. Create

    1. Documents: Supports

      Documents, supports. Copilot drafts and rewrites in Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint. Copilot Notebooks gather a project's files and notes. Documents, templates, and sites remain in Word, SharePoint, and OneDrive.

    2. Meeting notes: Supports

      Meeting notes, supports. Copilot in Teams summarizes and transcribes meetings and answers licensed participants' questions during them, and the Facilitator agent keeps shared notes, all inside Teams meetings. Meetings on Zoom, Meet, or in person need a dedicated meeting-notes tool.

  4. Analyze

    1. Data analysis: Supports

      Data analysis, supports. Copilot in Excel analyzes data and creates formulas and visuals. The Analyst agent handles multi-step analysis with the paid license. Governed reporting on warehouse data stays with an analytics tool.

  5. Automate

    1. Automation: Supports

      Automation, supports. Agent Builder and Copilot Studio build agents grounded in work data. Copilot Cowork carries out approved multi-step tasks across Outlook, Teams, and files on metered usage. Process automation across many non-Microsoft apps stays with Power Automate or a platform such as Zapier.

Used for writing & drafting, meeting notes, company knowledge search, research, data analysis, and workflow automation, by knowledge workers, business leaders, and IT & workspace admins.

Business Area
Company-wide
Function
Knowledge Work
Operating Stack
AI Knowledge Work
Primary Role
Microsoft 365 AI Assistant & Work Search

How to read this map. Each layer lists the products that structurally own it, so a product that only touches a layer isn't listed among its owners. Microsoft Copilot is underlined in teal where it is Core, and its rows sit a shade lighter; where it supports or touches a layer, that row names it first.

    Assist

    Microsoft Copilot: core on 1 of 1 layer

    1. General AI assistant

      A conversational workspace where people draft, reason, summarize, and get answers on any task, with their files and connected apps as context.

      • Microsoft Copilot
      • ChatGPTAI AssistantChatGPTOpenAI+14 MixedChatGPT writes and researches, analyzes files and data, and runs multi-step tasks through ChatGPT Work. OpenAI sells Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans to individuals, and Business and Enterprise workspaces to organizations.Owns this layerGeneral AI assistantOpen product page
      • ClaudeAI AssistantClaudeAnthropic+44 PositiveAnthropic's work assistant: chat, Projects, research, documents and slides, connectors to company tools, hand-off tasks, and @Claude in Slack on Free, Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans.Owns this layerGeneral AI assistantOpen product page
      • GeminiAI AssistantGeminiGoogle−24 NegativeGoogle's Gemini assistant for work: the Gemini app with a work account, and Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Meet, and Drive in Google Workspace Business and Enterprise plans. Gemini Enterprise adds search and agents across company apps.Owns this layerGeneral AI assistantOpen product page
      • Gemini EnterpriseAI AssistantGemini EnterpriseGoogle−42 NegativeGoogle's workplace AI app, formerly Google Agentspace. Employees chat with Gemini over company data from Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Jira, Salesforce and other connected apps, and build no-code agents. Sold per user per month in editions.Owns this layerGeneral AI assistantOpen product page
      • GrokAI AssistantGrokxAI+9 MixedGrok is the assistant xAI (SpaceXSI in its current documentation) runs at grok.com and in the iOS and Android apps. It chats, analyzes uploaded files, creates images and video with Grok Imagine, talks by voice, and reaches email, files, and calendars through connectors. Paid plans draw on one weekly usage pool.Owns this layerGeneral AI assistantOpen product page
      • Open WebUIAI AssistantOpen WebUIOpen WebUI−74 Strong negativeOpen WebUI is a self-hosted chat interface that puts local models served by Ollama or llama.cpp and hosted model APIs behind one web app, with user accounts, knowledge and RAG, tools and MCP, SSO, LDAP, RBAC, and SCIM. It is free to use as-is under its own license, which keeps the branding above 50 users; enterprise licenses add white-labeling and support.Owns this layerGeneral AI assistantOpen product page
      • PerplexityAI SearchPerplexityPerplexity−25 NegativePerplexity searches the web and answers with inline citations. It adds Deep Research, model choice, Projects for shared files, and Computer for multi-step tasks. Companies buy Enterprise Pro or Enterprise Max seats.Owns this layerGeneral AI assistantOpen product page

    Find

    Microsoft Copilot: core on 1 of 2 layers; supports on 1 of 2 layers

    1. Web research & cited answers

      Searching the public web and synthesizing what it finds into answers and reports that cite their sources.

      • Microsoft Copilot supportsSupportingCopilot Chat uses web grounding by default. The Researcher agent writes multi-source reports for licensed users. A dedicated answer engine still owns quick cited research for people who work mostly outside Microsoft 365.
      • PerplexityAI SearchPerplexityPerplexity−25 NegativePerplexity searches the web and answers with inline citations. It adds Deep Research, model choice, Projects for shared files, and Computer for multi-step tasks. Companies buy Enterprise Pro or Enterprise Max seats.Owns this layerWeb research & cited answersOpen product page

    2. Enterprise search & company knowledge

      Finding answers across the company's own apps and documents while respecting each source's permissions.

      • Microsoft Copilot
      • ConfluenceTeam WorkspaceConfluenceAtlassian+8 MixedConfluence is Atlassian's team wiki, with pages, live docs, whiteboards, and databases linked to Jira. Standard, Premium, and Enterprise Cloud include Rovo. It answers across Confluence, Jira, and connected apps. Rovo also writes in the editor and runs agents against pooled monthly credits.Owns this layerEnterprise search & company knowledgeOpen product page
      • GeminiAI AssistantGeminiGoogle−24 NegativeGoogle's Gemini assistant for work: the Gemini app with a work account, and Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Meet, and Drive in Google Workspace Business and Enterprise plans. Gemini Enterprise adds search and agents across company apps.Owns this layerEnterprise search & company knowledgeOpen product page
      • Gemini EnterpriseAI AssistantGemini EnterpriseGoogle−42 NegativeGoogle's workplace AI app, formerly Google Agentspace. Employees chat with Gemini over company data from Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Jira, Salesforce and other connected apps, and build no-code agents. Sold per user per month in editions.Owns this layerEnterprise search & company knowledgeOpen product page
      • GleanAI SearchGleanGlean+67 Strong positiveGlean indexes company apps through 275+ connectors and mirrors their permissions. Employees search that content and ask Glean Assistant questions. Glean Agents use the same context to automate work.Owns this layerEnterprise search & company knowledgeOpen product page
      • Notion AITeam WorkspaceNotion AINotion+5 MixedNotion AI works inside the Notion workspace. Notion Agent writes and edits pages and databases. Enterprise Search answers across Notion and connected apps. AI Meeting Notes transcribes meetings, and Custom Agents run recurring work on Notion credits.Owns this layerEnterprise search & company knowledgeOpen product page
      • Onyx

    Create

    Microsoft Copilot: supports on 2 of 2 layers

    1. Writing & documents

      Drafting, editing, and organizing the documents, wikis, and project pages a team works from.

      • Microsoft Copilot supportsSupportingCopilot drafts and rewrites in Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint. Copilot Notebooks gather a project's files and notes. Documents, templates, and sites remain in Word, SharePoint, and OneDrive.
      • ConfluenceTeam WorkspaceConfluenceAtlassian+8 MixedConfluence is Atlassian's team wiki, with pages, live docs, whiteboards, and databases linked to Jira. Standard, Premium, and Enterprise Cloud include Rovo. It answers across Confluence, Jira, and connected apps. Rovo also writes in the editor and runs agents against pooled monthly credits.Owns this layerWriting & documentsOpen product page
      • Notion AITeam WorkspaceNotion AINotion+5 MixedNotion AI works inside the Notion workspace. Notion Agent writes and edits pages and databases. Enterprise Search answers across Notion and connected apps. AI Meeting Notes transcribes meetings, and Custom Agents run recurring work on Notion credits.Owns this layerWriting & documentsOpen product page

    2. Meeting capture & notes

      Transcribing meetings and turning them into notes, decisions, and follow-ups people can act on.

      • Microsoft Copilot supportsSupportingCopilot in Teams summarizes and transcribes meetings and answers licensed participants' questions during them, and the Facilitator agent keeps shared notes, all inside Teams meetings. Meetings on Zoom, Meet, or in person need a dedicated meeting-notes tool.
      • FathomAI Meeting NotesFathomFathom (part of Superhuman)+23 PositiveFathom records Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams calls with a bot, or bot-free on Mac, and writes summaries and action items after each call. The free plan has unlimited recordings. Fathom has been part of Superhuman since Sep 14, 2026.Owns this layerMeeting capture & notesOpen product page
      • FirefliesAI Meeting NotesFirefliesFireflies.ai+6 MixedAI meeting assistant from Fireflies.ai. Its notetaker, Fred, joins Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams meetings from the calendar, records them, and sends attendees transcripts and summaries with action items. Desktop, Chrome, and mobile apps capture calls without a bot, and AI Skills, CRM sync, an API, and an MCP server send meeting data to other tools.Owns this layerMeeting capture & notesOpen product page
      • GranolaAI Meeting NotesGranolaGranola+68 Strong positiveGranola captures computer or phone audio without a meeting bot. It expands typed notes into full notes, action items, and follow-ups.Owns this layerMeeting capture & notesOpen product page
      • OtterAI Meeting NotesOtterOtter.ai−69 Strong negativeOtter.ai records Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams calls with a bot, or captures desktop audio without one. It keeps searchable audio and live transcripts, plus summaries and action items you can query.Owns this layerMeeting capture & notesOpen product page

    Analyze

    Microsoft Copilot: supports on 1 of 1 layer

    1. Data analysis & reporting

      Querying structured business data and turning it into analyses, notebooks, dashboards, and reports.

      • Microsoft Copilot supportsSupportingCopilot in Excel analyzes data and creates formulas and visuals. The Analyst agent handles multi-step analysis with the paid license. Governed reporting on warehouse data stays with an analytics tool.
      • Databricks GenieAI Data AnalysisDatabricks GenieDatabricks+36 PositiveDatabricks Genie answers data questions in plain language. Data teams curate Genie Agents, formerly Genie Spaces, on Unity Catalog data with example SQL and SQL expressions, then test them with benchmarks. Business users ask in Genie One or on mobile, or through the Genie Agents API. The SQL Genie generates is always read-only and runs under the user's Unity Catalog permissions.Owns this layerData analysis & reportingOpen product page
      • HexAI Data AnalysisHexHex+65 Strong positiveSQL and Python notebooks, data apps, and two warehouse agents: Notebook Agent for data teams and Threads for business users.Owns this layerData analysis & reportingOpen product page
      • LookerAI Data AnalysisLookerGoogle−8 MixedGoogle Cloud's BI platform. Data teams define metrics, joins, and access in LookML. People explore, build dashboards, and ask natural-language questions through Gemini in Looker's Conversational Analytics. Sold as Looker (Google Cloud core) platform editions plus user licenses, separate from free Data Studio, formerly Looker Studio.Owns this layerData analysis & reportingOpen product page
      • Snowflake CoWorkAI Data AnalysisSnowflake CoWorkSnowflake+36 PositiveSnowflake's data assistant for business users, renamed from Snowflake Intelligence on June 2, 2026. Cortex Agents query tables through semantic views and documents through Cortex Search, under each user's roles. CoWork bills AI Credits by token use, with no seat fee.Owns this layerData analysis & reportingOpen product page
      • Power BI

    Automate

    Microsoft Copilot: supports on 1 of 1 layer

    1. Workflow automation & agents

      Moving work between apps through triggered workflows and agents that run multi-step tasks within the permissions they are given.

      • Microsoft Copilot supportsSupportingAgent Builder and Copilot Studio build agents grounded in work data. Copilot Cowork carries out approved multi-step tasks across Outlook, Teams, and files on metered usage. Process automation across many non-Microsoft apps stays with Power Automate or a platform such as Zapier.
      • Microsoft Copilot StudioWorkflow AutomationMicrosoft Copilot StudioMicrosoft−53 Strong negativeMicrosoft's agent builder, formerly Power Virtual Agents. Makers build agents and agent flows with Power Platform connectors, MCP servers and a choice of models, and publish them to Microsoft 365 Copilot, Teams and websites. Usage bills in Copilot Credits.Owns this layerWorkflow automation & agentsOpen product page
      • MakeWorkflow AutomationMakeCelonis0 MixedMake, formerly Integromat and owned by Celonis, connects 3,500+ apps through visual scenarios built from modules, routers, and iterators. Each module operation is billed in credits. Make AI Agents are in open beta, and the Make MCP server lets assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT run scenarios.Owns this layerWorkflow automation & agentsOpen product page
      • n8nWorkflow Automationn8nn8n0 Mixedn8n connects 500+ integrations in visual workflows with code steps and AI Agent nodes. It bills per workflow execution. It runs on n8n Cloud or self-hosted under n8n's fair-code license.Owns this layerWorkflow automation & agentsOpen product page
      • Power AutomateWorkflow AutomationPower AutomateMicrosoft−6 MixedMicrosoft's workflow automation service, formerly Microsoft Flow. Cloud flows connect Microsoft 365 and 1,500+ connectors. Desktop flows automate Windows and legacy applications, and process mining maps how work actually runs. Agent flows in Copilot Studio run the same kind of deterministic steps for agents, billed in Copilot Credits.Owns this layerWorkflow automation & agentsOpen product page
      • ZapierWorkflow AutomationZapierZapier−4 MixedZapier connects 9,000+ business apps through Zaps. AI by Zapier steps cost tasks by model tier, and Zapier MCP lets assistants call app actions. Zapier is moving standalone Agents into AI by Zapier.Owns this layerWorkflow automation & agentsOpen product page

    Core, Supports, and Touches describe how much of a layer a product covers. They say nothing about quality.