Demystifying the capabilities, costs, and strategic choices for your enterprise AI deployment.
Your primary objective dictates your licensing path. Are you enhancing internal workflows or building for the world?
Empower employees to automate tasks and customize their Microsoft 365 experience. The focus is on augmenting your workforce within a secure, predictable ecosystem.
Your Path: M365 Copilot License
Build agents for any channel—public websites, mobile apps, and customer portals. This path provides maximum flexibility for any use case, from support bots to advanced autonomous agents.
Your Path: Standalone License
Copilot Studio's capabilities are unlocked through two primary add-on licenses, each built upon a foundation of M365 security and compliance.
This is the **foundational prerequisite**, not a product license. E5 provides the essential security and governance bedrock (via Microsoft Purview) for a safe AI deployment, plus limited, Teams-only classic bot building.
The primary path for **internal use**. At a predictable per-user cost, it unlocks agent creation but is restricted to the M365 ecosystem. Most core interactions are zero-rated, encouraging broad adoption.
The path for **maximum flexibility**. Licensed via consumption (Message Packs or PAYG), it allows publishing to any channel. This model is powerful but requires strict financial governance due to its variable costs.
Your "Walled Garden" for Internal AI
This license is designed to enhance employee productivity within the Microsoft 365 suite. It offers a predictable cost model where core interactions for licensed users are included, preventing surprise bills. However, this cost predictability comes with a critical trade-off: your agents cannot be published to external websites or apps.
Key Takeaway: Ideal for empowering citizen developers to build internal tools, but strictly limited to your organization's digital walls.
For licensed users, core interactions are zero-rated, but advanced features are always metered against a standalone capacity.
Under the Standalone (Message Pack or PAYG) model, not all interactions are equal. A "message" is a unit of computational effort, and costs can vary by 100x depending on the agent's action. This makes agent design a critical factor in budget management.
For most large enterprises, the optimal approach is a hybrid model managed by a central Center of Excellence (CoE). This strategy balances broad innovation with strict governance, empowering the entire organization while controlling financial risk.
Sets strategy, governance, and best practices for all AI development.
Business users building internal productivity agents.
Microsoft 365 Copilot License
Predictable Cost
HR Bots, IT Helpdesks, Project Assistants (within M365)
CoE/IT building strategic, external, or complex agents.
Standalone (Message Packs / PAYG)
Variable Cost
Public Support Agents, Autonomous Processes, Mobile App Bots