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GitHub Copilot vs Microsoft Copilot: Which Is the Best AI Assistant?
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Updated onSeptember 6, 2024
updated onSeptember 6, 2024
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This GitHub Copilot vs Microsoft Copilot comparison will help you understand which is the most suitable for functional coding.
Generative artificial intelligence programs have made their way into many fields of work, like writing, documentation, designing, website development, and software coding. However, tech giants like Microsoft and Google are developing all-encompassing AI tools to help you with all tasks in one user interface.
Two of the most popular ones areMicrosoft CopilotandGitHub Copilot. If you’re primarily a software programmer with an occasional need for other tasks, read this in-depth comparison to make your decision. Let’s get into it!
What Is GitHub Copilot?
GitHub Copilotis aGitHub repository-linked AI coding suggestion app. It works as an IDE plugin for software development platforms, like JetBrains IDEs,Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, and Neovim. Also, the AI is conversant in all programming languages available in public code repositories.
It extends the function of an AI from simply suggesting the next code line to more functional tasks, code explanations via chat, software documentation, etc.
According to a GitHub report, it increases the productivity of any software programmer by up to 55%. It does so by eliminating the need for coders to handle mundane tasks, import boilerplate functions, etc., to their project and managing the quality of those imported code lines. Instead, programmers can focus truly on writing new codes for their software.
Unlike other coding autocomplete services, GitHub Copilotdoesn’t just copy-paste code lines from a central repositoryby looking up a codebase. Instead, the coding AI is integrated deep into the IDE and your projects. So, it analyzes the project’s ultimate goal and previously written codes to suggest suitable additions.
Pros and Cons
When you start using this tool, you’ll enjoy benefits as well as face some bottlenecks. Here are some of the advantages and drawbacks you should know:
What Is Microsoft Copilot?
Microsoft Copilotis ageneral-purpose AI assistant. It helps you to find focused answers to queries from the web with source links. Besides specialized web search, it also works as a generative AI chat for instant answers to any questions.
It uses advanced artificial intelligence models to offer interactive questions and answers through text, images, and audio inputs. Alongside general answers, it can also write program scripts in up to 20 languages, likePython,JavaScript,Java,C++,C#,Swift, and more.
Microsoft Copilot is primarilyavailable for free for individual users.However, you can get cross-app intelligence by integrating it with most Microsoft 365 apps. For integration purposes, you’ll need a subscription to Copilot for Microsoft 365.
Pros and Cons
Here are the benefits and shortcomings of using Microsoft Copilot:
GitHub Copilot vs Microsoft Copilot – Feature Comparison
Though both of these tools primarily integrate with a user interface and offer real-time AI responses, there are subtle differences that make them unique:
AI Code Generation
Both of these apps help you generate codes automatically with a prompt.
However, GitHub Copilot is intendedspecifically for software code generation.It has been trained on real coding projects from many public code repos. Also, the tool is conversant in all app development languages.
Furthermore, it integrates into a specific coding project and starts suggesting code lines automatically as you build features and functions. In a nutshell, it writes scripts just like a software coder but learns continually and can think much faster than a human programmer.
Contrarily, Microsoft Copilotwrites codes as a generative AI tool.It’s not designated for professional coding in software development projects. In most scenarios, the AI will simply populate a script from a web search if it finds a match. So, you can’t use that code as is for commercial use because you’ll violate software program copyright laws.
Moreover, it can generate codes inonly 20 coding languagesand can’t integrate with an ongoing programming project.
You can see that Microsoft Copilot has also generated a script for mobile app button coding but referenced published articles or websites.
AI Copilot Chat
The chat feature of GitHub Copilot has beendesigned specifically for programming-related assistance.You can ask the AI to explain a codebase, generate a unit test for a function, add a code line to a documentation with explanations, and more.
Furthermore, the Copilot Enterprise edition can create pull request summaries, text completion for pull request description writing, create a knowledge base of prompts, etc.
On the other hand,Microsoft Copilot chat is for general purposes.You can ask it to write a VBA script for Excel, small Python scripts for data analysis, create AI-generated stock images, or synthesize AI music. This AI assistance won’t be able to help you with specialized coding tasks like GitHub Copilot.
Integration With Other Apps
You’ll have tointegrate GitHub Copilot with your preferred IDE, like Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, and Neovim. If you’re using any other coding tool, it must be based on the JetBrains IDE engine for GitHub Copilot integration. For example, you can integrate the AI coding plugin in Android Studio since it’s a JetBrains IDE-compliant development platform.
On the contrary, theMicrosoft Copilot free edition only allows a select few plugins, like Search, Instacart, Klarna, Phone, etc. If you get the Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 subscription, you can integrate the service with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, and more. However, for coding purposes, it won’t integrate with any IDE.
Technical Support
GitHub Copilot offers technical assistance to individual andbusiness usersin various ways. You can choose one or more from the list provided below:
Microsoft Copilot also offers functional support through the following channels:
Security and Privacy Features
GitHub Copilot collects various data, likePrompts,Feedback Data,User Engagement Data, andSuggestionswhen you use the service on your IDE. However, it processes in encrypted mode so no one can know what you’re actually working on. Also, it doesn’t use your data to train the AI engine.
Moreover, it hasdata privacy and protection certificates,likeGDPRandCCPAto help you stay compliant.
Since the program has been trained from public codebase platforms, it might sometimes populate personally identifiable data. However, the chances of such occurrences are very low.
On the other hand,Microsoft Copilot uses general security and privacy features for the free edition subscribers.For example, the app has data transmission encryption so hackers can’t intercept your work. You can log in with a Microsoft Account to keep a copy of all of your work. Moreover, Microsoft doesn’t use your data to train its large language models.
For business subscribers and premium users, Microsoft usesdedicated disk partitions for work data. Also, it applies the same content and access restrictions as configured in your Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
In a nutshell, both of these AI tools are safe from prying eyes so you can work with business or confidential data.
Pricing
GitHub Copilot isn’t available for freefor individual developers. You can get a14-day free trial periodbut you must sign up with a credit or debit card. You can cancel the subscription before the trial ends or you’ll get charged.
The Copilot Individual subscription starts at$10/ user/ monthand could go up to$39/ user/ monthfor the Enterprise plan.
Contrarily,the basic version of Microsoft Copilot is free foreverfor registered and visitor users. You could get a Copilot Pro subscription for$20/ user/ month. Alternatively, if you need to use the AI assistance in the Microsoft 365 suite, you can subscribe to the$30/ user/ monthpremium package.
GitHub Copilot vs Microsoft Copilot: Verdict
So, here are my thoughts:
If you’re a trainee, expert, or business-level software programmer looking to reduce manual work, you should go for GitHub Copilot.
However, if you code as a hobby or are just in the learning phase, you can start with Microsoft Copilot. It’ll help you get answers to theoretical content related to programming.
Hopefully, this GitHub Copilot vs Microsoft Copilot will help you make up your mind.
More about the topics:Github,GitHub Copilot,microsoft,Microsoft copilot
Vlad Turiceanu
Windows Editor
Passionate about technology,Windows, and everything that has a power button, he spent most of his time developing new skills and learning more about the tech world.
Coming from a solid background in PC building and software development, with a complete expertise in touch-based devices, he is constantly keeping an eye out for the latest and greatest!
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Vlad Turiceanu
Windows Editor
Coming from a solid background in PC building and software development, he’s a Windows 11 Privacy & Security expert.
