Microsoft Copilot Available Models: All Supported Models, Version Differences, Capabilities Comparison, And Access Requirements

Microsoft Copilot integrates a variety of advanced language models across its products, including consumer chat, Microsoft 365, Copilot Studio, GitHub Copilot, and developer environments. Each Copilot surface offers a different selection of models, access methods, and feature sets, reflecting both product focus and subscription tier.

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Microsoft Copilot For Individuals Uses GPT-5 With Smart Mode Routing.

Microsoft Copilot for individual users, available through web, mobile, and Windows, defaults to GPT-5 for general chat and task automation.

In Smart Mode, Copilot automatically routes requests to the most suitable version of GPT-5 for the given prompt, balancing speed and reasoning depth without manual intervention. This real-time routing ensures that simple queries get fast answers, while complex or multi-step requests are escalated to deeper reasoning models within the GPT-5 family.

The result is a seamless experience where users do not need to choose a model for each task—Copilot manages model selection to optimize response quality and latency.

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Microsoft Copilot For Individuals: Model Handling

Surface	Default Model	Model Selection Method	Access Requirement
Copilot (Web, Mobile, Windows)	GPT-5 (Smart Mode)	Automatic routing within GPT-5 family	Personal Microsoft account, availability varies by region

This approach simplifies user experience and allows Microsoft to roll out model improvements behind the scenes.

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Microsoft 365 Copilot Transitioned From GPT-4o To GPT-5 Across Business Features.

Microsoft 365 Copilot originally featured GPT-4o as the core reasoning model, with grounding in business data through Microsoft Graph.

Recent updates position GPT-5 as the backbone for both individual and organizational Copilot experiences, further improving reasoning, context retention, and document understanding. Microsoft 365 Copilot combines the latest models with business-specific plugins and data integrations to tailor responses to enterprise environments.

Access is controlled via Microsoft 365 Copilot licensing, and model selection is generally abstracted from end users, though improvements roll out automatically.

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Microsoft 365 Copilot Model Evolution

Surface	Previous Model	Current Model	Selection Exposure	Access Requirement
Microsoft 365 Copilot	GPT-4o	GPT-5	Automatic, not user-controlled	Microsoft 365 Copilot enterprise licensing

The focus remains on delivering business productivity through seamless, AI-augmented workflows.

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Copilot Studio Supports Model Selection With Documented Version Changes.

Copilot Studio is designed for building custom AI agents, chatbots, and workflows inside Microsoft’s low-code platform.

Recent changes made GPT-4.1 the default model for new agents, following the retirement of GPT-4o in late 2025, with exceptions for certain government cloud customers. GPT-5 is available for users seeking more advanced generative capabilities or custom reasoning, selectable in the agent configuration UI.

Developers and creators can choose from a set of models, including various GPT-4.1 versions, multiple GPT-5 modes, and occasional experimental variants, depending on region and licensing.

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Supported Models In Copilot Studio

Model	Description	Availability	Notes
GPT-4.1 mini	Lightweight, cost-effective	Broad	Fast, for simple tasks
GPT-4.1	Balanced reasoning	Broad	Default after GPT-4o retirement
GPT-5 chat	Advanced dialogue	Broad, premium	Complex reasoning
GPT-5 reasoning	Enhanced analytical	Broad, premium	For technical workflows
GPT-5.2 (experimental)	Experimental features	Limited, opt-in	Early access, may change

Model selection may also differ by region, compliance requirements, or plan.

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GitHub Copilot Chat And Visual Studio Copilot Offer Multi-Model Selection And Third-Party Integrations.

GitHub Copilot Chat provides the most explicit multi-model selection experience, offering a picker for users to choose from supported models, including various GPT-4.1 and GPT-5 versions, coding-specialized models, and even non-OpenAI options like Claude and Gemini.

“Auto” mode lets GitHub select the optimal model, while advanced users can manually switch models for specific sessions or tasks.

Visual Studio Copilot defaults to GPT-4.1 but also allows model switching or custom additions, letting developers optimize for code generation or chat.

Premium model access and advanced switching are tied to Copilot Pro+ or higher GitHub Copilot subscriptions.

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Model Availability In GitHub Copilot And Visual Studio Copilot

Surface	Default Model	Other Supported Models	User Control	Access Requirement
GitHub Copilot Chat	GPT-4.1	GPT-5, GPT-5 variants, Claude, Gemini	Full picker	Copilot Free (basic), paid plans unlock all
Visual Studio Copilot	GPT-4.1	Custom models as added	Full picker	GitHub Copilot entitlement and IDE support

Model lists can expand as new releases are supported by Microsoft or partner platforms.

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Access Requirements Depend On The Copilot Product And User’s Subscription.

Access to the latest or most advanced models in Microsoft Copilot depends on the specific Copilot product, user account type, and active subscription tier.

• Microsoft Copilot for individuals is free but may vary by region or platform.

• Microsoft 365 Copilot requires enterprise licensing, managed by organizational IT.

• Copilot Studio is a subscription product with model access controlled by licensing and regional policies.

• GitHub Copilot distinguishes between free and paid tiers, with advanced models and more frequent chat sessions reserved for paid users.

Region, compliance requirements, and organizational settings may influence which models are shown or selectable on each Copilot surface.

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Summary Of Microsoft Copilot Model Access By Surface

Product	Default Model	Model Selection	Access Requirement	Notable Limitations
Microsoft Copilot (consumer)	GPT-5	Automatic	Free Microsoft account	Regional feature variation
Microsoft 365 Copilot	GPT-5	Automatic	Enterprise Copilot license	Tied to business tenant
Copilot Studio	GPT-4.1 (default), GPT-5 available	User-selectable	Copilot Studio license	Model list varies by region/plan
GitHub Copilot Chat	GPT-4.1 (default), others	User-selectable	Copilot Free (limited), paid unlocks all	Paid plans unlock premium models
Visual Studio Copilot	GPT-4.1	User-selectable	GitHub Copilot entitlement	IDE integration required

This matrix helps clarify where users can find specific models and what is required for access.

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Microsoft Copilot Delivers Model Choice And Capability Based On Product And Plan.

Microsoft Copilot’s range of available models and their capabilities vary significantly across consumer, enterprise, and developer products. GPT-5 powers most new Copilot experiences, while GPT-4.1 and custom models remain important in specialized tools and agent-building surfaces.

Users benefit from automatic model routing in everyday chat, explicit model pickers in technical and developer settings, and expanding options as Microsoft integrates new models and third-party capabilities across its Copilot ecosystem.

Understanding the supported models, version differences, and access requirements allows users to maximize Copilot’s capabilities for both general and advanced workflows.

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