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Microsoft MAI is a family of AI models, Microsoft Foundry is the platform for finding and deploying models, and Copilot Studio is for building and publishing agents and workflows. They are different layers, not three interchangeable products. A team may use Foundry to deploy a model and Copilot Studio to build an agent that uses it, subject to current feature and tenant availability.
What is the difference between MAI, Foundry, and Copilot Studio?
The names answer different questions: which model will do the AI work, where developers will deploy and call it, and how a team will assemble an agent or workflow around AI.
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| Product | What it is | Best fit | What to evaluate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft AI (MAI) | A family of Microsoft models, with examples across text and reasoning, image generation and editing, speech recognition, and text-to-speech. | Teams choosing a particular model and version for a task. | Capability, version, lifecycle status, availability, and model-specific usage terms. Individual models do not necessarily share the same status or terms. |
| Microsoft Foundry | A cloud platform for discovering, deploying, and using models, including MAI models. | Developers or platform teams that need model selection, deployment, endpoints, and API access. | Azure subscription and project requirements, supported region, deployment options, endpoint setup, and model-specific rates. |
| Copilot Studio | A low-code/no-code environment for creating and managing agents, connecting them to data and systems, and publishing them. | Business makers, IT teams, or developers building agents and workflows for users. | Connectors and data access, publishing destination, administration, licensing rights, and usage metering. |
Microsoft Learn now uses the name Microsoft Foundry. “Azure AI Foundry” remains in Microsoft’s earlier announcement about Foundry-model integration with Copilot Studio; use the current name when referring to the platform, while recognizing that the older wording still appears in product history. Microsoft’s May 19, 2025 announcement described the integration using that earlier name.
When should you choose each one?
Choose an MAI model when the main question is model fit
Start with the task: text and reasoning, image generation or editing, speech recognition, or text-to-speech. MAI is the model family, not the environment in which you author and publish an agent. Check the exact model and version rather than assuming every MAI model is available, generally available, or suitable for the same workload. Microsoft’s MAI-Thinking deployment guidance and MAI image deployment guidance describe deployment requirements for those model types.
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Choose Foundry when you need to deploy and call models
Foundry is the natural focus when developers need to work with model catalogs, deployments, endpoints, and APIs. The MAI deployment guides require an Azure subscription and project, and describe access through a Foundry resource. Check that the desired model and deployment path are available in the region and tenant you intend to use.
Choose Copilot Studio when you need to create and publish an agent
Copilot Studio is aimed at building and managing agents and workflows, connecting them to data and systems, and publishing them. Its low-code capabilities suit makers as well as technical teams. The Copilot Studio product page outlines the product; the right choice depends on the agent’s data access, channels, administration, and licensing needs.
Can Copilot Studio use Foundry models?
Microsoft has described using Foundry models in Copilot Studio prompts and generative answers, so the products can be combined rather than treated as alternatives. However, Microsoft’s cited announcement is dated May 19, 2025 and described the integration as a public preview at that time. That historical label does not establish its current status. Check current Copilot Studio documentation and confirm availability and permissions in the target tenant before designing a production workflow.
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These products do not share one comparable price: model usage, cloud deployment, and agent usage are different cost layers. The available Microsoft pricing information supports these distinctions, but does not establish comprehensive model-specific MAI or Foundry rates for every region and deployment.
- MAI models: Compare the selected model’s own usage and deployment terms. No comprehensive set of model-specific rates is established here.
- Foundry: Azure rates and terms depend on the model, region, and deployment. Confirm the applicable rate and billing details for the planned configuration rather than extrapolating from a different model or region.
- Copilot Studio: Microsoft’s pricing page describes monthly credit packs, pre-purchase, and pay-as-you-go. The page reviewed is a US page; check the current price, metering, and terms for your geography and tenant.
Copilot Studio access also depends on the licensing route. Microsoft distinguishes Microsoft 365 Copilot use rights—which support licensed users building and using internal agents in Microsoft 365—from standalone Copilot Studio licensing, which provides broader publishing and pricing flexibility. Verify the rights attached to your organization’s current license before choosing a publishing plan.
What should you verify before committing?
Model names, preview status, retirement dates, regional availability, pricing, and tenant features can change. Microsoft’s lifecycle information lists MAI-Image-2 and MAI-Image-2e as retired on August 15, 2026, and lists retirement for MAI-Image-2.5 variants on October 1, 2026. Those dates have passed as of October 7, 2026, so do not rely on an older recommendation without checking the current catalog and lifecycle listing. The MAI image guidance lists versions 2.6 and 2.6-Flash as preview as of July 31, 2026; confirm the live status before planning around them.
- Check the model catalog and lifecycle. Confirm the exact model and version, whether it is available or retired, and whether its status is preview or generally available.
- Check region and tenant access. Confirm support for the target region, Azure subscription, Foundry project, and Copilot Studio tenant, including any permissions the deployment or integration requires.
- Confirm the Copilot Studio path. Verify that the intended model integration is currently available for your tenant and is appropriate for production, rather than relying on an announcement’s historical preview status.
- Validate rights and billing. Check whether your Microsoft 365 Copilot entitlement covers the intended internal use or whether standalone Copilot Studio is required; review the current credit meter and applicable model or Azure charges.
- Test the actual workflow. Validate data connections, expected agent behavior, publishing destination, and operational controls with the intended model and tenant configuration before rollout.
Which one should you start with?
Start with MAI if the decision is which Microsoft model and version to use; start with Foundry if the work is model deployment and API access; start with Copilot Studio if the deliverable is a connected, publishable agent or workflow. Combine them only when the integration is currently supported for your configuration. This is a role-based decision, not a benchmark ranking: the available evidence does not establish that one model or product performs better or costs less for every workload.
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