Compare · Microsoft Copilot

Digby vs Microsoft Copilot

Copilot lives inside Microsoft’s apps and Microsoft 365. Digby is a standalone assistant on open models in Canada. Here is how they differ for Canadians.

Start chatting free Digby for business

Digby answering a question about what PIPEDA requires of a Canadian business using an AI chatbot, with its web research shown — A real Digby answer: it searched the web, read official guidance and showed its work.

At a glance

Feature	Digby	Microsoft 365 Copilot	Copilot (consumer)
Company	Built in Canada	Microsoft, United States	Microsoft, United States
Where data is stored	Canada, for every user	The tenant’s region at rest — Canada for Canadian tenants	Not documented as Canada
Where answers are generated	Canadian hardware	In-country processing for Canada planned for 2027	Not documented as Canada
Models	Custom-tuned open-weight models	Closed models (OpenAI, Anthropic)	Closed models
Used to train models	Never	No	Signed-in adults’ chats, unless they opt out
Self-hosting	Available for organisations	No	No
Price	Free to start	US$30 per user per month (enterprise); Copilot Business US$21	Free app; Microsoft 365 Premium US$19.99 a month

Microsoft details from Microsoft’s own documentation and announcements as of October 2026.

Data residency vs where answers are made

For Microsoft 365 tenants in Canada, Copilot prompts and responses are stored at rest in Canada. Where the model processes them is a separate question: Microsoft announced in-country processing for Canada and, in an April 2026 update, scheduled it for 2027 — until then, processing may happen outside Canada.

Digby stores conversations in Canada and generates answers on Canadian hardware today, for every user, including guests.

Sources Microsoft — Copilot data residencyMicrosoft — in-country processing (updated April 2026)

Training, memory and retention

Digby never uses your conversations, memory or files to train AI models. Microsoft says it does not use Microsoft 365 Copilot prompts, responses or organisational data to train its foundation models. In the consumer Copilot app, conversations of signed-in adults can be used for training unless they opt out, and conversation history is kept for 18 months by default. Both remember facts across chats, and memories can be deleted.

Sources Microsoft — enterprise data protectionMicrosoft — consumer Copilot privacy FAQ

Where each one fits

01
Copilot
teams whose work lives in Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams and who want AI inside those apps.
02
Digby
people and teams who want one assistant across their tools, with conversations and answers in Canada, open models and checked answers.
03
Both
many teams use Copilot inside Office and Digby for research, writing and Canadian-resident chat.

Try it on your own work

Digby works with Gmail, Google Calendar and Drive, Slack, GitHub, Asana and Xero, and you can start without an account. Bring a real question from this week and compare.

See integrations

Frequently asked questions

Does Microsoft Copilot keep data in Canada?

Microsoft 365 Copilot stores prompts and responses at rest in Canada for Canadian tenants. In-country processing of prompts for Canada is scheduled for 2027. The consumer Copilot app does not document a Canadian option.

Is Digby a replacement for Microsoft 365?

No — Digby is an AI assistant, not an office suite. It works alongside the tools you use and connects to Google Workspace, Slack, GitHub and more.