Honest Comparison

Microsoft Agent 365 vs. Outermind

Agent 365 is an amazing enterprise platform. Outermind is your first step into AI automation.
Most of what you build is designed to be portable when you're ready to graduate.

Start Simple. Graduate When Ready.

Microsoft Agent 365 is built for enterprises with dedicated IT teams. Outermind is built for SMBs who want to start automating today. Both are great—for different stages of your journey.

What Makes Agent 365 Amazing

We genuinely admire these enterprise capabilities

🏢

Agentic Users

Agents can have their own M365 identity, calendar, and email

🔗

Multi-Agent Orchestration

Agents can delegate to and collaborate with other agents

📊

Microsoft Graph Native

Direct access to all M365 data without API calls

🛡️

Defender Integration

Real-time threat detection for agent activities

📋

Purview Compliance

Data governance and DLP for agent actions

🔌

1,000+ Connectors

Pre-built connectors in Power Platform

The Enterprise Complexity

Agent 365 is designed for organizations with IT departments

⚙️

Azure Subscription

Provision and manage Azure resources, resource groups, budgets

⚙️

Microsoft 365 Licenses

Base M365 subscription required for all users ($22/user/mo)

⚙️

Copilot Licenses

Additional $18-30/user/month on top of M365

⚙️

Copilot Studio

Separate platform for building agents with Power Platform

⚙️

Credit Management

Monitor and manage consumption-based billing

⚙️

Entra ID Configuration

Set up agent identities and permissions

⚙️

Defender/Purview Setup

Configure security and compliance policies

⚙️

Power Platform Knowledge

Often requires Power Automate for workflows

⏱️

Setup Timeline

With IT team: 2-4 weeks  | Without IT team: Not recommended

Why Outermind for SMBs

Right-sized AI automation without enterprise complexity

30-Minute Setup

No Azure, no Power Platform, no IT team required

💰

Predictable Pricing

Flat monthly fee, no per-user or credit-based billing

🔑

BYOK Model

Bring your own LLM keys, control your AI costs directly

🎯

SMB-Focused

Right-sized features without enterprise complexity

📧

Email-First Design

Purpose-built for email automation workflows

🚀

Enterprise Portable

Most of what you build is designed to transfer to Agent 365

Outermind Setup Requirements

Email access + LLM API key + 30 minutes

Real Cost Comparison

What SMBs actually pay each month

10-Person Company, 5 Agents

Microsoft Agent 365 Stack
M365 Business Premium$220/mo
Microsoft 365 Copilot$210/mo
Copilot Studio Credits$40-200/mo
Total$470-630/mo
Outermind
Professional Plan$249/mo
LLM Costs (BYOK)~$20-50/mo
Total$269-299/mo

25-Person Company, 15 Agents

Microsoft Agent 365 Stack
M365 Business Premium$550/mo
Microsoft 365 Copilot$525/mo
Copilot Studio Credits$200-400/mo
Total$1,275-1,475/mo
Outermind
Pro Plus Plan$599/mo
LLM Costs (BYOK)~$100-200/mo
Total$699-799/mo

* Microsoft costs assume existing M365 subscription. Outermind LLM costs vary by usage and model choice.

The Migration Path

What you build in Outermind is designed to transfer to Agent 365

Outermind

What You Build

Agent 365

Where It Goes

Agent personas & instructions
Copilot Studio agent definitions
Email routing rules
Power Automate trigger conditions
Response templates
Agent knowledge sources
Business logic & decisions
Copilot Studio topics and flows
Integration patterns
Power Platform connector config
Team training & familiarity
Transferable AI skills

Honest Recommendations

We'll tell you which one is right for you

🏢

Choose Agent 365

  • 100+ employees
  • Dedicated IT team
  • Already using M365 Copilot
  • Need deep SharePoint/Dynamics integration
  • Require SOC2/HIPAA compliance today
  • Want agents with their own M365 identities
🚀

Choose Outermind

  • 5-50 employees
  • No dedicated IT department
  • Want to start automating this week
  • Need predictable monthly costs
  • Want to prove ROI before big investments
  • Planning to evaluate Agent 365 later

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Outermind trying to replace Microsoft Agent 365?

Not at all. Agent 365 is an incredible enterprise platform with capabilities we genuinely admire. Outermind is designed for SMBs who need a simpler starting point. When you're ready for enterprise-scale AI, Agent 365 will be waiting—and most of what you've built with us is designed to be portable.

Why would I start with Outermind instead of going straight to Agent 365?

Most SMBs (5-50 employees) don't have dedicated IT teams to manage Azure, Power Platform, and Copilot Studio. Outermind lets you start automating this week instead of next month, with predictable costs and no enterprise infrastructure requirements.

What do you mean by "portable to enterprise tools"?

The agent designs, business rules, routing logic, and workflow patterns you develop in Outermind can be translated to Copilot Studio when you migrate. You're building real AI automation skills, not just using our platform.

When should I consider migrating to Agent 365?

Consider migrating when: you grow past 50 employees, you hire dedicated IT staff, you need deep SharePoint/Dynamics 365 integration, compliance requirements demand enterprise certifications, or you want agents with their own M365 identities.

Do you help with the migration to Agent 365?

Yes. We provide export documentation of your agent configurations, mapping guides to Copilot Studio, and migration consultation depending on your tier. We want you to succeed—even if that means graduating to a larger platform.

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When you're ready for enterprise, you'll graduate with skills that transfer.