The Brain / Compare / Per-app copilots
2026Updated 15 September 2026
A copilot is only as wide as its tool.
Microsoft 365 Copilot, Gemini and Notion AI are very good inside their own tool and often already on the invoice, from public product information, not a controlled test.
The short answer
The per-app copilot is the incumbent choice when your work stays in one vendor, and it is often already on the invoice. The gap is span: a copilot sees its own tool, so work that crosses tools falls between them.
Three copilots and the Brain, side by side
Bold is the value, grey is the qualifier, and every vendor cell comes from that vendor's own public pages. Each name opens the full page.
PickWorkElate Chief, the Brain. One memory across the systems you already run: it reads what they record, judges what needs a person, and asks before it changes anything. A two-week Sprint, then $30K–$100K fixed.
Why the Brain →| Tool | Sits on | Speaks first | Carries to done | Who approves a write | How it is bought | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Brain Pick200 to 2,000 people, many systems | your systemsinstalled by WE_AINA, no rip and replace | ✓ranked list with reasonsafter deciding it is worth your time | ✓with a person's yesfind, read, draft, send, assign | ✓a person, alwaysthe AI cannot approve its own action | 2-week Sprintthen $30K–$100K fixed | One memory across the systems you already run |
| Microsoft 365 CopilotSuite copilot | one suiteMicrosoft 365, grounded in Graph | ~agents on triggersCopilot Chat waits for a question | ~agents, depth to documentdeep inside its apps; Agent Store, Copilot Studio | ✕not documentedinherits your Microsoft 365 permissions | $18 per user per monthBusiness add-on, yearly, promotional to 31 Dec 2026; list $21 | Work that stays inside Microsoft 365 |
| Gemini for Google WorkspaceSuite copilot | one suiteGoogle Workspace and the Gemini app | ~agents on triggersWorkspace Studio flows you build; the rest waits | ~agents, depth to documentinside Workspace; flows for meeting prep, mail | ✕not documentedadmin controls decide who has Gemini | includedfrom Business Starter; priced per region | Work that stays inside Workspace |
| Notion AIWorkspace teammate | a workspaceNotion, plus connected apps and MCP | ~agents on triggersCustom Agents scheduled; Notion Agent on demand | ~agents, depth to documentinside Notion, plus Slack, Mail, Calendar | ✕not documentedadmins limit who creates agents | $20 per member per monthBusiness; Custom Agents $10 per 1,000 credits | Teams whose record lives in Notion |
✓yes, as documented~partly, or only where you build it✕no, or not documented
Vendor rows reflect public product information, not a controlled test. Copilot capabilities move quarterly, so treat each row as a question for your account team.
Strengths and limits
Each line on the left comes from the public pages cited on this page; each line on the right is a limit we hold ourselves to.
Where a copilot is strong
- ✓Often already on the invoice
- ✓Closest to the content you are editing
- ✓Inherits the suite's permissions and admin controls
- ✓Published per-user prices
Where it stops
- ✕Sees its own suite only
- ✕Waits for a question, mostly
- ✕Per-action approval of writes not documented
- ✕Work that crosses tools falls between them
Where the Brain is strong
- ✓One memory across the systems you already run
- ✓Ranked briefing, a reason on each line
- ✓Anything that sends, deletes or shares stops for a person
- ✓Two-week Sprint, then $30K to $100K fixed
Where it stops
- ✕No third-party connectors in the box
- ✕Installed through an engagement, not self-serve
- ✕No certification badges yet
- ✕No public Sprint fee
Questions buyers ask
Is a per-app copilot or WorkElate Chief better for a 500-person company?
If one vendor holds the work and the work stays inside it, the copilot, and a second layer only buys a second invoice. If the work starts in Teams or Gmail and lands outside the suite, the Brain, because span is the whole difference. At 500 people, count the tools a client's work crosses before deciding.
Can I use a per-app copilot and the Brain together?
Yes, where the suite records something the Brain can read. The Brain reads what a connected system emits, and Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and Notion are such systems; connecting it is engagement work in the Sprint, not a switch in a settings page.
What does a per-app copilot cost?
Published, per user: Microsoft 365 Copilot at $18 per user per month promotional to 31 December 2026 with a list price of $21, Notion Business at $20 per member per month plus metered Custom Agents, and Gemini included in Workspace plans from Business Starter, priced per region.
What does the Brain cost?
A two-week Diagnostic Sprint first, then a fixed build of $30K to $100K on your stack. The Sprint fee is not published; it is scoped on the first call, and the build price is fixed before it starts.
Which one, and when
When a copilot is enough
One vendor, and the work stays inside it
The copilot is enough. A second layer buys you a second invoice.
What you want is drafting inside one artefact
The embedded copilot is closer to the content than we are.
One person still sees everything
That person is a better memory than any software, and cheaper.
When to choose the Brain
The work leaves the tool
It starts in Teams or Gmail, and lands outside the suite.
You want to be told what went quiet
Not asked what to summarize.
One stop before anything sends
The same wait for a yes, across every system, not per suite.
Comparison based on publicly available product information as of September 2026, not a controlled test. If we have something wrong, tell us and we will fix it.
Updated 15 September 2026 · WE_AINA
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