# 2 Best Open Source Alternatives for Microsoft 365 Copilot

Canonical: https://caniforkit.com/microsoft-365-copilot
Last updated: 2026-11-07

Looking for the best open source alternative for Microsoft 365 Copilot? Compare 2 verified free and open source alternatives to Microsoft 365 Copilot (Onyx, Pipeshub) with license details, self-hosting requirements, and practical trade-offs.

## Microsoft 365 Copilot Overview & Subscription Cost
- **Product**: Microsoft 365 Copilot
- **Category**: [notes & knowledge](https://caniforkit.com/category/notes-knowledge)
- **Paid Subscription Price**: $10/month per seat
- **1-Seat Annualized Cost**: $120/year
- **5-Person Team Annualized Cost**: $600/year
- **10-Person Team Annualized Cost**: $1,200/year
- **Can I Vibe-Code / Rebuild It Myself?**: NO (use a free alternative, save the tokens)
- **Rebuild Verdict**: Instead of paying recurring SaaS fees for Microsoft 365 Copilot or rebuilding it from scratch, deploy one of the 2 battle-tested open-source alternatives like Onyx.

## Verified Free & Open Source Alternatives

| Alternative | Type | License | Runs On | GitHub Stars | Head-to-Head |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Onyx](https://caniforkit.com/fork/onyx) | Open Source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 33.3k | [Compare vs Microsoft 365 Copilot](https://caniforkit.com/vs/microsoft-365-copilot-vs-onyx) |
| [Pipeshub](https://caniforkit.com/fork/pipeshub) | Open Source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 4k | [Compare vs Microsoft 365 Copilot](https://caniforkit.com/vs/microsoft-365-copilot-vs-pipeshub) |

## In-Depth Alternative Profiles

### Onyx
- **Fork Page**: [Onyx Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/onyx)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [Microsoft 365 Copilot vs Onyx](https://caniforkit.com/vs/microsoft-365-copilot-vs-onyx)
- **Official Website**: https://onyx.app
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/onyx-dot-app/onyx
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 33.3k
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Summary**: An open-source platform that connects to 40+ apps to provide intelligent search and AI assistance across all company information
- **The Catch vs Microsoft 365 Copilot**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Microsoft 365 Copilot.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/onyx-dot-app/onyx or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.

### Pipeshub
- **Fork Page**: [Pipeshub Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/pipeshub)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [Microsoft 365 Copilot vs Pipeshub](https://caniforkit.com/vs/microsoft-365-copilot-vs-pipeshub)
- **Official Website**: https://pipeshub.com/
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/pipeshub-ai/pipeshub-ai/
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 4k
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Summary**: Self-hostable enterprise AI platform that unifies business data across apps, powers a knowledge graph for cited answers, and lets teams build AI agents across their stack.
- **The Catch vs Microsoft 365 Copilot**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Microsoft 365 Copilot.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/pipeshub-ai/pipeshub-ai/ or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the best free alternative to Microsoft 365 Copilot?
The top free alternative to Microsoft 365 Copilot is Onyx (open source, Open Source). An open-source platform that connects to 40+ apps to provide intelligent search and AI assistance across all company information Other popular Microsoft 365 Copilot replacements include Pipeshub.

### How much does switching from Microsoft 365 Copilot to a free alternative save?
Microsoft 365 Copilot starts at $10/month per seat ($120/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like Onyx saves $600 per year in software subscription fees.

### What is the catch when switching away from Microsoft 365 Copilot?
While Onyx replaces core Microsoft 365 Copilot features without subscription fees, the real-world trade-off is: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Microsoft 365 Copilot.

## Related

- [notes & knowledge Software Category Hub](https://caniforkit.com/category/notes-knowledge)
- [All Paid SaaS Alternatives Index](https://caniforkit.com/alternatives)
- [Self-Hosted Software Directory](https://caniforkit.com/self-hosted)
- [Homepage](https://caniforkit.com)