AI extension for Microsoft Edge

Copilotly is an independent AI assistant and is not affiliated with Microsoft Copilot. Edge's own sidebar is Microsoft's product. Copilotly is a separate extension from a separate company, and it does not replace or modify it. You can run both.

The practical difference is choice. Copilotly lets you switch between GPT, Claude, Gemini and others, or use your own API key through bring your own key. Microsoft's integration is the better fit if you want deep ties to Microsoft 365 and your Microsoft account, which Copilotly does not offer.

• Rewriting email and posts. Select text in Outlook on the web, LinkedIn or any text box, choose a tone and length, and compare the rewrite word by word before replacing. See rewrite anywhere.
• Reading in another language. Right-click, "Translate this page", and read the original and translation together. Page translation.
• Documents. Chat with PDF, Word, Excel and CSV files, or generate spreadsheets, documents and slides as downloadable files. Chat with PDF.
• Research. Web search with cited sources, and a deep research mode that shows its plan as it works. Deep research.

Edge is Chromium-based, and MDN's compatibility data lists Edge's Web Speech recognition support as matching Chrome's. Dictation in Copilotly uses the browser's speech recognition, so it is available in Edge. As in Chrome, recognition can depend on an internet connection. More on dictation.

The free plan has daily limits (for example 10 premium-model messages and 5 web searches). Pro is $6.99/week, $19.99/month or $149.99/year, with a 7-day free trial for first-time subscribers. See pricing.

1. Draft replies in Outlook on the web. Select what you wrote, change the tone, and compare. The replace button swaps your selection; insert places the text in the field.
2. Read a foreign-language site. Translate the page and keep the original on screen next to it.
3. Summarize a YouTube video. Open the video, press Alt+C and ask for a summary, then follow up on the section you care about. See YouTube summaries.
4. Work from a file. Upload a PDF, Word, Excel or CSV file and ask questions about it.

Two settings change how well answers fit you. Custom instructions and memory let you tell the assistant who you are and how you like answers, so you stop repeating yourself (see memory and personalization). My Voice learns your writing style, so rewrites sound like you rather than like a generic assistant.

If you have used another AI sidebar, our Monica comparison and Sider comparison are honest about where those tools are stronger.

In Edge, open the Extensions menu and confirm Copilotly is turned on, then reload the page. Edge's own internal pages, and some store pages, are restricted for extensions, so try an ordinary site. Alt+C could clash with another extension or a Windows shortcut; review the keyboard shortcuts in Edge's extension settings if it does nothing. If you installed through the Chrome Web Store at some point, remove that copy so you only have one version running.

If chat opens but answers fail, check you are signed in and that you have not used the day's allowance for a premium model, since free accounts have daily limits. The pricing page lists them.

When Microsoft's own sidebar is the better choice

If your work lives in Microsoft 365 and you want the assistant tied to your Microsoft account, the built-in option is the natural fit, and Copilotly does not offer that integration.

When a separate extension helps

Copilotly is worth adding when you want a choice of models, in-place rewriting with a visible diff, or bilingual page translation. You can run both; they do not interfere. Our Monica comparison and Sider comparison cover the other extension-based options.

Which costs what?

Copilotly has a free plan with daily limits (see free plan). Pro is $6.99/week, $19.99/month or $149.99/year, with a 7-day free trial for first-time subscribers. Check Microsoft's own pages for what its assistant includes.

Copilotly runs as a desktop extension in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave and Opera. Arc and Vivaldi also install the Chrome Web Store build. Safari is the exception: no Safari build is published, so the Safari page covers what to use instead.

How was the dictation column checked?

Dictation uses the browser's built-in speech recognition, so it follows the browser, not Copilotly. We took the support data from MDN's SpeechRecognition page. MDN also notes that in browsers such as Chrome the audio goes to a web service for recognition, so it will not work offline. Brave is marked "not verified" because we have not tested it. Rewrite, translation and chat do not depend on speech recognition.

What about phones and tablets?

Desktop extensions do not run in mobile browsers in general. On a phone, use the iOS or Android app, which works on the free plan. Everything is listed on the download page.

Limits belong to your account, so they are the same in the extension, the web app and the mobile apps. Free covers fast models within a token allowance, plus these daily allowances:

What does Pro cost?

Pro is $6.99/week, $19.99/month or $149.99/year, with a 7-day free trial for first-time subscribers. Compare plans on the pricing page.

Do my own API keys count against these limits?

No. Requests on your own key are never metered by Copilotly; see bring your own key.

The same account works everywhere, but the surfaces are not identical.

Rows marked No for the web app and mobile reflect that those features act on the browser page you are viewing. If you rely on them, the extension in Chrome, Edge or Firefox is what you need. For the rest, see all features.

Which shortcuts and menus matter?

• Alt+C opens the sidebar widget.
• Select text to show the rewrite toolbar; Cmd/Ctrl+K opens its command menu.
• Right-click selected text for the context menu, or right-click a page and choose Translate this page.
• Undo and versions restore earlier wording after a rewrite.

How do I turn it off or remove it?

Right-click the icon next to the address bar and choose Remove from Microsoft Edge, then Remove (Microsoft Support). To pause it, switch its toggle off in Manage extensions.

Where does my text go?

Content you ask about, including selected text, is sent to the AI model you choose, so avoid using it on anything you would not paste into an online service. Incognito chats are available in the product.

Ask the same prompt twice

Run a question in one model, switch the picker and run it again. A GPT answer and a Claude answer often differ in wording and sometimes in substance, so a second opinion is cheaper than finding the mistake later. Neither is right every time.

Match the model to the job

Use a fast model for quick lookups and small edits, and a premium model when a question needs careful reasoning. Free accounts get 10 premium-model messages a day, so spend them on the questions that matter. Our professional-work comparison is a good starting point.

Check what matters

For anything you will send, publish or act on, read the result and verify the facts and numbers against the original source. Turn on web search when you need cited sources, then open the citations.

Be specific about tone and length

The rewrite toolbar has tone and length pickers. "Friendlier, shorter" is a clearer instruction than a bare rewrite, and you can run it again with a different setting. See rewrite anywhere.

Read the word-level diff

The comparison shows exactly what changed against your original. Approve the parts you like, use undo for the rest, and check that names, dates and numbers are untouched.

Teach it your style

My Voice learns your writing style, and custom instructions and memory tell the assistant who you are and how you like answers. Both are covered in memory and personalization. For a one-off reword with no setup, the free paraphrasing tool works without an account.

Ask specific questions

"What does the author claim, and where is the evidence?" works better than "summarize". Ask for quotes or section names so you can check them against the page.

Work in steps on long pages

Ask for an outline first, then dig into one section. For documents, upload the PDF, Word, Excel or CSV file instead and use chat with PDF. On video pages, ask for a summary and follow up on the part you care about; see YouTube summaries.

Know what leaves the page

Only ask about pages you are comfortable sending to an AI model. Pages behind a login, such as banking or health portals, are better left alone.

Check your organisation's rules first

Many employers restrict browser extensions or AI tools. Ask your IT or security team before installing it on a work profile. This is general guidance, not legal or compliance advice.

Keep sensitive content out

Selected text and pages you ask about go to the model you choose. Do not use it on confidential client data, credentials or personal records unless your policy allows it. Incognito chats and your own API key give you more control, but they do not change what is sent for a request.

Personal profile, personal use

A separate browser profile for personal use keeps work and personal accounts apart. See pricing for plan details.