Choose Agent 365 when
Your company is fully on Microsoft 365 with E5 licenses and agent workflows stay inside the Microsoft ecosystem.
Comparison
Renly vs Microsoft Agent 365: cross-vendor vs Microsoft-locked.
Microsoft Agent 365 (GA May 1 2026) is a control plane for agents tied to Microsoft 365 licensing. Renly is a tool-neutral, model-neutral runtime that governs agents across Microsoft and non-Microsoft systems alike.
Side-by-side
Where each platform fits
| Dimension | Microsoft Agent 365 | Renly |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor scope | Microsoft-only. Integrates with Copilot and M365 apps. | Vendor-neutral. Runs across Microsoft and non-Microsoft systems. |
| Licensing requirement | Requires qualifying Microsoft 365 plan or standalone Agent 365 add-on. | No Microsoft licensing required. Works with any stack. |
| Connected systems | Microsoft ecosystem first. Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, Dynamics 365. | 10+ systems including Azure DevOps, Jira, GitHub, Slack, Salesforce, Dynamics 365, Xero, OneNote, LinkedIn, Teams, Notion, Linear, Outlook. |
| Pre-built agents | Agent marketplace and Copilot agents ecosystem. | pre-built agent templates across 19 industries plus natural-language agent building shipped on day one. |
| Model posture | Microsoft-selected models, primarily Azure OpenAI-based. | OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure OpenAI, Google Gemini, plus BYOLLM on Enterprise. |
| Audit and governance | Microsoft Purview and M365 admin-level logs. | Application-level audit, approval-gated writes, kill switches, model policy controls. |
| Pricing posture | Included with qualifying M365 plans or standalone add-on. | Free, Pro at 19.99 dollars per seat per month, Pro Plus at 49.99 dollars per seat per month, Enterprise custom. |
Decision guide
How to choose
Choose Renly when
You have a mixed stack (Microsoft plus Google, Slack, Jira, Salesforce, and more), want model choice including Anthropic and Google Gemini, or need transparent seat pricing. Renly runs the work and proves it across the whole stack in one layer: every agent action attributable to a user, agent, and model, captured in a correlated audit trail, and gated by approval before any write.
Use both when
Agent 365 governs Microsoft-internal agents. Renly governs everything else and provides a single audit view for non-Microsoft systems.
Fact-check sources: Microsoft Agent 365, Microsoft Agent 365 launch announcement, and Renly product, integrations, and pricing pages. Microsoft pricing and licensing can change. Validate on Microsoft official pages before procurement.
FAQ
Common questions
Is Renly a Microsoft Agent 365 alternative?
Yes, especially for mid-market companies with mixed stacks. Agent 365 is Microsoft-locked and tied to M365 licensing. Renly is tool-neutral and model-neutral.
When does Microsoft Agent 365 launch?
Microsoft announced general availability for May 1 2026 as part of qualifying Microsoft 365 plans or as a standalone add-on.
Do I need Microsoft 365 E5 to use Renly?
No. Renly has no Microsoft licensing requirement. It works with any stack including Google Workspace, Slack, Jira, and non-Microsoft business systems.
Can Renly still connect to Microsoft systems?
Yes. Renly connects to Azure DevOps, Teams, Outlook, Dynamics 365, OneNote, and more. You are not forced to choose a vendor.
One agent runtime, any vendor stack
Renly governs AI agents across Microsoft, Google, Atlassian, Salesforce, and more. No forced licensing, no forced models, no vendor lock-in.