Short answer
A focused knowledge agent over one SharePoint site is a small fixed-price build of two to three weeks. Agents with several data sources, actions, and custom sign-in take five weeks or more. Running costs are separate: Copilot Studio bills in Copilot Credits, through prepaid capacity packs or pay-as-you-go.
What drives the build cost
| Factor | Smaller build | Larger build |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge | One SharePoint site or library | Several sources, external systems, databases |
| Actions | Answers only | Creates records, submits requests, runs agent flows |
| Users | Internal staff with single sign-on | Customers, partners, or custom authentication |
| Governance | Standard documentation | Audit logging, content filtering, regulated data handling |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Running costs
Copilot Studio bills in Copilot Credits. You can buy prepaid capacity packs of 25,000 credits a month, pay as you go through an Azure subscription, or use a pre-purchase plan. How many credits an agent uses depends on its design, the models and tools it calls, and how often people use it. Microsoft Copilot license holders using agents inside Microsoft 365 are covered for many scenarios.
See how Copilot Studio billing works for the details.
What a build includes
- Scoping: purpose, knowledge sources, users, and success questions
- The agent, its knowledge, topics, and tools
- Agent flows or Power Automate where it needs to take action
- Testing against real questions before launch
- Publishing to Teams, SharePoint, or a website
- Documentation, a credit forecast, and a walkthrough for the people who will own it
Based on Microsoft's published documentation as of October 2026. Microsoft changes names, features, and billing often; confirm details in your own tenant.