Agent Templates vs. Managed Agents: What’s the Difference in Copilot Studio?

In Copilot Studio there are two different ways of getting started with agents other than just starting from blank; agent templates and managed agents. So, what's the difference?

➡️ Agent Templates give you the foundation of an agent inside the familiar Copilot Studio builder experience; aspects of the agent are pre-filled like the instructions, and you can go ahead and customize as you need based on your goals for that agent.

➡️ Managed Agents are ready-to-go installable agents where customization for your environment comes through an installation process rather than a template-based model. These are solutions that may include additional components outside of just a base agent template designed to demonstrate an end-to-end workflow.

Both are valuable starting points, but for different purposes. For maximum flexibility, templates can offer inspiration to builders. Managed agents on the other hand more thoroughly demonstrate the scope of ambition for Copilot Studio but are less readily used just as a base for further building.

❓ Which agent templates or managed agents have you tried, and what have been your results?