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PRconnect's avatar
PRconnect
Occasional Reader
Jun 26, 2026

Copilot in Excel - Web vs Desktop

Hello Community! Over the past few months, I've noticed that when using Copilot in Excel, the newest features appear in Excel on Web for weeks or months (also PowerPoint, and possibly Word and other...
copilot in excel
BartSchoovaerts's avatar
BartSchoovaerts
Copper Contributor
Jun 28, 2026

1. Excel for Web is Microsoft's fastest deployment platform

Microsoft can update Excel for the web immediately because the code runs in Microsoft's cloud. They don't need to wait for customers to update desktop installations or for multiple desktop build channels to catch up. As a result, new Copilot experiences are often introduced in the web version first. 

2. Copilot features are increasingly cloud-native

Many newer Copilot capabilities (including Agent Mode, Plan Mode, and other "agentic" experiences) depend heavily on cloud services, orchestration layers, and AI models that are easier to integrate and test in the web experience first. Microsoft describes these capabilities as multi-step workflows that interact directly with workbooks and leverage cloud-based intelligence. 

3. Microsoft often uses a staged rollout strategy

A common Microsoft pattern is:

  • Internal testing
  • Web preview/frontier release
  • Web general availability
  • Desktop preview channels
  • Desktop Current Channel rollout

This allows Microsoft to gather telemetry and feedback from a smaller audience before pushing features into the more complex Windows and Mac desktop clients. The Agent Mode rollout followed a similar path, appearing in Excel for the web before desktop versions. 

4. Desktop Excel is technically more complex

Desktop Excel has decades of functionality, add-ins, COM integrations, VBA, local file support, enterprise policies, and platform-specific code. A feature that works in the browser may require additional engineering and validation before it can safely ship in the Windows or Mac applications. This naturally creates delays between web and desktop releases.

5. Different update channels can further delay availability

Even after Microsoft releases a feature for desktop, availability depends on whether you're on:

  • Current Channel
  • Monthly Enterprise Channel
  • Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel

Organizations on slower channels may not receive the functionality until weeks or months after it first appears in Excel for the web.