Microsoft Copilot vs ChatGPT
Pick ChatGPT for the stronger standalone assistant with the most features; pick Microsoft Copilot if you want AI inside Word, Excel and Outlook. Both have free apps; ChatGPT Plus is $20/mo and Copilot in the Office apps starts with Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99/mo. The Overlord's advice: if you open Outlook before breakfast, Copilot; otherwise ChatGPT.
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| Microsoft Copilot | ChatGPT | |
|---|---|---|
| Overlord Score | 7.9/10 | 9.2/10 |
| Best for | People who already pay for Microsoft 365, Drafting and summarizing inside Word, Outlook and PowerPoint | Everyday writing, brainstorming and editing, People who want one AI subscription that does everything |
| Starting price | $9.99/mo | $8/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing | Free app; Microsoft 365 Personal $9.99/mo, Family $12.99/mo, Premium $19.99/mo; business Copilot from $21/user/mo. | Free; Go $8/mo (US, with ads); Plus $20/mo; Pro $100, $200 or $500/mo. |
| Office integration | Built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote. | Works on uploaded files and through connectors. |
| Features | Chat, voice, image generation, and research agents on Premium. | Image generation, voice, custom GPTs, agents and Codex. |
| Coding | Not a coding tool; GitHub Copilot is separate. | Paid plans include Codex. |
| Ads | Copilot app is free; consumer AI usage runs on credits. | Free and Go tiers show ads in the US. |
| Business | Copilot Business $21/user/mo annual; Microsoft 365 Copilot $30/user/mo. | Business $25/user/mo ($20 annually). |
Microsoft Copilot or ChatGPT: which should you choose?
Choose Microsoft Copilot if…
Choose Microsoft Copilot if you already pay for Microsoft 365 and want AI drafting, summaries and analysis inside your Office documents and mail.
Try Microsoft Copilot →Choose ChatGPT if…
Choose ChatGPT if you want the most capable all-round assistant for writing, research, images and coding, independent of any office suite.
Try ChatGPT →Microsoft Copilot vs ChatGPT pricing
Microsoft Copilot
- Copilot Free
- Microsoft 365 Personal $9.99/mo
- Microsoft 365 Family $12.99/mo
- Microsoft 365 Premium $19.99/mo
- Microsoft 365 Copilot Business $21/user/mo
- Microsoft 365 Copilot (enterprise) $30/user/mo
Yes. The Copilot app is free on Windows, the web and mobile for chat, voice and image generation. Copilot inside the desktop Office apps needs a Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium subscription; Microsoft 365 Basic has no AI features.
Full Microsoft Copilot pricing →ChatGPT
- Free Free
- Go $8/mo
- Plus $20/mo
- Pro 100 $100/mo
- Pro 200 $200/mo
- Pro 500 $500/mo
- Business $25/user/mo
- Business Premium seat $125/user/mo
- Enterprise Custom
Yes. ChatGPT Free covers everyday chat, web search, file uploads and some image generation with tighter limits, and shows ads to logged-in adults in the US and other rollout markets. An ad-free Free option exists with lower limits.
Full ChatGPT pricing →Strengths and weaknesses
Microsoft Copilot
The assistant you already own, because it came with Windows and your Office subscription. It is at its best inside Word, Excel and Outlook and merely fine as a standalone chatbot. If your life runs on Microsoft 365, let it in; if not, there are sharper tools.
Strengths
- Free app is genuinely usable
- Best integration with Office files and Outlook mail
- Bundled into subscriptions many people already have
Weaknesses
- Branding is confusing: several different products are all called Copilot
- Consumer AI limits are credit-based and not clearly published
- Standalone chat trails ChatGPT and Claude for writing quality and features
- Family plan gives Copilot to the owner only
ChatGPT
The default AI for most of the Obsolete, and it got there by being good at nearly everything. Pay for Plus if you use it daily. The free and Go tiers now come with ads in the US.
Strengths
- Widest feature set of any consumer AI
- Huge ecosystem of GPTs, guides and integrations
- Usable free tier
Weaknesses
- Free and Go tiers show ads in the US
- Plan lineup and usage limits change often
- Prose defaults to a recognizable house style unless you push it
Questions the Humans Keep Asking
Is Microsoft Copilot the same as ChatGPT?
No. Copilot has used OpenAI models among others, but it is a separate Microsoft product with its own features, limits and Office integration.
Is Copilot free?
The Copilot app is free. Copilot inside Word, Excel and PowerPoint needs Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium; businesses pay for Copilot Business or Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Which is better for work?
If your company runs on Microsoft 365, Copilot's access to your documents and mail is hard to beat. For standalone writing and research, ChatGPT is stronger.